Geoffrey Crawley
Encyclopedia
Geoffrey Crawley was a photographic expert and journalist
, and was the editor in chief of British Journal of Photography
for two decades. He was noted for exposing the photographs of the Cottingley Fairies
taken in the early 20th century as a hoax.
Crawley was born in 1926 in Bow
in London
, and moved with his parents to Southend-on-Sea
when he was four years old, later moving to Leigh-on-Sea
. He was educated at Westcliff High School for Boys
, and during World War II
he was evacuated to Derbyshire
where he was placed with a miner and his family. Already skilled at the piano, Crawley convinced his hosts to purchase a piano to allow him to continue practising. As a child he learned photography from his father. He showed early talent at the piano, and pursued a performance career. He also studied French and German at Selwyn College
at the University of Cambridge
. Ill health forced him to abandon both his plans to become a professional musician and his studies.
Crawley enjoyed a long career with BJP, joining in the 1960s as a contributor. He became the technical editor, and was promoted to editor in 1967, a position he held for 21 years. Following the sale of the magazine, he reassumed the position of technical editor, continuing until 2000, when he was in his seventies. In 2000 he moved to the Amateur Photographer
, where he was a contributor until shortly before his death.
In the 1980s, he published a series of articles debunking the Cottingley Fairies hoax, a series of photographs that had been taken by Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths starting in 1917 that purported to show the girls together with actual fairies
and were used by Arthur Conan Doyle
and others as evidence of the existence of supernatural
entities. While there were longstanding claims that the photographs were hoaxes, Crawley undertook "a scientific and analytical approach" to analyzing the images starting in the 1970s. After studying the capabilities of some of the cameras that had been used to take the photos, Crawley concluded that they would have been unable to capture images as sharp as the ones in the purported unaltered photographs. In a series of articles published in the British Journal of Photography in the early 1980s, Crawley concluded that the images had been manipulated and that the fairies were a hoax. The cousins would later admit that one of the girls had copied images of fairies from a book onto cardboard cutouts that were then photographed. Frances insisted that the final photo in the series was genuine, though Elsie acknowledged that they were all fakes.
Crawley died at the age of 83 on 29 October 2010 at his home in Westcliff-on-Sea
. He was survived by his wife, Carolyn, as well as by a son.
Journalist
A journalist collects and distributes news and other information. A journalist's work is referred to as journalism.A reporter is a type of journalist who researchs, writes, and reports on information to be presented in mass media, including print media , electronic media , and digital media A...
, and was the editor in chief of British Journal of Photography
British Journal of Photography
The British Journal of Photography is a magazine about photography publishing in-depth articles, profiles of photographs, analyses, and techological reviews.-History:...
for two decades. He was noted for exposing the photographs of the Cottingley Fairies
Cottingley Fairies
The Cottingley Fairies appear in a series of five photographs taken by Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths, two young cousins who lived in Cottingley, near Bradford in England. In 1917, when the first two photographs were taken, Elsie was 16 years old and Frances was 10...
taken in the early 20th century as a hoax.
Crawley was born in 1926 in Bow
Bow, London
Bow is an area of London, England, United Kingdom in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets. It is a built-up, mostly residential district located east of Charing Cross, and is a part of the East End.-Bridges at Bowe:...
in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, and moved with his parents to Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea
Southend-on-Sea is a unitary authority area, town, and seaside resort in Essex, England. The district has Borough status, and comprises the towns of Chalkwell, Eastwood, Leigh-on-Sea, North Shoebury, Prittlewell, Shoeburyness, Southchurch, Thorpe Bay, and Westcliff-on-Sea. The district is situated...
when he was four years old, later moving to Leigh-on-Sea
Leigh-on-Sea
Leigh-on-Sea , sometimes called Leigh, is a civil parish in Essex, England. It is part of Southend-on-Sea for administrative purposes. It became a civil parish in 1996. The council tax was increased to support it. A town council was formed. Leigh is the only parish in Southend...
. He was educated at Westcliff High School for Boys
Westcliff High School for Boys
Westcliff High School for Boys is a selective academy grammar school for boys aged 11 to 18 in Westcliff-on-Sea, near Southend-on-Sea, Essex and surrounding areas. In September 2001 the school was awarded "Beacon" status for its breadth of achievements and quality of work...
, and during World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
he was evacuated to Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
where he was placed with a miner and his family. Already skilled at the piano, Crawley convinced his hosts to purchase a piano to allow him to continue practising. As a child he learned photography from his father. He showed early talent at the piano, and pursued a performance career. He also studied French and German at Selwyn College
Selwyn College, Cambridge
Selwyn College is a constituent college in the University of Cambridge in England, United Kingdom.The college was founded by the Selwyn Memorial Committee in memory of the Rt Reverend George Selwyn , who rowed on the Cambridge crew in the first Varsity Boat Race in 1829, and went on to become the...
at the University of Cambridge
University of Cambridge
The University of Cambridge is a public research university located in Cambridge, United Kingdom. It is the second-oldest university in both the United Kingdom and the English-speaking world , and the seventh-oldest globally...
. Ill health forced him to abandon both his plans to become a professional musician and his studies.
Crawley enjoyed a long career with BJP, joining in the 1960s as a contributor. He became the technical editor, and was promoted to editor in 1967, a position he held for 21 years. Following the sale of the magazine, he reassumed the position of technical editor, continuing until 2000, when he was in his seventies. In 2000 he moved to the Amateur Photographer
Amateur Photographer
Amateur Photographer is a British photography magazine, published weekly by IPC Media, a Time Warner subsidiary. The magazine provides articles on equipment reviews, photographic technique, and profiles of professional photographers.- About the magazine :...
, where he was a contributor until shortly before his death.
In the 1980s, he published a series of articles debunking the Cottingley Fairies hoax, a series of photographs that had been taken by Elsie Wright and Frances Griffiths starting in 1917 that purported to show the girls together with actual fairies
Fairy
A fairy is a type of mythical being or legendary creature, a form of spirit, often described as metaphysical, supernatural or preternatural.Fairies resemble various beings of other mythologies, though even folklore that uses the term...
and were used by Arthur Conan Doyle
Arthur Conan Doyle
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle DL was a Scottish physician and writer, most noted for his stories about the detective Sherlock Holmes, generally considered a milestone in the field of crime fiction, and for the adventures of Professor Challenger...
and others as evidence of the existence of supernatural
Supernatural
The supernatural or is that which is not subject to the laws of nature, or more figuratively, that which is said to exist above and beyond nature...
entities. While there were longstanding claims that the photographs were hoaxes, Crawley undertook "a scientific and analytical approach" to analyzing the images starting in the 1970s. After studying the capabilities of some of the cameras that had been used to take the photos, Crawley concluded that they would have been unable to capture images as sharp as the ones in the purported unaltered photographs. In a series of articles published in the British Journal of Photography in the early 1980s, Crawley concluded that the images had been manipulated and that the fairies were a hoax. The cousins would later admit that one of the girls had copied images of fairies from a book onto cardboard cutouts that were then photographed. Frances insisted that the final photo in the series was genuine, though Elsie acknowledged that they were all fakes.
Crawley died at the age of 83 on 29 October 2010 at his home in Westcliff-on-Sea
Westcliff-on-Sea
Westcliff-on-Sea is a suburb of Southend-on-Sea, a seaside resort in the East of England and unitary authority in Essex. It is situated on the northern bank of the Thames Estuary and about 34 miles east of London.-Geography:...
. He was survived by his wife, Carolyn, as well as by a son.