Where did the Cottingley fairies come from?

The Cottingley Fairies appear in a series of five photographs taken by Elsie Wright (1901–1988) and Frances Griffiths (1907–1986), two young cousins who lived in Cottingley, near Bradford in England. In 1917, when the first two photographs were taken, Elsie was 16 years old and Frances was 9.

How old were Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths when they discovered fairies?

The hoax began in 1917 when two cousins named Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths (aged 16 and 10, respectively) claimed to have discovered fairies and, after borrowing a camera, produced photos to prove it.

Who was the girl who took pictures of the fairies?

One hundred years ago, two girls went down to the stream at the bottom of a garden in Cottingley, England, and took some photographs of fairies. The fairies were paper cut-outs, which Elsie Wright, age 16, had copied from a children’s book. She and 10-year-old Frances Griffiths took turns posing with the sprites.

When did they finally admit that they really saw fairies?

Every once in a while, though, someone would track down one of the girls and press them for more details, or try to get them to admit that they had been making it up. In 1983, they finally admitted that the photographs were faked, but maintained that they really had seen fairies.

Cottingley Fairies. The Cottingley Fairies appear in a series of five photographs taken by Elsie Wright (1901–1988) and Frances Griffiths (1907–1986), two young cousins who lived in Cottingley, near Bradford in England. In 1917, when the first two photographs were taken, Elsie was 16 years old and Frances was 9.

Who was the first person to take pictures of fairies?

Cottingley Fairies. The first of the five photographs, taken by Elsie Wright in 1917, shows Frances Griffiths with the alleged fairies.

Where did Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright claim to have seen fairies?

Cottingley Beck, where Frances and Elsie claimed to have seen the fairies. In mid-1917 nine-year-old Frances Griffiths and her mother—both newly arrived in the UK from South Africa—were staying with Frances’ aunt, Elsie Wright’s mother, in the village of Cottingley in West Yorkshire; Elsie was then 16 years old.

How did Sir Oliver Lodge react to the photographs of fairies?

Doyle also showed the photographs to the physicist and pioneering psychical researcher Sir Oliver Lodge, who believed the photographs to be fake. He suggested that a troupe of dancers had masqueraded as fairies, and expressed doubt as to their “distinctly ‘Parisienne ‘ ” hairstyles.

What is Cottingley famous for?

Cottingley, Bradford. Cottingley is a suburban village within the City of Bradford in West Yorkshire, England, situated between Shipley and Bingley. It is perhaps best known for the Cottingley Fairies, which appeared in a series of photographs taken there during the early 20th century.