" It is a man's duty to have books. A library is not a luxury, but one of the necessaries of life. "
— Henry Ward Beecher
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle | First Editions
1859 - 1930
British writer, physician knighted for medical services during the South African War and creator of Sherlock Holmes, the best-known detective in literature and the embodiment of sharp reasoning. Doyle himself was not a good example of rational personality- he believed in fairies and was interested in occultism. When his son Kingsley died from wounds incurred in the Great War, Doyle dedicated himself to spiritualistic studies. An example of these is the rather bizarre and quite touchingly credulous The Coming of Fairies (1922), but he had already showed interest in occult fantasy prior to Holmes and his early novel, The Mystery of Cloomber (1888), concerns a retired general under assault by Indian magic. Doyle supported the existence of 'little people' and spent more than a million dollars on their cause (by 1920 Doyle was one of the most highly paid writers in the world). The so-called 'fairy photographs' caused an international sensation when The Strand published Doyle's favourable account of them in 1920. The photographs showed fairies dancing in the air, but a year later, The Star newspaper reported that the fairies were from a poster. Doyle became president of several important spiritualist organizations and in 1925 he opened the Psychic Bookshop in London. Among his friends was the legendary American magician and escape artist Harry Houdini (1874-1926). Doyle believed that Houdini possessed supernatural powers, which the magician himself denied. Another friend was D.D. Home, whom the author claimed could levitate. Doyle recorded his own psychic experiences in his final book The Edge of the Unknown (1930).See below our stock of Arthur Conan Doyle First Editions, fine bindings, sets, signed copies, and other collectible material.
Arthur Conan Doyle Collection at the Toronto Public Library
Arthur Conan Doyle
The Sherlock Holmes Society of London
Arthur and George.
London: Jonathan Cape, 2005. [Historical Mystery] SIGNED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.[6] 360 [2]. SIGNED by the author in black ink to the title page. Publisher's olive cloth decorated in black and titled in white to spine and upper. With the original printed paper band to rear board..... More
![Bones [in] Tales From Many Sources. Sir Arthur Conan DOYLE, authors](/pictures/thumb/36509.jpg?v=1493310850)
Bones [in] Tales From Many Sources.
New York, Dodd Mead and Co., 1885. First edition. Four volumes. Octavo. Publisher's dark blue cloth, titled and decorated in gilt to spines and uppers. All volumes clean and sharp with light wear to spine ends, pale spot to lower edge front board volume III. Volume I has some minor..... More
Harper's Weekly, Vol. XXXVII, No. 1895. [The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Reigate Puzzle (Squires)].
New York, NY: Harper and Brothers, June 17, 1893. FIRST AMERICAN APPEARANCE of this adventure, illustrated by W.H. Hyde, which was later collected in 'The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes'. Single newspaper issue in pictorial wraps (41 x 29cm). Disbound or extracted from a hardcover with associated wear to the spine..... More
![Harper's Weekly, Vol. XXXVII, No. 1917. [The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Yellow Face]....](/pictures/thumb/50174DoyleHarper'sWeekly.jpg?v=1547505472)
Harper's Weekly, Vol. XXXVII, No. 1917. [The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Yellow Face].
New York, NY: Harper and Brothers, February 11, 1893. FIRST AMERICAN APPEARANCE of this adventure, illustrated by W.H. Hyde, which was later collected in 'The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes'. Single newspaper issue in pictorial wraps (41 x 29cm). Disbound or extracted from a hardcover with associated wear to the spine..... More
![The Fall of Lord Barrymore. [An extract from The Strand Magazine]. Arthur Conan DOYLE, Sir, H. M....](/pictures/thumb/57234.jpg?v=1609174443)
The Fall of Lord Barrymore. [An extract from The Strand Magazine].
London: George Newnes, December 1912. [Magazine Extract] FIRST APPEARANCE. Octavo pamphlet (23 x 16cm), pp.603-611 [1]. With dichromatic illustrations by Brock. Leaves removed from a copy of The Strand Magazine and bound recently in brown paper, with a plain printed title label to upper, stapled twice. Light creasing and marking..... More
The Valley of Fear. A Sherlock Holmes Novel.
