"If one cannot enjoy reading a book over and over again, there is no use in reading it at all. "
— Oscar Wilde
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
Results 51 - 65 (of 65)
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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
The Valley of Fear.
London: Smith, Elder, and Co., 1915. [Sherlock Holmes] FIRST UK EDITION, ASSOCIATION COPY. Octavo (20 x 14cm), pp.306; [3]. With illustrated frontispiece. Publisher's red cloth, titled in gilt to spine and upper. Some spotting to edges and first and final leaves, cloth very lightly handled, more so to spine. A...... 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. Light wear only, some minor..... More
The Vital Message.
London: Hodder and Stoughton, no date [1919]. [Spiritualism] FIRST EDITION. Octavo (19 x 13cm), pp.228. With four black and white photographic plates. Pages 1-2 are pasted to cover as endpapers (as issued; Green and Gbson, p.302, line 1). Bound in dark grey cloth lettered in gilt to the backstrip. Contents..... More
The House of Silk.
London: Orion Books, 2011. [Detective Fiction] LIMITED FIRST EDITION. Octavo (24 x 16cm), pp.294. One of 1000 numbered copies, SIGNED by the author on the half title. As new, in jacket, in titled slipcase, in original shrinkwrap. Anthony Horowitz's first Sherlock Holmes continuation novel, followed up by Moriarty in 2014..... More
![The Sussex Vampire, a Sherlock Holmes Story [in] Hearst's International Magazine. Volume 45,...](/pictures/thumb/58959.jpg?v=1612460406)
The Sussex Vampire, a Sherlock Holmes Story [in] Hearst's International Magazine. Volume 45, number 1.
New York, NY: The International Magazine Company, January 1924. [Sherlock Holmes] FIRST US APPEARANCE. Folio (30 x 22cm), pp.152. With black and white and dichromatic illustrations throughout, including four by W.T. Benda to 'The Sussex Vampire.' Publisher's colour-illustrated paper covers, priced at 35c. Blue ink ownership to first leaf. Some..... More
![The Sussex Vampire, a Sherlock Holmes Story [in] Hearst's International Magazine. Volume 45,...](/pictures/thumb/58960.jpg?v=1612460406)
The Sussex Vampire, a Sherlock Holmes Story [in] Hearst's International Magazine. Volume 45, number 1.
New York, NY: The International Magazine Company, January 1924. [Sherlock Holmes] FIRST US APPEARANCE. Folio (30 x 22cm), pp.152. With black and white and dichromatic illustrations throughout, including four by W.T. Benda to 'The Sussex Vampire.' Publisher's colour-illustrated paper covers, priced at 35c. Some wear and chipping to covers, with..... More
![A Scandal in Bohemia [and] The Passing of Conan Doyle [and] Best Seller [and] Big Money [and] My...](/pictures/thumb/58999.jpg?v=1612201523)
A Scandal in Bohemia [and] The Passing of Conan Doyle [and] Best Seller [and] Big Money [and] My Gentle Readers [and] The Parish Magazine [and] The End of Devil Hawker [and] The Last Resource [and] Clemenceau - the Man and the Tiger [and] The Truth about the Ex-Kaiser [and] The Creaking Door [in] The Strand Magazine. Volume 80.
London: George Newnes, July to December 1930. [Literary Magazine] THE PASSING OF CONAN DOYLE. Octavo (24 x 17cm), pp.viii; 700. With frequent black and white, and occasional dichromatic, illustrations. Publisher's cyan cloth with gilt titles to spines and black titles and decoration to uppers. All edges lightly tinted blue. A...... More
![The Adventure of the Abbey Grange [in] Collier's Weekly. Volume XXXIV, Number 14. Arthur Conan...](/pictures/thumb/58972.jpg?v=1612286882)
The Adventure of the Abbey Grange [in] Collier's Weekly. Volume XXXIV, Number 14.
