Ingenious Hoax? fi 3Doyle promptly wrote to Gardner explaining his interest, empha-
sizing how essential it was for the facts to be given the public. He sug-
gested that an independent investigation be launched before it was too
late. Could he (Doyle) examine the original negatives from which the
prints had been made?
Gardner wrote back that he was willing to be of assistance in any
way possible, that he had obtained the original plates and had already
submitted them for careful professional examination to "two first class
photographic experts, one in Harrow and one in London."
The first had declared the plates to be perfectly genuine and un-
faked but inexplicable. The second, who had already been instrumen-
tal in exposing several "psychic" fakes, had also been entirely satisfied
they were unfaked negative plates.
Gardner explained that when he had cycled over to Harrow to see
the first photographer, a Mr. Snelling at 26 The Bridge, Wealdsone, the
photographer had exclaimed in amazement:"This is the most extraor-
dinary thing I've ever seen! Single exposure! Figures have moved.Why,
it's a genuine photograph! Wherever did it come from?"
Gardner added that Mr. Snehng was an expert who for over thrty
years had worked with a large photographc firm, Illingsworth, where he
had turned out "beautiful work in natural and artificial stud10 studies."
Snelling, described by Gardner as an untidy little man with unruly
hair and large staring eyes whose fingers were habitually stained with
photographic chemicals, also corroborated: the two negatives were en-
tirely genuine, unfaked photographs of single exposures taken out-
doors. He pointed out that it would be very easy for him to detect any
double exposure, and he laughed at the idea that any expert in England
could deceive him with a faked photograph. While revealing move-
ment in the fairy figures, the negatives, said Snelling, showed no trace
whatever of studio work involving card or paper models, dark back-
grounds, painted figures, or any other attempt at subterfuge. "In my
opinion both are straight, untouched pictures."
The letter spurred Doyle to go to London to meet Edward
Gardner, a handsome man some ten years his junior, sporting a color-
ful bow tie, whom he characterized as "quiet, well balanced, and re-
served, not in the least a wild visionary type."