These pictures, taken by two West Yorkshire schoolgirls in a bluebell wood at Cottingley, caused a sensation when they were published 80 years ago.

Now, the story of Elsie Wright and her cousin Frances Griffiths has returned to national prominence with the release of a feature film based on their childhood adventure.

National controversy

The fairies were really cardboard cut-outs stuck on pins

The diaphanous images of the tiny fairies were first published by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the man who created Sherlock Holmes.

He was just one of the many people who believed the pictures, taken in 1917, were authentic recordings of real creatures.

He was much ridiculed for his faith in the girls and their pictures, but nobody was able to prove them forgeries, and Sir Arthur died in 1930 still a believer.

The girls finally admitted their deception in the 1980's.

Renewed interest in the story led to various items, including the two cameras used by the real girls, together with original prints and contemporary documents, being offered for auction next month.

The fairy story has now been made into a feature film

But the items have now been withdrawn from the sale so a public appeal can be launched to try to keep the collection in Britain.

Among the documents is a letter from one of the two perpetrators, late in her life, admitting it was a practical joke that had got out of hand.

Practical joke

After keeping the secret for so many years , Elsie Wright decided to confess for the sake of her family.

She admitted they simply traced the figures onto cardboard, cut them out, and then stuck them onto hat pins to complete the illusion.

If the cameras do stay in Britain they will go on display at the National Museum of Photography in Bradford, only a few miles away from the wood where the famous pictures were taken.

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