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This photograph was taken by Elsie in July 1917 with the 'Midg' camera. Distance 4 ft. Time 1/50th sec.
'The original negative is asserted by expert photographers to bear not the slightest trace of
combination work, retouching, or anything whatever to mark it other than a perfectly straight single-
exposure photograph, taken in the open air under natural conditions. The negative was a little over-
exposed. The waterfall and rocks are about 20 feet behind Frances. The fairies colours were described
as shades of green, lavender and mauve, fading to almost pure white in the limbs and drapery.'
Coming of the Fairies by Conan Doyle and Fairies - The Cottingley Photographs and their
sequel by Edward Gardner.
The contact print belonging to Frances - in 1918 she wrote in pencil on the rear 'The Fairy Ring'
It is confrmed by Frances's daughter that Elsie definitely did make the drawings of fairies for the fairy ring photograph taken from an
outline drawing of three dancing fairies that can be seen in the Princess Mary's Gift Book.
"The photograph below is a surviving contact print from the original
Arthur Wright negative - which appears to have been lost - although it is now damaged."
British Journal of Photography 24 May 1985
Copy reproduced here courtesy J. Mawson (present owner).
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