The "true story" this is supposedly based on is nothing more than a prank two young girls pulled in the late 1800s. All they did was photograph themselves with the "fairies" they found, which were later found out to be nothing more than story book cut-outs glued to hat pins.
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"Y'all are SO wack."
"Wiggity-wack?"
"Nope, just regular-type."
Actually it was in 1917, long after the "late 1800s"
shareHow sad that people are so quick to believe that The Texas Chainsaw Massacre actually happened, but that something "good", like fairies, could not possibly have been true.
shareWell, simple reason -- there's plenty of evidence to support the existence of murderers, and no evidence whatsoever to support the existence of fairies.
Not that I didn't like the film. I do enjoy suspending my disbelief, and this movie was very good at letting me do so. But in the end, I still have to return to reality.
There's also no evidence to support the existence of most 'quantum' particles and black holes, their theoretical existence was brought up to explain various behavior of cosmic bodies and to fill-in gaps in physical science.
As for the evidence in this case ... well ... the analysis of the original plates deemed them genuine: no multiple exposure or darkroom processing.
Argument against: third photo (Frances with the dancing fairies) was supposedly taken at 1/50s exposure while the fairies were dancing. But the photo is quite still (no even a hit of motion blur) and sharp.
Argument for: first (or last) photo (Elsie with a fairy on a bush) shows no shadows for the fairy. You see how Elsie's face is under light coming slightly from a side and above, casting shadows on her hair which falls from the opposite side. But the fairy has no shadow all around (you can see light leafs all around) which couldn't happen if the fairy was a solid object (cut or drawing). If it was transparent or semi transparent then it would have been a lot more blurry but instead has the same consistency as the girl.
As for the admission to a hoax, Elsie admitted the photos she took as fakes (in a couple of interviews) but Frances admitted only that the photos Elsie took might be fakes while her own were genuine.
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Thank you, plgunner! Thank you!
shareIt was in the early 1900's, but that's not really the issue.
The girls admitted years later that the photos were fakes. However, they always stuck by their stories that they did indeed see fairies down at the beak. They faked the photographs in order to shut up all the adults who mocked them for seeing & playing with fairies.
Really? cool, where did you find that info? cause I liked the movie, but I don't know where to find info about it.
shareIf you do a google search with the girls names you'll find a lot of sites with info on the hoax & the photos.
shareOk. thanks.
"I'm sure that in time, every bit of her will be gone and her death will be a mystery... even to me"
If you do a google search with the girls names you'll find a lot of sites with info on the hoax & the photos.Look for the phrase "Cottingley fairies". Cottingley is a suburb of Leeds, West Yorkshire – in the early 1900s it would probably have been a separate village.
I always assumed it was Cottingley near Bradford, although Leeds is also close by, but apparently there are two Cottingley's in West Yorkshire.
Reading through the websites, it would seem that it's probably the one near Bradford though, as it mentions them getting the train from Bridlington, to Bradford, to Cottingley, and it wouldn't make sense if it was the place in Leeds, surely they'd go to Leeds then?
Just watched this on C5 here in the UK (with the kids honest!) and there were some scenes filmed in our town's steam train station (Keighley and Worth Valley Railway), so came to look it up.
Sheesh I sound like a right nerd now...
Blimey. I was born and brought up in Leeds and I never knew that there were two Cottingleys. Mind you, knowing the rivalry between Leeds and Bradford, I probably thought of Bradford as being beyond the pale, second only to The Other County Across the Pennines (the one that begins with L)!
I'd assumed it was Cottingley near Leeds because that's the one that I'd heard of and it's the one that's got a station (although it was called Churwell until it reopened in the 1980s). But I'm sure you are right: that reference to Bridlington to Bradford to Cottingley is pretty conclusive. I've just checked on an old Ordnance Survey map and the Leeds Cottingley isn't even named whereas the Bradford one is a well-defined place.
