"Fairies Offering Flowers to Iris," 1920, modeled by Elsie Wright and taken by Frances Griffiths. Credit: The Board of Trustees of the Science Museum, London
Once upon a time, two girls played a prank that got way out of hand. A century ago, long before Photoshop, the pair fooled the world with photographs of what they claimed—and what eminent men believed—were fairies.
"The fairies are on the plate—they are on the plate!” That, reported Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, was a young girl’s excited reaction as she watched...