The Cottingley Fairies
The Cottingley Fairies refer to a series of five photographs taken in 1917 and 1920 by two young cousins, Elsie…
The Cottingley Fairies refer to a series of five photographs taken in 1917 and 1920 by two young cousins, Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths, in the village of Cottingley, near Bradford, West Yorkshire, England. The photographs purported to show real fairies and caused a sensation at the time, capturing the public imagination and leading to a controversy that lasted for many decades. The story of the Cottingley Fairies is a fascinating example of early 20th-century media, belief in the supernatural, and the power of photography.
Background
Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths: In 1917, 16-year-old Elsie Wright and her 9-year-old cousin Frances Griffiths were living in the small village of Cottingley. The two girls often played together by a stream near their home, where they claimed to have seen fairies. To prove their encounters, they borrowed Elsie’s father’s camera and took the first two photographs of what they said were real fairies.
The Photographs: The first photograph, known as Frances and the Fairies, shows Frances in a woodland glade, apparently interacting with four small winged fairies. The second photograph, Elsie and the Gnome, depicts Elsie sitting next to a small gnome. Three more photographs were taken in 1920, each showing the girls with what appeared to be fairies or other mystical beings.
Public Reaction and Interest
Arthur Conan Doyle’s Involvement: The story of the Cottingley Fairies gained widespread attention when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the famous author of the Sherlock Holmes stories and a prominent spiritualist, became involved. Conan Doyle was a firm believer in the supernatural and was convinced of the authenticity of the photographs. In 1920, he wrote an article for The Strand Magazine titled “Fairies Photographed”, in which he presented the photographs as evidence of the existence of fairies. Conan Doyle’s endorsement brought the story to an even wider audience and fueled public fascination with the images.
Controversy and Debate: The photographs sparked a heated debate among the public, photographers, and experts. Some people were convinced that the images were genuine proof of the existence of fairies, while others were skeptical and dismissed the photographs as clever hoaxes. The quality of the photographs, combined with the technical limitations of the time, made it difficult for some to definitively prove whether they were real or faked.
The Hoax Revealed
Skepticism and Doubts: Over the years, as photographic techniques improved, many experts questioned the authenticity of the Cottingley Fairies. Some pointed out that the fairies in the images looked suspiciously like cutouts from books or illustrations. Despite this, the story continued to be popular, and the photographs remained a subject of fascination.
Elsie and Frances Confess: In 1983, more than 60 years after the photographs were taken, Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths finally admitted that the first four photographs were faked. They revealed that they had used paper cutouts of fairies, based on illustrations from a popular children’s book, Princess Mary’s Gift Book (1914), and posed them using hatpins. However, they maintained that the fifth photograph, known as The Fairy Bower, was genuine, though this claim has been met with skepticism.
Motivation Behind the Hoax: Elsie and Frances explained that the photographs had originally been intended as a prank. They were surprised by the attention the images received and felt unable to admit the truth as the story spiraled out of control, especially after Arthur Conan Doyle’s involvement. By the time they confessed, both women were elderly and had lived with the secret for most of their lives.
Legacy and Cultural Impact
The Power of Belief: The Cottingley Fairies story is a compelling example of how people’s desire to believe in the supernatural can lead them to accept improbable or even impossible things as true. The photographs were taken at a time when interest in spiritualism and the paranormal was high, and many were eager for proof of such phenomena.
Photography and Deception: The Cottingley Fairies case is also significant in the history of photography, illustrating how photographs, even at an early stage in the medium’s development, could be manipulated or used to deceive. The story highlights the need for critical thinking and skepticism when interpreting photographic evidence.
Enduring Fascination: Despite being exposed as a hoax, the Cottingley Fairies continue to capture the imagination. The story has been the subject of numerous books, articles, documentaries, and films, including the 1997 movie FairyTale: A True Story. The original photographs are now held in collections, including at the National Science and Media Museum in Bradford.
Cultural Symbol: The Cottingley Fairies have become a symbol of the tension between belief and skepticism, and the story is often cited in discussions about the psychology of belief, the history of photography, and the cultural climate of the early 20th century.
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