OK, I was wrong and you are right. You've out-nerded me!
never mind,after looking for ages i found it!
sharei just saw the film on video. i thought it was utterly enchanting (on a par with Railway children, and Amazing Mr Blunden---- a real work of art -- and the children (far youger than elsie and frances actually were at the timer -- were amazing. Willing suspension of disbelief is called for!!!
For a full account of the whole episode i searched aginst 'conan doyle and the fairies' , found a likely site (all about C Doyle)--and then chose an article low down on the list under 'Cottingley fairies' by Donald or Joe someone --very good too
from [email protected]
Your assumption is correct, the Cottingley in question here is in fact the one near Bradford. My fiance was born in Pollard House in Cottingley,UK near Bingley, her grandmother was a close childhood friend of Elsie Wright. We have 2 of Elsies paintings, one of Pollard House, and another of a farmstead in Cottingley.
As for the validity of the "Cottingley Fairies"? I guess it depends on whether one wishes to believe in the supernatural or not. But, can you really think that 2 young girls in rural England in 1917 would pull the wings from butterflies and glue them to paper cutouts?? When Kodak labs analized the photos and plates, they could see background through the gossamer wings, that's hard to do with cutouts or butterfly wings. I suspect that they admitted a forgery just to achieve some peace of mind.
No- take a look at the pictures yourself. I have- and it's obvious they're fake. Take for example the first picture- the one of Frances in front of a waterfall with the "fairies" dancing in front of her. The waterfall in the picture is fuzzy- meaning that the picture was taken over a long exposure, and the water is unclear because it is moving. But the fairies are perfectly clear, meaning that even though they are supposed to be dancing, they are not moving. And if you look closely at the picture of Elsie with the gnome, you can see the head of the hatpin sticking out of the gnome's chest. In the photograph of Elsie with the fairy handing her a bouquet of bluebells, the fairy is obviously two-dimensional. In the picture of Frances with the fairy leaping beside her, the fairy's back leg is not properly attached to her body (Elsie later admitted in an interview to having drawn it wrong). And lastly- the picture of the "fairies sunbath". The blurred images are the result of two different things: first, Elsie put the pictures in a frame which she pushed into the grass and let the fairies "fall" as the picture was taken- it's what gave the images a "see through" effect and probably explains the findings of Kodak. Also if you look closely at the pictures, you can see that some fairies are photographed twice- a double exposure, which would not have happened if they fairies were not standing in the same place. It also explains why Elsie and Frances later both claimed to have taken the picture- both did.
The editor of the British Journal of Photography examined the pictures and found evidence of airbrush touchings. Elsie was known to have been a very talented artist (You have some of her pictures yourself) and she was also known for her photographic ability. And yes, both ladies maintained to their grave that they really had seen fairies- people can believe or disbelieve that as they like, I suppose. But as for the pictures- they are definately fakes.
I have tried to look at this legend with an open mind, even though most rational people will discount it. However, to answer your refute I will add this; the time is 1917 this was a very simple Kodak box camera with a single photographic plate, there was no setting for extended exposure so your arguement for the "fuzzy" waterfall just doesn't hold. Secondly you stated that there was evidence of airbrush touching? in the 1917s?? I think not! Whether or not the faries really exist will be fodder for debate for years to come, but we must keep an open mind. As we all know, there are things here on earth that we as humans have yet to fathom.
share"However, to answer your refute I will add this; the time is 1917 this was a very simple Kodak box camera with a single photographic plate, there was no setting for extended exposure so your arguement for the "fuzzy" waterfall just doesn't hold."
1. Wrong! The camera used was the Midge, which did have different exposures available. In fact, it was even equipped with a special ground glass viewing plate used for special effects.
2. Wrong again! Airbrushing was quite common in those days; matter of fact Elsie was working in a photographer's studio nearby at the time, retouching photographs.
For extensive detail on the above, read James Randi's Flim Flam!, chapter 1.
Heather,
I guess that's what I get for "assuming", sorry. My wife was born in Cottingley,and as a young girl spent many hours in the beck looking for fairies. She never saw any, but the legend was very popular then and many swore by it.
