During the summer of 1917 Elsie Wright (16) and her cousin Frances Griffiths (10)

were playing at the Cottingley Beck (a small stream) and Elsie fell into the water. Out of

fear of getting into trouble, the girls fabricated a story about playing with fairies. This story

fooled the world for the next 68 years. They cut out pictures of fairies and photographed

themselves and the fairies with Elsie's father's camera. At first, Mr. Wright believed the

pictures to be fake. He knew his daughter was a talented artist and drew pictures of

fairies. Copies of the pictures had been given to friends and family.

In 1919, girl's mothers, Polly Wright and Annie Griffiths attended a meeting about

Theosophy. Theosophy was philosophy that included the possibility of nature spirits in

teachings. The women spoke to the speaker about the photos. Edward Gardner, a leader

in the Theosophical movement, contacted Polly Wright telling her that the photographs

were "the best of its kind I should think anywhere." The Wright's forwarded the original

negative plates to Mr. Gardner who sent them to a photographic expert by the name of

Harold Snelling. "What Snelling doesn't know about faked photography isn't worth

knowing," was a common statement made about Snelling.

Snelling concluded, "This plate is a single exposure. These dancing figures are not

made of paper nor any fabric; they are not painted on a photographic background-but

what gets me most is that all these figures have moved during the exposure." Meaning

that the camera's shutter speed was set low causing the figures to be blurred as if the

exposure had caught them moving in their dance.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of Sherlock Holmes and a member of the

Spiritualists movement, was contacted. Edward Gardner reported to Conan Doyle that

he believed that Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths was telling the truth. Conan Doyle

included the photographs in an article he wrote for The Strand magazine and suggested

that more photographs be taken while the girls were being observed by a "disinterested

witness."

Much criticism was received from the article. Major Edward Halls, a radium

expert wrote:

"On the evidence I have no hesitation in saying that these

photographs could have been faked. I criticize the attitude

of those who declare there is something supernatural in the

circumstances attending to the taking of these pictures because,

as a medical man, I believe that the inculcation of such absurd

ideas into the minds of children will result in later life in

manifestations and nervous disorder and mental disturbances..."

In 1920 Edward Gardner persuaded Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths to take

more photographs of the fairies. After several weeks, the girls produced additional

photographs now totaling five.

In 1921, Geoffrey Hodson, a well-known clairvoyant, went to Cottingley to

search for spirits. He claimed that he, like the girls, could see the fairies.

For many years the world has been fascinated with the Cottingley Fairies, fact or

fiction. Peter Chambers, The Daily Express, interviewed Elsie in 1966. She told him that

the fairies might have been "figments of my imagination." but it was unclear if she meant

that she had indeed faked the photographs or believed she had photographed her

thoughts.