Doyle, Arthur Conan | A truly exceptional pair of the Memoirs and Adventures

Property from an Important American Collection

Doyle, Arthur Conan

The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. London: George Newnes, 1892

Large 8vo. Half-title, "Violent" for "Violet" on p. 317; occasional light foxing, primarily to prelims, contemporary ownership inscription to pastedown. Publisher's light blue cloth, cover and spine blocked and lettered in gilt and black, edges gilt; minimal wear to head and foot of spine, minor loss of gilt to upper cover, a truly exceptional copy.

[And:] The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. London: George Newnes, 1894. Large 8vo. Half-title, frontispiece; occasional light foxing, contemporary ownership inscription to pastedown. Publisher's dark blue cloth, cover and spine blocked and lettered in gilt and black, edges gilt; barely discernible wear to head and foot of spine and outer corners, a truly exceptional copy. Both volumes housed together in collector's quarter morocco clamshell box.

Two magnificent first editions of the celebrated short stories.

Following the success of A Study in Scarlet and A Sign of Four, Doyle began publishing short stories about Holmes and Watson in The Strand Magazine. Each book has twelve of these stories each, in no chronological order, composed from the first-person perspective of Watson. Of the 56 short detective stories Doyle wrote, "The Adventure of the Speckled Band", in Adventures, was his personal favorite. Doyle intended "The Final Problem" to be his last tale featuring Sherlock Holmes. However, the immense popularity of the books led to fervent reader demand. Doyle relented, publishing The Hound of the Baskervilles in 1902.

It is exceedingly rare to find these in nigh perfect condition.

REFERENCES:

Green & Gibson A10a, A14a; Sadleir 739, 746