It was indeed the Bradford Cottingley. Earlier this year the National Museum of Photography, Film and Television based in Bradford put on an exhibition. It was fantastic stuff, and they even had one of the Conan-Doyle cameras on display along with the original photos blown up.
You could see the pin marks where the fairies had been pinned to trees. They had been cut out of a fairy book which the girl from Africa had brought home with her.
If faeries don't really exist, than why are there so many different cultures that believe in them? Around the globe there are cultures that never knew about each other, but there are stories and tales in their culture that depicts faeries and their existance. What say you?
share"If faeries don't really exist, than why are there so many different cultures that believe in them? Around the globe there are cultures that never knew about each other, but there are stories and tales in their culture that depicts faeries and their existance. What say you?"
Cultures around the world also invented gods, doesn't mean they exist.
I've seen the actual pictures, they don't look very real. Doesn't mean fairies don't exist though.
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You just research it on google or something.
shareIn fact, the "fairies" the girls appeared to see could have been angels!
(although sometimes demons might show up to confuse the viewers!)
I knew it was a hoax. My English teacher got all excited over this movie by saying that the photographs were "real," and I wanted to scream, "DID YOU NOT HEAR IT WAS A HOAX?"
shareIt happened after the 1800. They didn't cut them out of story books, they were drawn by the eldest Elsie. They are cleverly done, and considering the time, and the lack of knowledge the girls were considered to not have its pretty good. You try making a family film about fairies, having two girls lying to everyone
~*"Not men, no. We are watchers. Bene elim. In your language, angels"*~
"They didn't cut them out of story books, they were drawn by the eldest Elsie."
Yes and no. The fairies in photo #1 were taken from Princess Mary's Gift Book, which Frances owned a copy.
Hmm.. It is sad that people are so ready to believe in the bad things and not the good. Anyways, this movie didn't fully tell you that the photographs were real. Remember when the reporter found those cut out fairy figures and pinned them on the desk? The scriptwriters put that in because that was how the girls had taken the pictures. Pinning up pictures with hat pins. Then the Joseph scared him off in order to "keep the fairy secret." The secret wasn't that fairy existed, but rather that the photographs were fake. They wanted Joseph's mother to believe in them because they believed in them and knew that it would help her if she did. And then, it helped other people as well. Anyways, I just figured I'd point out the movie did show you how they did the photographs... maybe you were just too distracted by houdini? or the chess game?
shareUmmm.....they did show the dead son's ghost at the end, which was comical.
BTW, Mel Gibson is the one that played France's dad at the end.
Noticed, at least in the dvd I watched it on, Gibson wasn't listed in the credits.
Also, I'm not sure fairies DON'T exist. Seems like a lot of people believe in angels.
There are no fairies mentioned specifically in the Bible, so I don't think they exist. However there are angels mentioned, and other spiritual classes of beings (including demonic beings that can appear to be good, but which are really bad), so what could be seen could take on the appearance of delightful and good little "fairies", but the goal of these beings would be to trick and fool you into thinking they meant you no harm. If they are playing mind tricks on you eventually they could ruin your life, or at the very least minimally negatively affect it.
shareOverseer-3.....Please take your ultra-right Christian prejudices elsewhere.
shareI hardly think someone telling you what the Bible says about something as ephemeral as 'fairies' constitutes "ultra-right Christian prejuidices." Don't you think you're over reacting a smidge! Doesn't everyone have a right to post what information they know? Give it a rest!
shareoverseer-3
I don't believe the Bible is he most reliable source for a subject such as this. The Bible is incomplete as Constantine censored much of it's content. And from what I have heard, faeries are supposed to be good creatures, though sometimes tricksters, but not evil.
Even if they don't metion faeries in the bible does not mean that they don't exist. The imagination is a wonderful place and many people rely on that to get away from problems in there lives. I believe in faeries.
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There's no electricity mentioned in the bible either, so I don't think that exists. This must be some strange sort of telepathy we're using to communicate with each other here... a kind that must mesh with christian mythology, otherwise it couldn't POSSIBLY exist!
