" 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
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 about The Parasite
The Parasite.
London: Constable, 1894. [Supernatural Fiction] FIRST EDITION. Small octavo (16 x 9cm), pp.125; [1]. With 'macabre' illustrated title page. Elegantly bound in half blue calf over marbled sides, gilt titles, speckled edges. Internally clean, exterior unmarked. A fine copy in an attractive recent leather binding. Doyle's own unique attempt at... More about The Parasite
A Public Debate On "The Truth of Spiritualism".
London: Watts and Co., 1920. [Spiritualism] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (22 x 14cm), pp.vi; 57; [1] blank. Publisher's printed wraps, stapled twice. Damp staining to bottom part of the textblock, some chipping to the bottom corner, some light spotting. Covers a little soiled, chipped and nibbled, staples rusted. Good. This title... More about A Public Debate On "The Truth of Spiritualism"
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 about The Return of Sherlock Holmes
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 about The Return of Sherlock Holmes
The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
London: Longman's Colonial Library, 1905. First Colonial Edition. Octavo, 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. A used copy with occasional foxing, edges... More about The Return of Sherlock Holmes
The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
London: Longman's Colonial Library, 1905. First Colonial Edition, published simultaneously with the UK first. Octavo, pp.[viii]; 403; [1], imprint; [2], advertisements. With a frontispiece illustration by Sidney Paget. Elegantly hand-bound in half dark blue oasis morocco leather, spine gilt-lettered in six compartments with raised bands, cloth sides, top edge gilt... More about The Return of Sherlock Holmes
The Return of Sherlock Holmes.
New York: McClure, Phillips and Co., 1905. [Literature] FIRST EDITION, predates first UK printing. Octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.vii; 381; [1], blank. With thirteen illustrations by Charles Raymond Macauley. Publisher's black cloth pictorially blocked in yellow and tan. A curious ASSOCIATION COPY, formerly belonging to the great Sherlockian authority Vincent... More about The Return of Sherlock Holmes
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 about Round the Red Lamp, Being Facts and Fancies of Medical Life
The Sign of Four.
Leipzig: Bernhard Tauchnitz, 1928. COPYRIGHT EDITION, first published in this format in 1891; dated July 1928 on rear cover. Duodecimo. pp. 278 [32]. In publisher's paper covers with black titles. Heavy reading lean; front cover nearly detached. Fair. More about The Sign of Four
The Sign of Four.
London: Sir Isaac Pitman and Sons, n.d. [1930s]. PITMAN'S SHORTHAND EDITION. Foolscap octavo, pp.170; [22], advertisements. Entitled 'New Era Edition'. Publisher's mid blue cloth, titled in gilt to spine and upper, imprint and price of 2/6 stamped in blind. Minor rubbing; a near fine copy. More about The Sign of Four
The Sign of Four. With eight illustrations.
Smith Elder, London 1913. INSCRIBED TO LADY VICTORIA SACKVILLE of Knole House, mother of author Vita Sackville-West. Stated 'New Edition'; previously published by Blackett then Newnes, this is the first edition thus. Octavo, pp.[viii]; 285; [10], advertisements. With presentation inscription to title page; 'To Lady Sackville | Yours very sincerely... More about The Sign of Four. With eight illustrations
Spiritualism and Rationalism. With a Drastic Examination of Mr Joseph McCabe.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, no date [1920]. [Spiritualism] FIRST EDITION. Slim octavo (20 x 13cm), pp.32. Thick grey paper covers ruled and titled in black. Some spotting, two faint owner stamps to upper. A rare survival of a throwaway item; just one other example is available at the time of... More about Spiritualism and Rationalism. With a Drastic Examination of Mr Joseph McCabe
A Study In Scarlet, and A Case of Identity.
Chicago, IL: E.A. Weeks and Company, no date [circa 1900]. [Sherlock Holmes] PIRATE EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.232. Publisher's green cloth with gilt titles to spine. Top edge gilt. Textblock browned. Cloth rubbed to extremities, especially to joints, corners and spine ends, some scuffs and marks. Very good. More about A Study In Scarlet, and A Case of Identity
A Study In Scarlet.
