There is more evidence for the existence of fairies than there is for the existence for Jesus !
The proof that fairies exist - according to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Word
of the Cottingley fairies soon spread. Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, famous
as the Edinburgh-born creator of Sherlock Holmes, heard about the
pictures (see below), from a friend at a time when he was preparing an
article about fairy sightings for The Strand magazine.
By then he had virtually given up writing fiction to devote himself to promoting the Spiritualist cause around the world.
On June 30, 1920, Conan Doyle wrote separate registered letters to Elsie and her father. His letter to Arthur Wright was entirely businesslike: 'Dear Mr Wright, I have seen the very interesting photos which your little girl took. They are certainly amazing. I was writing a little article for The Strand upon the evidence for the existence of fairies, so that I was very much interested.'
He asked permission to use the photographs to accompany his article, offering a fee of £5 (about £150, today) or a five-year subscription to the magazine, and guaranteeing the family anonymity so that they would not 'be annoyed in any way'.
Conan Doyle's offer was hardly generous, since he would be receiving £500 (£15,000 today) from The Strand for the article.
His letter to Elsie was friendly, flattering and clearly designed to recruit her co-operation at some later date. 'Dear Miss Elsie Wright, I have seen the wonderful pictures of the fairies which you and your cousin Frances have taken and I have not been so interested for a long time. I will send you tomorrow one of my little books for I am sure you are not too old to enjoy adventures. With best wishes. Yours sincerely.'
Arthur Wright was suitably awed to receive a communication from the great author and, perhaps on this account, forbore to mention his doubts about the pictures' authenticity.
The Christmas 1920 edition of The Strand had blazoned across its cover the headline: 'Fairies Photographed - An Epoch Making Event Described by A. Conan Doyle.' Inside, the picture of 'Iris and the Dancing Gnome' was captioned as 'one of the most astounding photographs ever published'.
Although Conan Doyle opened his article in noncommittal fashion, calling for the scenes portrayed to be repeated before a 'disinterested witness' in order to 'remove the last faint shadow of doubt', the reader was left in little doubt where he stood: 'It seems to me that with fuller knowledge and with fresh means of vision, these people are destined to become just as solid and real as the Eskimos.'
He explained that he had examined the photographs 'long and earnestly' with a high-powered lens. Obviously intent on using the Cottingley fairies to advance the Spiritualist cause, Conan Doyle concluded there was a strong case for the pictures' authenticity.
(I understand that he even had the negatives authenticated by Kodak & they confirmed their validity)
Seemingly carried away by the implications of the discovery, he fondly speculated about how the world would change.
'These little folk who appear to be our neighbours, with only some small difference of vibration to separate us, will become familiar. The thought of them, even when unseen, will add charm to every brook and valley and give romantic interest to every country walk.'
Extracted from:- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1077709/Sherlock-Holmes-curious-case-garden-fairies.html
By then he had virtually given up writing fiction to devote himself to promoting the Spiritualist cause around the world.
On June 30, 1920, Conan Doyle wrote separate registered letters to Elsie and her father. His letter to Arthur Wright was entirely businesslike: 'Dear Mr Wright, I have seen the very interesting photos which your little girl took. They are certainly amazing. I was writing a little article for The Strand upon the evidence for the existence of fairies, so that I was very much interested.'
He asked permission to use the photographs to accompany his article, offering a fee of £5 (about £150, today) or a five-year subscription to the magazine, and guaranteeing the family anonymity so that they would not 'be annoyed in any way'.
Conan Doyle's offer was hardly generous, since he would be receiving £500 (£15,000 today) from The Strand for the article.
His letter to Elsie was friendly, flattering and clearly designed to recruit her co-operation at some later date. 'Dear Miss Elsie Wright, I have seen the wonderful pictures of the fairies which you and your cousin Frances have taken and I have not been so interested for a long time. I will send you tomorrow one of my little books for I am sure you are not too old to enjoy adventures. With best wishes. Yours sincerely.'
Arthur Wright was suitably awed to receive a communication from the great author and, perhaps on this account, forbore to mention his doubts about the pictures' authenticity.
The Christmas 1920 edition of The Strand had blazoned across its cover the headline: 'Fairies Photographed - An Epoch Making Event Described by A. Conan Doyle.' Inside, the picture of 'Iris and the Dancing Gnome' was captioned as 'one of the most astounding photographs ever published'.
Although Conan Doyle opened his article in noncommittal fashion, calling for the scenes portrayed to be repeated before a 'disinterested witness' in order to 'remove the last faint shadow of doubt', the reader was left in little doubt where he stood: 'It seems to me that with fuller knowledge and with fresh means of vision, these people are destined to become just as solid and real as the Eskimos.'
He explained that he had examined the photographs 'long and earnestly' with a high-powered lens. Obviously intent on using the Cottingley fairies to advance the Spiritualist cause, Conan Doyle concluded there was a strong case for the pictures' authenticity.
(I understand that he even had the negatives authenticated by Kodak & they confirmed their validity)
Seemingly carried away by the implications of the discovery, he fondly speculated about how the world would change.
'These little folk who appear to be our neighbours, with only some small difference of vibration to separate us, will become familiar. The thought of them, even when unseen, will add charm to every brook and valley and give romantic interest to every country walk.'
Extracted from:- http://www.dailymail.co.uk/femail/article-1077709/Sherlock-Holmes-curious-case-garden-fairies.html