Having said that, the photos are obviously fake, the girls admitted they're fake... I think they're probably fake.
I'm sure that fairies can ruin your life.
Hello? Is there a black hole where a brain should be? BTW: The bible doesn't mention black holes, either. But I guarantee you that they exist since you obviously live in one.
Loved the movie--it's whimsical, magical and full of hope that life holds mysteries that are not always explained. In other words, anything is possible (except fairies really being devils come to ruin your life :-)
As far as the bible and it's mention of "demonic posession," this term was readily used to describe persons who were terribly ill. "Filled with demons" meant filled with sickness. This is a historical fact. It had nothing to do with devil-demons, fairies or gnomes.
Since you (Idealseller) obviosly is no theologican, nor expert in the demonic subject you should be much more respectful to "Overseer 3" in this matter. Yes, I do believe fairies exist, but in that case they are (evil) spirits (or demons)
Of course the girls could have seen angels instead; if so, that much better. But in any case this spiritual creatures are described in the bible, so I suggest you start to study the good Book. Then you will also see that sickness SOMETIMES are equal to evil spirits, according to Jesus himself! Do you really think you know better than the Son of God?! (Also read the story about the multi-possessed man among the graves, where Jesus told the demons (=Legion; -they were many!) to leave him and how they (the demons) requested Jesus to send them into the pigs instead!). These are just a few remarks from a bibleteacher.
katjamats wrote:
<<Since you (Idealseller) obviosly is no theologican, nor expert in the demonic subject you should be much more respectful to "Overseer 3" in this matter. Yes, I do believe fairies exist, but in that case they are (evil) spirits (or demons)
Of course the girls could have seen angels instead; if so, that much better. But in any case this spiritual creatures are described in the bible, so I suggest you start to study the good Book. Then you will also see that sickness SOMETIMES are equal to evil spirits, according to Jesus himself! Do you really think you know better than the Son of God?! (Also read the story about the multi-possessed man among the graves, where Jesus told the demons (=Legion; -they were many!) to leave him and how they (the demons) requested Jesus to send them into the pigs instead!). These are just a few remarks from a bibleteacher.>>
You know, when I read crap like that, I am just so grateful that I am a liberal East Coast Jewish agnostic registered Democrat.
In Biblical times people didn't know about germ theory and believed that an illness was a demon invading your body as a punishment from God. So you're both right, I guess. Anyway, this movie is wonderful and everyone is entitled to his or her own opinion, whether it is based on the Bible or your own imagination or something else entirely.
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And in the Hebrew Bible, Satan isn't mentioned, yet you, obviously, have no problem believing that he exists!
"I cut my finger. That's tragedy. A man walks into an open sewer and dies. That's comedy."
>>There are no fairies mentioned specifically in the Bible, so I don't think they exist.
The Bible doesn't mention fax machines, either. Do you not believe fax machines exist?
"There are no fairies mentioned specifically in the Bible, so I don't think they exist."
Uh....the bible also says that a solid dome covers the flat earth.
It also mentions dragons and unicorns as real. So much for the credibility of the bible....
I'm a practicing Catholic, but in all fairness, the Bible doesn't mention kangaroos either. As for fairies, (may J.M. Barrie forgive me) I don't believe in fairies. Not to say what's possible or impossible, I do find the idea of these things interesting.
shareBest "laterosenoonvale" (=meaning what?!)
This movie is very sweet.
A Fairy-tale might be just a FAIRY-TALE!
But there do exist some other creatures called angels.
Maybe this "fairies" in the movie really were angels?
Truth is that especially children can be open enough
to believe in the spiritual realm.
Unfortunately not all spiritual creatures are good,
and we are warned against the occult things
some people thrive in. It seemes like Sir Arthur Conan Doyle did so.
(So did NOT Houdini !) Nevertheless we need to accept what good things
God has created, but be selective.
Maybe the true story behind the movie was not a fraud, but real ANGELS?!
The fairies might be angels..
QUESTION:Why isn't Mel Gibson properly credited in the actor's list in the movie? (didn't he want to show his name?!)