Chicago, IL: M.A. Donohue and Co., no date [circa 1900]. [Sherlock Holmes] PIRATE EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.159; [29]. With 'A Night Among the Nihilists' printed without pagination at rear. Publisher's green cloth with white titles to spine and upper board. A chromolithographic illustration laid onto the upper board... More about A Study In Scarlet
A Study in Scarlet.
London: Ward, Lock and Bowden, 1893. [Detective novel] First edition to contain Dr Joseph Bell's introduction 'A Note on Sherlock Holmes'. Bell was Doyle's university lecturer in medicine and the original model for his great detective. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[xx]; 224; [12] advertisements. With several black and white in-text... More about A Study in Scarlet
A Study in Scarlet.
London: Ward, Lock and Bowden, 1892. [Detective novel] EARLY EDITION. Seventh printing overall, being the sixth impression as a separated book (the first appearance being within Beeton's Christmas Annual, 1887). Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.[xx]; 224; [24], advertisements. With several black and white in-text and full-page illustrations. Bound in publisher's... More about A Study in Scarlet
Three of Them.
London; John Murray 1923. First Edition. Small 8vo. Fine in publisher's grey paper covered boards over red linen spine with paper label. Fresh, clean and bright in a near fine dustwrapper, closed tear to spine hinge of upper rear panel. Slight scuffing and soiling, very light edgewear. Internally clean and... More about Three of Them
Through the Magic Door.
London: Thomas Nelson n.d. [ca.1920]. Attractive early hardcover in original photographic dustwrapper. Crown octavo, pps.253; [1], imprint; [2], advertisements. Page edges a little toned, jacket toned to spine, chipped to crown, tail and folds, price label of 2/6 to upper. A charming survival. Through the Magic Door is Conan Doyle's... More about Through the Magic Door
The Valley of Fear.
London, George Bell and Sons. 1915. First English Edition, Colonial issue. 8vo. Publisher's scarlet cloth (also issued in dark red/burgundy). Gilt titles to spine, blocked in blind to upper. A used but presentable copy with some age-toning to text block, cloth sunned to spine, frayed to joint, one crease to... More about The Valley of Fear
The Valley of Fear.
London: Smith, Elder, and Co., 1915. First Edition. Octavo. Bound in publisher's red cloth, with gilt titles to front board and spine. Binding is presentable, though rubbed, with bumping and minor fraying to corners and spine ends. Internally clean, with incipient spotting to prelims. The last of Doyle's Sherlock Holmes... More about The Valley of Fear
The Valley of Fear.
London: Smith, Elder & Co. 1915. First UK edition. Octavo, pp. 306, 6 pages of advertisements. Publisher's red cloth binding with gilt titles to spine and front, bottom edge untrimmed. With later red cloth protective wrapper. Some moderate spotting throughout. Slight lean to the bookblock. Covers shows quite heavy wear... More about The Valley of Fear
The Valley of Fear.
London: Smith, Elder, and Co., 1915. [Sherlock Holmes] FIRST UK EDITION. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.306; [3]. With illustrated frontispiece. Publisher's red cloth, titled in gilt to spine and upper. Housed in a three quarter red morocco clamshell box. Some spotting to edges and first and final leaves, cloth very... More about The Valley of Fear
The Valley of Fear. A Sherlock Holmes Novel.
New York, NY: George H. Doran Company, 1914. TRUE FIRST EDITION, prior to UK first printing, which was not illustrated. Post octavo, pp.320. With seven full-page illustrations by Arthur I. Keller, including the frontispiece. Publisher's red cloth blocked in gilt. Light wear only, some minor marks, soft crease to spine;... More about The Valley of Fear. A Sherlock Holmes Novel
The Wanderings of a Spiritualist.
New York, NY: George H. Doran Company, 1921. [Spiritualism]. FIRST US EDITION. Octavo (22 x 15cm), pp.299; [3]. Thirteen half-tone plates. Publisher's green cloth, gilt titles to spine. Neat ownership to pastedown, a few page corners turned down. Cloth slightly rubbed to extremities, especially lightly rolled corners and spine ends... More about The Wanderings of a Spiritualist