"Always read something that will make you look good if you die in the middle of it."
— P.J. O'Rourke
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
![Item #36509 Bones [in] Tales From Many Sources. Sir Arthur Conan DOYLE, authors](https://harringtonbooks-co-uk.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/36509.jpg?width=320&height=427&fit=bounds&auto=webp&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
The Hound of The Baskervilles.
London: George Newnes, 1902. [Sherlock Holmes] FIRST EDITION. Crown octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[viii]; 359; [1] blank. With 16 illustrated plates by Paget. Handsomely bound in full deep red oasis morocco, titled and decorated in gilt to the spine, raised bands, marbled endpapers endpapers, top edge gilt. All plates present..... More
The Hound of The Baskervilles.
London: George Newnes, 1902. [Sherlock Holmes] FIRST EDITION. Crown octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[viii]; 359; [1] blank. With 16 illustrated plates by Paget. Handsomely bound in half navy blue oasis morocco, titled and decorated in gilt to the spine, raised bands, matching cloth sides, top edge gilt. All plates present..... 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].
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
![Item #57234 The Fall of Lord Barrymore. [An extract from The Strand Magazine]. Arthur Conan...](https://harringtonbooks-co-uk.cdn.bibliopolis.com/pictures/57234.jpg?width=320&height=427&fit=bounds&auto=webp&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, no inscriptions, prelims..... 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 printed on title page. Edges toned, some expected spotting to thick..... 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
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes.
London: John Murray, 1927. [Detective Fiction] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.320. Original red cloth, lettered in gilt. Contents clean, front cover with a little discolouration, spine lightly sunned, gilt dulled; very good. The last of the original Sherlock Holmes books, being twelve cases for the great detective which..... More
The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes.
London: John Murray, 1927. [Detective Fiction] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.320. Original red cloth, lettered in gilt to upper board and backstrip. Contents very clean, edges free from spotting and toning, neat ink ownership to free endpaper, covers fresh, spine a touch sunned and rubbed at tips. A...... 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
The Great Keinplatz Experiment, And Other Stories.
Chicago and New York: Rand, McNally and Company, 1894. [Supernatural] FIRST EDITION THUS. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.232. Publisher's red cloth over boards. Gilt titles to upper and spine. Gilt ruling and floral device to upper. Title page lettered in black and red. Top edge gilt, others untrimmed. Leaves moderately..... 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. Contents clean, some browning to endpapers, cloth shows a few marks, faint cup ring to upper, spine sunned, gilt dulled to same. Overall very good..... More
His Last Bow. Some Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes.
London: John Murray, 1919. [Detective Fiction] Fourth Printing. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.viii, 305 [7]. Publisher's red cloth with gilt titles to spine. Text block toned, some edge spotting, covers are fine but for sunning to spine. Shows well. 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. Toning and spotting to edges and endpapers. Light occasional spotting throughout, otherwise internally clean. Spine sunned, joints starting, and gilt dulled to spine. Light wear..... More
His Last Bow. Some Reminiscences of Sherlock Holmes.
London: John Murray, 1917. [Detective Fiction] LEATHER-BOUND FIRST EDITION, First Impression. Octavo (19 x 14cm), pp.viii; 305 [7]. Recently re-bound in burgundy half morocco, with raised bands, gilt titles to spine, and matching cloth over boards. Top edge gilt, others trimmed. A lovely crisp, clean copy in an attractive new..... More
The Hound of The Baskervilles.
New York: McClure, Phillips and Co., 1902. [Detective fiction] FIRST ISSUE (of four), of the First American edition, without the 'R' on the copyright page. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.viii; 249; [1], blank; [8], advertisements; [2], blank. Title page printed in black and red. With eight black and white illustrated..... More
The Land of Mist.
London: Hutchinson and Co., [no date] 1926. [Literature] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.294; 23, publisher's advertisements, [1]. Publisher's green cloth lettered in green to upper board and spine. Ex-libris stamp front paste-down, toning to edges of textblock, rolling to spine, wearing to spine ends, bumping to corners. Very..... 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
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 [1912]. [Fantasy] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.[vii]; 319. With photographic portrait frontispiece of members of the expedition, plates and map (complete). Bound in the publisher's pictorial mid-blue cloth with gilt titles to spine and gilt illustration of Challenger to upper, titled and..... More
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. With illustrations by Sidney Paget.
London: George Newnes, 1894. [Literature] FIRST EDITION. Quarto (25 x 18cm), pp.[6]; 279; [1]. Publisher's dark blue pictorial cloth, printed in black and gilt, patterned endpapers, all edges gilt. Contents lightly foxed, neat and small ownership stamp to f.e.p., near paper pull to same, usual wear to inside paper joints..... 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
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. Illustrated with a frontispiece and fifteen further plates by Paget. Publisher's blue cloth, simply titled in gilt to spine and upper. Housed in cloth chemise with leather-spined slipcase. A few small..... More