Vintage Cottingley Fairies hoax photos sell at auction for £2,600
The photos were bought by a collector from the London area
Last updated 30th Jul 2025
Two world-famous photos of the Cottingley Fairies have been sold at auction for £2,600.
The photos, taken by Frances Griffiths and Elsie Wright, were sold at an auction in the Lincolnshire town of Louth on Tuesday (July 29th).
Despite an initial estimate of £1,500, the final bid of £2,600 was made by a collector in London who eventually came out on top.
The photos, taken between 1917 and 1920, feature two girls hiding amongst nature being surrounded by fairies in Cottingley, near Bradford in West Yorkshire.
They eventually received major prominence when Arthur Conan Doyle - author of the Sherlock novels - published the photos in 1920, believing the photos to be genuine.
Over time, the pictures became seeming proof of the existence of fairies, and spread around the world - despite later being proven to be a hoax.
The pictures feature Frances Griffiths herself, as well as another young girl - Mary Anderson - who went to school with Frances.
Other photos include older, adult women - who are believed to be the mother and aunt of Frances.
As a token of their friendship, Frances gifted a set of the photos to Mary in the 1920s - who is now the owner of the current collection.
Auctioneers reportedly noted how interest in the lot had surged past all expectations, and commended that they were happy to see many express their intrigue for the photos.