New York, NY: George H. Doran Company, 1914. [Detective fiction] TRUE FIRST EDITION, prior to UK first printing, which was not illustrated. Post octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.320. With seven full-page illustrations by Arthur I. Keller, including the frontispiece. Publisher's red cloth blocked in gilt. Contents clean, cloth lightly handled..... More
The Valley of Fear.
London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1915. [Sherlock Holmes] SECOND PRINTING. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.[8] 306 [6]. With a black and white frontispiece illustrated by Wiles. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper. Second Impression text neatly erased from title. Neat ink name to flyleaf, further name..... More
The Last Galley. Impressions and Tales.
London: Smith, Elder and Co., 1911. [Short stories] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.viii; 298 [14]. With a chromolithographic frontispiece by Wyeth and one further lithographic illustration by Rountree. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper board. Contents clean, edges slightly toned, moderate handling and wear..... More
A Case of Identity and Other Stories. A Scandal in Bohemia, The Man from Archangel, The Captain of the "Pole-Star," and John Barrington Cowles.
New York, NY: Optimus Printing Company, no date [circa 1905]. [Sherlock Holmes] PIRATE EDITION. Duodecimo (17 x 11cm), pp.30 [2]; 30 [2]; 30 [2]; 30 [2]; 30 [2]. Publisher's light blue cloth with blue titles and decoration to spine and upper. Extremely heavily browned and brittle throughout. Advertisement leaf at..... More
A Collection of Works by Arthur Conan Doyle in 'West End' style bindings.
London: John Murray, 1924-1931. A finely bound collection of Murray editions, all but one published during the author's lifetime. Ten volumes, octavo (19 x 13 x 35cm). In exquisite half tan calf with full gilt backs, twin title labels, buckram sides, top edge gilt, marbled endpapers. Mostly clean within (some..... More
The Complete Sherlock Holmes Long Stories (A Study In Scarlet, Sign of Four, Hound of the Baskervilles and The Valley of Fear).
London: John Murray, 1929. [Detective Fiction] FIRST EDITION of this omnibus volume; the first collected edition of the original four Holmes novels, with a brand new preface from Conan Doyle. Octavo (18 x 12cm), pp.640; [6], advertisements. Red cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper, red top edge, pictorial..... More
Danger! And Other Stories.
London: John Murray, 1918 [1931]. [Strange tales] FIRST EDITION, secondary binding. Octavo (18 x 12cm), pp.x; 246. Publisher's brown cloth with black titles to spine and upper board, pale blue-green dust-jacket priced at 6s. Neat ownership and date stamps to flyleaf. A lovely fine copy in fresh jacket, with reduced..... More
The Firm of Girdlestone. A Romance of the Unromantic.
Leipzig: Bernhard Tauchnitz, 1909. [Classic Literature] COPYRIGHT EDITION. Two volumes. Sectodecimo (16 x 12cm), pp.272; pp.270 [2]. Dated 1893 to title page; latest date being October 1909 to rear cover of volume I. Publisher's printed paper wraps. Blue ink stamp of a Florentine book shop to front cover of each..... More
The Great Shadow. A Novel.
New York, NY: Harper and Brothers, 1893. FIRST US EDITION. Crown Octavo. pp.[iv]; 218 [2], advertisements, in the second state. In publisher's oatmeal-coloured cloth, blocked in red to spine and upper board. A very good used copy with a few marks and bumps plus some age-related toning. 'The Great Shadow'..... More
His Last Bow. Some Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes.
London: John Murray, 1917. [Detective Fiction] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.viii, 305 [7]. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper cover. Contents clean, flyleaves browned, bookplate to pastedown. Binding remains tight, with some sunning to backstrip and gilt lettering oxidised as usual. A presentable example..... More
The Hound of The Baskervilles.
London: George Newnes, no date [circa 1912]. [Detective Mystery] SIXPENNY NOVEL. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.126. In secondary grey paper covers, with titles stamped to upper, and hand-written to spine. With the original colour-illustrated paper cover, trimmed and bound in behind new front cover. Heavily browned low grade paper stock..... More
The Lost World. Being an account of the recent amazing adventures of Professor George E. Challenger, Lord John Roxton, Professor Summerlee, and Mr. E. D. Malone of the "Daily Gazette".
