The Cottingley Fairies to accompany A Midsummer Night's Dream
24 April – 21 May 2008
Fairy Offering Flowers To Iris August 1920. A photograph of Elsie taken by Frances. A fairy stands on a tree branch offering Elsie a small bunch of flowers. After the first two Cottingley fairy photographs had appeared, 'experts' demanded further proof. Edward Gardner - a leading Theosophist fascinated by fairies who had authenticated the earlier photographs - traveled to see the cousins. Gardner gave Elsie and Frances two new cameras, with secretly marked photographic plates to detect any tampering. He asked them to take more fairy photographs of which this is one. This fairy's 1920s hairstyle attracted much comment at the time. Skeptics argued that the fairy kingdom was unlikely to be in step with the latest human fashions.
Cottingley Fairy photograph series. From left to right.
Iris and the Gnome September 1917, Alice and Leaping Fairy August 1920, Fairy Offering Flowers To Iris August 1920, Fairy Sunbath Elves Etc August 1920.
Documentary about the Cottingley Fairies featuring Francis and Elsie. Presented by Austin Mitchell. Made in 1973. Photographs taken by Yvonne Carmichael.
Parent and Child Cottingley Fairy Workshop
Led by Tim Curtis
