Paranormal Photography — Cottingley Fairies: Yorkshire Girls Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths’ Photographs Endorsed by Arthur Conan Doyle (1917–1983 confession)

The Cottingley Fairies: Yorkshire Girls Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths’ Photographs

History and Background

In August 1917, two girls from Cottingley, a small village in West Yorkshire, England, took some photographs that would spark a decades-long debate about the existence of fairies. The girls, Elsie Wright (then aged 16) and her friend Frances Griffiths (aged 10), captured images of what appeared to be tiny, winged creatures, which they claimed were fairies.

Key Events or Sightings

The first photograph was taken on July 25, 1917. The girls used a five-inch Kodak camera and positioned paper cutouts of fairies, which they had made out of cardboard, behind a hawthorn bush in the garden of Elsie’s home at Cottingley Bank. This initial image generated little interest until Frances Griffiths’ mother showed it to Elsie’s mother.

On December 6, 1917, the second photograph was taken, this time with a six-inch Kodak camera. The girls claimed that the fairies were dancing in a meadow near their homes. This picture garnered more attention and even reached the front pages of several newspapers, including The Times.

Witness Accounts or Evidence

Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes, saw one of these photographs in the summer of 1920. Impressed by its authenticity, he published an article in his magazine The Strand, endorsing the photos as genuine. In it, he wrote, “Now I have seen [the fairies], and for me they are more real than the people who claim to see them through a camera that has been tampered with.” Doyle’s endorsement gave the photographs widespread credibility.

In 1920, Frances Griffiths’ father, George Griffiths, brought one of the photographs to the attention of Arthur Balfour, then President of the Royal Photographic Society. Balfour and his colleague examined the photos but found no signs of tampering or manipulation.

Investigations or Research

The controversy reached its peak in 1920 when a third photograph was taken by Elsie Wright. This time, Frances Griffiths posed with her dog, with fairies allegedly seen behind them. The photo appeared to show that the fairies could interact with the dog, lending further authenticity to the claim.

In 1938, the girls admitted to having created the photographs using cutouts and a magic lantern. They explained that they had been influenced by Arthur Conan Doyle’s books, which depicted fairies and other supernatural beings. In their confessions, Elsie Wright stated, “We used to make up stories about fairies in the garden; I suppose we must have been thinking about them when we took those photographs.”

Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths continued to deny having staged the first two photos until 1983, shortly before their deaths. At that time, Elsie Wright told her friend Marjorie Harris, “I wish now they had never been taken … they brought me so much trouble.” Frances Griffiths passed away in 1984.

The Current Status / Ongoing Mystery

Despite the revelations about the photographs being hoaxes, questions remain. Some skeptics argue that there are aspects of the first two photos that cannot be easily explained by simple cutouts and a magic lantern. For instance, the fairies appear to move in ways that suggest they were alive and interacting with their surroundings.

Arthur Cossins, an expert on photographic fraud, examined the original negatives and believed he had found evidence of double exposure in the first photo. However, others argue that such techniques would have been too advanced for young girls at the time.

Frequently Asked Questions (5 Q&A pairs)

Q: Were the Cottingley Fairies photographs genuine?

A: The photographs are now widely accepted as hoaxes created by Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths using cutouts and a magic lantern. However, some details in the first two photos continue to intrigue skeptics who believe there may have been more than just simple trickery involved.

Q: How did Arthur Conan Doyle get involved?

A: In 1920, Arthur Conan Doyle saw one of the photographs and was so convinced of its authenticity that he published an article endorsing it. His high-profile endorsement brought a lot of attention to the case and helped maintain the belief in the fairies for many years.

Q: Did anyone try to debunk the photographs earlier?

A: Yes, Arthur Balfour, President of the Royal Photographic Society, examined the photos but found no signs of tampering. However, his examination did not extend to investigating the possibility that the girls had created the images themselves.

Q: Why did it take so long for the truth to come out?

A: The girls initially denied any involvement in the hoax and only confessed years later. Their initial denials helped maintain the belief in the authenticity of the photographs, while their continued secrecy kept the mystery alive until near the end of their lives.

Q: Are there any other known cases like this?

A: There are several other notable cases where photographs or videos were initially believed to be genuine but later revealed as hoaxes. One example is the 1967 “Ghost in the Graveyard” hoax, where a Canadian teenager created ghost images that fooled many people for years.

The Cottingley Fairies: A Legacy of Mystery and Deception

The Cottingley Fairies photographs remain a fascinating case study in the history of paranormal photography. While they were ultimately exposed as hoaxes, their impact on popular culture and belief in the supernatural is undeniable. The story continues to captivate minds, prompting questions about human creativity, the power of suggestion, and the enduring allure of the unseen.

The Cottingley Fairies continue to intrigue us, not just because they were a hoax but also because they reveal much about the cultural and psychological factors that influence our perceptions of the world around us.