London: Hodder and Stoughton, no date [1914]. [Fantasy] LARGE PAPER EDITION. Tall Octavo (23 x 17cm), pp.319. With tissue-guarded mounted illustrations and colour frontispiece unique to this edition. Elegantly bound in half dark blue morocco with raised bands, gilt titles and ornament to the spine, cloth sides, top edge gilt..... More
![Memories and Adventures. [With a Sherlock Holmes Pastiche]. Arthur Conan DOYLE, Sir](/pictures/thumb/54825.jpg?v=1584533261)
Memories and Adventures. [With a Sherlock Holmes Pastiche].
London: John Murray, 1930. [Autobiography] Second Edition, being the FIRST MURRAY PRINTING in the PRIMARY BINDING, revised and enlarged. Octavo (18 x 12cm), pp.460; [4] advertisements. Publisher's navy blue gilt-titled cloth covers ruled in blind, pale blue-green dust-jacket priced at 7/6. Colour-printed advertising brochure for 'The Edge of The Unknown'..... More
Micah Clarke. His Statement.
London: Longmans, Green, and Co., 1889. FIRST EDITION INSCRIBED PRESENTATION COPY. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.vi; 421; [1]; [16 of advertisements]. Publisher's blue cloth blocked in gilt to spine and upper, patterned endpapers. With a card inscribed and signed by Conan Doyle affixed to the pastedown: "R. Hemingsley. | from..... More
The Mystery of Cloomber.
Leipzig: Bernhard Tauchnitz, 1910. [Strange Tales] COPYRIGHT EDITION. Sextodecimo (16 x 12cm), pp.286; [34]. Publisher's printed paper wraps. Dated 1909, with the latest printed date being April 1910 on the rear cover. Blue stamp of a Florentine bookseller to the front cover. Some light rubbing and water marks to spine..... More
The Mystery of Cloomber.
New York, NY: H.M. Caldwell Company, no date [circa 1896]. [Strange Tales] PIRATE EDITION. Octavo (17 x 11cm), pp.[4] 206. With two illustrated plates, a portrait frontispiece of the author, and decorative title page. Publisher's generous green quarter cloth with silver titles and decoration to spine and flower-patterned paper over..... More
The Parasite.
London: Constable, 1894. [Supernatural Fiction]. FIRST EDITION, bibliographer's copy. Small octavo (16 x 9cm), pp.125. Ribbed blue cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper, gilt dragon design to upper. Top edge gilt, others untrimmed. Minor toning to edges, cloth a little worn at extremities, bookplate 'Christopher Clark Geest', pencil..... More
The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
London: Longmans, Green and Co., 1905. [Detective fiction] First Colonial Edition. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.[viii]; 403; [1], imprint; [8], advertisements. With a frontispiece illustration by Sidney Paget. Publisher's pictorial light blue-green cloth titled and decorated in gilt and black to the spine and front board, 'swan' patterned endpapers. Some..... More
Round the Red Lamp, Being Facts and Fancies of Medical Life.
London: Methuen & Co., no date [1904]. [Short Stories] SIXPENNY NOVEL. Octavo (23 x 16cm), pp.124. Publisher's blue and red illustrated paper covers. Toning throughout, with spotting to edges and preliminaries. Front cover heavily sunned, with just one small corner of the red intact. Heavily cocked, with rubbing to edges..... More
Sherlock Holmes: The Complete Illustrated Novels. A Study in Scarlet; The Sign of Four; The Hound of the Baskervilles; The Valley of Fear.
London: The Chancellor Press, 1987. [Sherlock Holmes] FIRST THUS. Octavo (22 x 16cm), pp.[6] 496 [2]. With illustrations to 'The Study in Scarlet' from the 1891 edition by George Hutchinson; to 'The Sign of Four' from the 1903 Souvenir Edition by F.H. Townsend; and to 'The Hound of the Baskervilles'..... More