"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
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 Boer War. With Maps.
London: Smith, Elder and Co., 1900. [Military History]. FIRST EDITION. Octavo (21 x 14cm) pp.x; 552; [12], advertisements. Five folding maps, printed in colour. Half dark green morocco with raised bands and gilt titles to spine, cloth sides, edges untrimmed, original spine bound in at rear. Internally clean, one small..... 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. FIRST EDITION. Octavo, pp. v, 305 [6]. In publisher's original red cloth with gilt titles to spine and upper board. In new matching red cloth jacket with matching gilt titles to spine. A well-handled copy with guttering of front end papers slightly split. Spine faded to..... More
The Lost World. Being an Account of the Recent Amazing Adventures of Prefessor George E. Challenger, Lord John Roxton, Professor Summerlee, and Mr. E. D. Malone of the "Daily Gazette."
London: Hodder and Stoughton, 1912. First Edition, SIGNED BY THE AUTHOR on label. Octavo. pp. vii, 319. With 5 monochrome plates featuring illustrations of dinosaurs and landscapes. Also featuring the clipped signature of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle affixed to the front pastedown. In maroon morocco leather binding of W. Perkins..... 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". New Edition.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, [1914]. LARGE PAPER EDITION. Tall Octavo, pp.319. Mounted illustrations and colour frontispiece unique to this edition. This is the first issue, bound in light blue gilt-decorated cloth, with blind-stamped dinosaur print to covers, and illustrated endpapers. Of the 1000 copies printed, just 190 were bound in..... 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
Our Second American Adventure.
Boston, MA: Little, Brown and Company, 1924. [Psychic phenomena] FIRST U.S. EDITION, using British sheets. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.250. Publisher's dark green cloth lettered in gilt to backstrip, pale green dust-wrapper printed in red, priced at $3.00. A lovely fine copy of the book (gilt a little dulled) in..... 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: George Newnes. 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. Housed in a modern protective cloth wrapper. Internally nice and clean..... 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, 1894. [Strange tales] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.vii; 328; [32], advertisements (dated October 1894). Elegantly hand-bound in red half calf, spine gilt-lettered in six compartments with raised bands, black morocco title label, marbled sides, publisher's original cloth bound in at rear. Very clean within, adverts partially..... 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
The Sign of the Four and A Scandal in Bohemia.
Chicago, MI: Rand, McNally & Company, no date [circa 1900]. [Sherlock Holmes] PIRATE EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.235 [1]. Publisher's navy cloth with red titles and decoration to spine and upper. Some toning and marking to edges. Light wear to cloth; spine gently toned. An unusually nice pirate edition..... More
![The Sign of the Four [and] A Scandal in Bohemia. Arthur Conan DOYLE, Sir](/pictures/thumb/55871.jpg?v=1583598785)
The Sign of the Four [and] A Scandal in Bohemia.
Chicago, IL, New York, NY: Rand, McNally and Company, no date [circa 1900s]. [Detective fiction] PIRATE EDITION. Octavo (21 x 15cm), pp.235; [1]. Publisher's red cloth blocked in gilt to spine and upper, top edge gilt, others untrimmed. With the short story A Scandal in Bohemia at the rear. Textblock..... More
The Sign of the Four, or, The Problem of the Sholtos.
New York, NY: American Publishers Corporation, no date [circa 1900]. [Sherlock Holmes] PIRATE EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.224. Publisher's light brown cloth with gilt titles to spine and black decoration to spine and upper. Extremely heavily browned and brittle. Hinges heavily split, just holding by the netting. Top edge..... More
The Sign of the Four.
New York, NY: H.M. Caldwell Co., no date [circa 1899]. [Sherlock Holmes] PIRATE EDITION. Octavo (17 x 11cm), pp.iv; 189 [1]. With a frontispiece portrait of the author. Publisher's yellow cloth with gilt titles and red and green decoration to spine and boards. Ink gift inscription to flyleaf dated 1899..... More
The Sign of the Four.
Chicago, IL: W.B. Conkey Company, no date [circa 1903]. [Sherlock Holmes] PIRATE EDITION. Sextodecimo (16 x 11cm), pp.202 [6]. Publisher's green cloth with black titles and brown decoration to spine and upper. Ink gift inscription to flyleaf dated 1903. Heavy browning throughout, on brittle paper as per most pirate copies..... More
The Sign of the Four.
Rahway, NJ: The Mershon Company, no date [circa 1900]. [Sherlock Holmes] PIRATE EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[4] 189 [3]. With a black and white photographic frontispiece of the author. Publisher's mint green cloth with gilt titles and dark green embossed decoration to spine and upper. Fore and lower edges..... More
The Sign of the Four.
New York, NY: Street and Smith, no date [circa 1900]. [Sherlock Holmes] PIRATE EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[4] 176 [12]. Publisher's maroon cloth with gilt titles to spine. Browning to endpapers, but surprisingly clean otherwise. A superior pirate edition. Rubbing and bumping to corners, toning to spine, and heavy..... More