New York, NY: P.F. Collier & Son, For January 1905. [Literary Magazine] FIRST APPEARANCE. Large magazine (38 x 27cm), pp.32. With frequent in-text illustrations by various artists, including some by Frederic Dorr Steele to the Doyle story. Publisher's dichromatic paper covers, featuring a Holmes illustration, also by Steele. Sewn, and..... More
![The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter [in] Collier's Weekly. Volume XXXIV, Number 9. Arthur...](/pictures/thumb/58971.jpg?v=1612286882)
The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter [in] Collier's Weekly. Volume XXXIV, Number 9.
New York, NY: P.F. Collier & Son, For December 1904. [Literary Magazine] FIRST APPEARANCE. Large magazine (38 x 27cm), pp.32. With frequent in-text illustrations by various artists, including some by Frederic Dorr Steele to the Doyle story. Publisher's dichromatic paper covers, featuring a Holmes illustration, also by Steele. Sewn, and..... More
![The Contest: A Story of the Emperor Nero [in] Pearson's Magazine. Number 30. Arthur Conan DOYLE, Sir](/pictures/thumb/58791.jpg?v=1612460404)
The Contest: A Story of the Emperor Nero [in] Pearson's Magazine. Number 30.
London: C. Arthur Pearson, March 1911. [Literary Magazine] FIRST UK APPEARANCE. Octavo (25 x 17cm), pp.xxxvi; 233-340 [10]. With frequent black and white illustrations. Publisher's colour-illustrated paper covers, stapled twice and priced at 6d. Toning and spotting to edges. Covers quite heavily worn and chipped, with heavy rubbing to joints..... More
![The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez [in] Collier's Weekly. Volume XXXIV, number 5. Arthur Conan...](/pictures/thumb/58970.jpg?v=1612286882)
The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez [in] Collier's Weekly. Volume XXXIV, number 5.
New York, NY: P.F. Collier & Son, For November 1904. [Literary Magazine] FIRST APPEARANCE. Large magazine (38 x 27cm), pp.32. With frequent in-text illustrations by various artists, including some by Frederic Dorr Steele to the Doyle story. Publisher's dichromatic paper covers, featuring a Holmes illustration, also by Steele. Sewn, and..... More
![The Disappearance of Lady Carfax [in] The American Magazine. Arthur Conan DOYLE, Sir](/pictures/thumb/58328.jpg?v=1609174447)
The Disappearance of Lady Carfax [in] The American Magazine.
New York, NY: The Phillips Publishing Company, December 1911. [Sherlock Holmes] TRUE FIRST APPEARANCE. Octavo magazine (26 x 18cm), pp.[36] 129-256 [37-100]. With illustrations by Frederic Dorr Steele. Publisher's illustrated paper covers, priced at 15c. All edges untrimmed. Toning to first and final leaves. A large portion of a rear..... More
Booklet Packet from the YMCA. His Last Bow; The Luck of Roaring Camp; Out of the Fog; When Johnny Comes Marching Home; Some Words of President Wilson About Religion; The Stuff that Wins; Captain Dick Takes a Vacation; The Next War.
New York, NY: Published for the National War Work Council of Young Men's Christian Associations of the United States by Association Press, 1919. [Soldier's Transport Stories] RARE BOOKLET COLLECTION. Four booklets held in a card box. Sexagesimo-quarto (9 x 6cm), pp.81 [3]; pp.66 [2]; pp.73 [3]; pp.33 [1]. Publisher's plain..... More
![The Murder at the Villa Rose [and] The Magic City [in] The Strand Magazine. Volumes 38, 39 and...](/pictures/thumb/58578.jpg?v=1611596103)
The Murder at the Villa Rose [and] The Magic City [in] The Strand Magazine. Volumes 38, 39 and 40; numbers 228 to 239.
London: George Newnes, December 1909 to November 1910. [Literary Magazine] FIRST APPEARANCES. Twelve octavo magazines (28 x 19 x 18cm), pp.[126] 647-848; [127-166]; pp.[74] 128; [75-90]; pp.[80] 129-256; [81-96]; pp.[82] 257-384; [83-110] pp.[82] 385-512 [83-106]; pp.[82] 513-640 [83-106]; pp.[82] 641-768; [83-102]; pp.[70] 128; [71-86]; pp.[56] 129-256; [57-72]; pp.[70] 257-364; [71-86];..... More
Results 51 - 65 (of 65)
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