"A book should serve as the axe for the frozen sea within us."
— Franz Kafka
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
The Darkwater Hall Mystery.
Edinburgh: The Tragara Press, 1978. Limited edition. Number 67 of 165 copies. 8vo. Illustrated by Elspeth Sojka. Bound in publisher's original marbled card wraps. Fine with trifling edgewear. Internally clean and bright, a very pretty copy of a scarce piece of Sherlockiana. More
The Story of British Prisoners.
London: The Central Committee for National Patriotic Organisations, no date [May 1915]. [Propaganda] RARE ORIGINAL PAMPHLET. Crown Octavo (21 x 14cm). pp.31; [1] blank. Publisher's brown paper wrappers, titles in black, stapled once, with printed price of one penny to upper. Internally fine, some splitting to spine, a little creasing/folding..... More
Tales From Many Sources.
New York, Dodd Mead and Co. 1885. First edition, 4 volumes. 8vo. All bound in publisher's original dark blue cloth. Titled and decorated in gilt to spines and front boards. All volumes clean and sharp with light wear to spine ends, pale spot to lower edge front board volume III..... More
![Memories and Adventures [With a Sherlock Holmes Pastiche]. Arthur Conan DOYLE, Sir](/pictures/thumb/42670.JPG?v=1493310913)
Memories and Adventures [With a Sherlock Holmes Pastiche]
Boston: Little Brown and Company 1924. FIRST US EDITION. Large 8vo. Pp.vii; 410; [2], blank. With frontisportrait. Publisher's blue gilt-titled cloth in original dust-wrapper. Book is fine, jacket worn with some loss along top edge and significant chips to spine. Rather scarce in the jacket. A fascinating autobiographical account of..... More
Harper's Weekly, Vol. XXXVII, No.1922, [The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Naval Treaty pt. 2].
New York, NY: Harper and Brothers, 21st October 1893. FIRST APPEARANCE. The second of two parts, folio. Illustrated by W. H. Hyde. A story later collected in 'The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes'. In publisher's illustrated paper covers, sewn. Hinges very weak; front nearly loose. Large tear to front cover mended..... More
The Case for Spirit Photography.
London: Hutchinson and Co., no date [December 1922]. [Occult] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.110. Complete with 16 photographic plates showing 31 photographic images. As Green and Gibson note, the illustrations list call for an additional plate, but no copy with this plate has ever been noted; it seems..... More
![Harper's Weekly, Vol. XXXVII, No. 1895, [The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Gloria Scott]....](/pictures/thumb/48660.jpg?v=1498055242)
Harper's Weekly, Vol. XXXVII, No. 1895, [The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Gloria Scott].
New York, NY: Harper and Brothers, 15th April 1893. FIRST US APPEARANCE. One magazine issue, folio. Illustrated by W.H. Hyde. A story later collected in 'The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes'. In publisher's illustrated paper covers; spine sewn. Small contemporary orange ownership sticker to front cover. Hinges very weak, as expected;..... 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 Greek Interpreter].
New York, NY: Harper and Brothers, September 16, 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 (40 x 28cm). Disbound or extracted from a hardcover with associated sewing holes to 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
Harper's Weekly, Vol. XXXVII, No. 1917. [The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes - The Musgrave Ritual].
New York, NY: Harper and Brothers, May 13, 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 Valley of Fear.
Toronto: Hodder and Stoughton, 1914 [1915]. [Crime Fiction] FIRST AMERICAN EDITION, Canadian Issue. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.320. With seven dichromatic half-tone plates after drawings by Keller, including a frontispiece. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper board. A little shaken. Light rubbing to boards with a...... More
The Hound of The Baskervilles. Another Adventure of Sherlock Holmes.
London: George Newnes, 1902. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.359. With 16 illustrated plates by Paget. Bound in publisher's decorative red cloth, showing silhouette of the hound against a skyline in black and gilt to front board, gilt titles to spine. Internally clean and free from marks and spotting..... More
The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
London: George Newnes Ltd., 1905. FIRST UK EDITION. Octavo, pp.[8]; 403; [5]. With 16 illustrated plates by Sidney Paget. Elegantly hand-bound in full blue oasis morocco leather, spine gilt-lettered in six compartments with raised bands, gilt border to covers, marbled endpapers, top edge gilt. Internally clean, neat old repair to..... More
The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
London: George Newnes, Ltd., 1905. [Detective mysteries] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.[8]; 403; [1]; [4] publisher's advertisements. Publisher's blue cloth, simply titled in gilt to spine and upper. Illustrated with a frontispiece and fifteen further plates by Paget. Half-title foxed, some light occasional spotting within else internally clean..... More
The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
London: Smith, Elder and Co., 1908. [Sherlock Holmes Short Stories] NEW EDITION, VARIANT BINDING. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.[8]; 403; [1]. Illustrated with a frontispiece and fifteen further plates by Paget. Publisher's blue cloth, simply titled in gilt to spine and upper. Usually seen in the publisher's red cloth, this..... More
The British Campaigns in Europe 1914-1918.
London: Geoffrey Bles, [n.d. 1928]. FIRST EDITION. Demy Octavo. pp. 1024. In publisher's purple cloth, sunned to extremities, titled in gilt to spine. Very good. In a very good example of the scarce dustwrapper, spotted, chipped to spine ends with light edgewear and a closed tear to the upper margin..... More
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes.
London: John Murray, 1927. [Detective Fiction] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.320. Original red/pink cloth, lettered in gilt. Some foxing to edges, flyleaves toned, bump to rear board, spine sunned with gilt tarnished. Very good. The last of the original Sherlock Holmes books, being twelve cases for the great..... 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 Coming of the Fairies.
New York, NY: George H. Doran, 1922. [Spiritualism] FIRST U.S. EDITION. 1500 copies published. Octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.196. Illustrated with photographic plates. Publisher's mid-brown cloth, lettered in black, with photographic illustration laid down to upper, top edge ochre, others untrimmed. Slight toning, ink note 'hobby room' to flyleaf, same..... More
contibutes to...'THE STRAND MAGAZINE'. No.154, vol.26, ORIGINAL ISSUE IN WRAPPERS. 'The Return of Sherlock Holmes- The Adventure of The Empty House'.
George Newnes Ltd., London, October 1903. FIRST APPEARANCE of 'The Adventure of The Empty House' by Doyle, illustrated by Sidney Paget, later published as the first story in 'The Return of Sherlock Holmes'. Several of the illustrations are exclusive to the serial parts. Also contains 'A Point of Law' by..... More
The Crown Diamond. An Evening with Sherlock Holmes. A Play in One Act.
New York, NY: Baskerette Press [The Baker Street Irregulars], 1958. FIRST EDITION in book-form, limited to 59 numbered copies (this being out-of-series). Slim octavo, unpaginated, with woodblock illustrations, two of which are printed in colour. Publisher's black quarter cloth over pink paper-covered boards with title label to upper. Internally very..... 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 German War.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1914. [Military History] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (18 x 12cm), pp.viii; 152. Publisher's illustrated softcovers printed in red and black. Original price 1 shilling to spine and upper. 5000 copies published December 1914. Contents clean, light blue colour card sunned to tan to spine and upper, minor..... More