The Story of Francis and the Fairies

2min Snip

00:00

Play full episode

Summary

Transcript

Episode notes

Francis was shy and spoke with a South African accent. Merrick Brough says that Elle C, who was seven years older than Francis, had started to take her under her wing. Even when the adults in the house started teasing Francis about saying she'd seen fairies, both of the cousins stuck to their story. Then Elle C said she would prove that Francis' fairies were real. The camera was quite a big deal for them I think, but he reluctantly agreed to give them one slide.

In the summer of 1917, 16-year-old Elsie Wright took a photograph of her 9-year-old cousin, Frances Griffiths. It was the first photograph she’d ever taken — and it became the source of a mystery that lasted for most of the 20th century.

Say hello on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Sign up for our occasional newsletter, The Accomplice. Follow the show and review us on Apple Podcasts: iTunes.com/CriminalShow.

Sign up for Criminal Plus to get behind-the-scenes bonus episodes of Criminal, ad-free listening of all of our shows, and members-only merch. Learn more and sign up here.

Listen back through our archives at youtube.com/criminalpodcast.

We also make This is Love and Phoebe Reads a Mystery.

Artwork by Julienne Alexander. Check out our online shop.

Episode transcripts are posted on our website.

Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices