Fine Books & Manuscripts

DOYLE, Arthur Conan (1859–1930). The Coming of the Fairies. New York: George H. Doran Company, [1922]. Crown 8vo. 15 illustrations from photographs including frontispiece by Elise Wright and Frances Griffiths. Publisher’s textured brown cloth stamped, sepia–toned photograph of “Elise and the Gnome” affixed to upper cover (a tiny bit of marring to edges of label, else fine). FIRST AMERICAN EDITION of Doyle’s response to the famous Cottingley photographs of fairies that was all the proof the author needed of their existence. Even up until the end of Doyle’s life, he was convinced the photographs were genuine. It wasn’t until 1983 that Elise Wright confessed to the hoax although her cousin Frances maintained to her death that the fifth and final photograph was in fact authentic. Green and Gibson B29b.