The Best of Sherlock Holmes

"The Medal of Brigadier Gerard" Manuscript

By Randall Stock, November 17, 2018

The manuscript for the first Brigadier Gerard story by Arthur Conan Doyle was feared lost for many years, but emerged for sale in 2015. It is now held by the British Library.

The Medal of Brigadier Gerard manuscript - first 5 lines

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"The Medal of Brigadier Gerard" Manuscript Description

Headed on first page as "The Medal of Brigadier Gérard," as changed from an earlier title "The Mission of Brigadier Gérard" where the word "Mission" has been stricken and "Medal" written above it. Signed at end as "A Conan Doyle | 12 Tennison Road | South Norwood." Not dated, but 1894.

Conan Doyle's original autograph manuscript is written in ink on the rectos only of 41 pages of ruled paper. It measures 7 x 9 inches and includes revisions and corrections. The first page shows an accent mark over the "é" in "Gérard," but this mark did not appear in the published text in The Strand Magazine or the George Newnes first edition. See below for a photo of the manuscript's first page.

Signature on Medal of Brigadier Gerard manuscript

Conan Doyle's signature at the end of manuscript includes some stricken text, which appears to be "Md." While he had been a medical doctor, he largely turned to writing as his profession in 1891.

Cover of Medal of Brigadier Gerard manuscript

As shown here, the manuscript is bound in contemporary three-quarter calf and marbled paper over boards, with marbled endpapers. The spine consists of six panels, and is titled in gilt in the second panel as "THE MEDAL | OF | BRIGADIER | GERARD | [short rule] | CONAN DOYLE." The bound manuscript includes a printed half-title page and the bookplate of Herbert Foster Gunnison on the front pastedown.

There is a presentation inscription on a preliminary blank as "Presented to Herbert F. Gunnison with the warm regards of Irving Bacheller."

Offered for sale in 2015 by James S. Jaffe Rare Books of New York, who described this manuscript as "in fine condition; the binding lightly rubbed."

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Variant titles

This story is typically referred to as "How the Brigadier Won His Medal" from its title in the first British book edition. Other titles include the following:

"The Mission of Brigadier Gerard" (on manuscript)
"The Medal of Brigadier Gerard" (on manuscript)
"The Medal of Brigadier Gerard" (Strand Magazine)
"How the Brigadier Won His Medal" (British first book edition)
"How Brigadier Gerard Won His Medal" (American first book edition)
"The Medal of the Brigadier" (American newspaper)

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History

This story, the first of Conan Doyle's Brigadier Gerard tales, appeared in the December 1894 Strand Magazine as "The Medal of Brigadier Gerard." Conan Doyle wrote it as a standalone story before he left for his American lecture tour in October 1894. He read the tale at some of his lectures, and informed his mother in a 20 November 1894 letter from Boston that he now wanted to "do a whole series of Brigadier Gerard stories."

His interest in a series continued after he returned to England, and he wrote to Arthur Waugh on 18 December 1894, saying "I think of doing a series of six Brigadier Gerard Adventures." He soon produced seven more tales. The manuscript of his second Gerard story is dated 2 January 1895, and the eighth in this set is dated 31 May 1895.

The eight stories were collected in The Exploits of Brigadier Gerard (1896).

See my page with more Brigadier Gerard publishing history.

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Provenance

Arthur Conan Doyle. Irving Bacheller (from inscription). Herbert Foster Gunnison. By descent from Gunnison. Offered by James S. Jaffe Rare Books in 2015. The British Library purchased the manuscripts from Jaffe on March 15, 2018.

More about Bacheller and Gunnison.

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