The Sign of The Four [in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine].

DOYLE, [Sir] Arthur Conan (1859-1930).

Philadelphia: J.B.Lippincott Co., 1890. [Detective novel] FIRST EDITION, FIRST PRINTING OF THE TEXT. Ellery Queen's copy. Octavo (24 x 15cm), pp.[24] adverts (dated February 1890); 147-308; [iv], 'With the Wits'; 29-52, ads. With exclusive title page and frontispiece illustration. Signed on title page as both 'Barnaby Ross' and 'Ellery Queen'. Contents clean, some expected handling to fragile covers, lacks lower third of spine panel, some chipping and edge wear. Generally well preserved, housed in a gilt-titled cloth clamshell. The second Sherlock Holmes novel, first appearing in Lippincott's Monthly in America and Britain in February 1890. "In the American issue of the magazine the frontispiece faces a special title-page [lacking in the UK version] and is therefore considered by some to constitute the FIRST EDITION" [Green & Gibson]. The spine is also lettered with the book title and author's name, rather than 'Lippincott's Monthly Magazine', and for these reasons it is often referred to simply as 'the first edition'. Published in advance of the hardbound edition (March 1890, USA / October 1890, UK). A remarkable association. "Ellery Queen" and "Barnaby Ross" were the pseudonyms of Frederic Dannay and Manfred Lee, writers of detective fiction, Sherlockiana, 'Mystery Magazine' publishers, anthologists and editors of crime fiction. They won five annual Edgar Awards, including the Grand Master award in 1960, and compiled the landmark bibliography of greatest detective novels, known as "Queen's Quorum". The Mystery Writers of America established the Ellery Queen Award (1983) in their honour. Item #75163

Green & Gibson, pp.35-6.

Price: £18,500.00