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The Dancing Men Manuscript - Sherlock Holmes:
Heritage Auctions 2018 Sale Information
By Randall Stock, April 18, 2018 (revised)
The original manuscript of a story selected by Conan Doyle as one of the best Holmes tales sold at auction on April 18, 2018 for $312,500. Conan Doyle got the idea for the story's intriguing cipher from drawings by two children.
"The Dancing Men" Manuscript Description
Lot 47156: Manuscript of "The Dancing Men" by Conan Doyle
Original autograph manuscript of the Sherlock Holmes story "The Adventure of the Dancing Men." Signed by the author three times, including at end as "Arthur Conan Doyle | Undershaw | Hindhead." Not dated, but 1903. Headed on opening page as "The Return of Sherlock Holmes | IV | The Adventure of the Dancing Men."
This manuscript consists of 53 leaves of text plus an autograph title page. Text is written in dark ink on the rectos only of ruled paper that is roughly 8 1/2 x 6 1/4 inches, with the leaf for page 36 torn short at about 6 1/2 inches. Each page has a spindle/clip hole in the upper left corner.
It is bound in white vellum over boards, with the author’s inscription on the upper cover. He inscribed it as “The Dancing Men. | Sherlock Holmes | A Conan Doyle.” in the top left corner with “Anno belli | Germanici | IV” to the right of it.
The binder’s mark of “SPEALLS 61, SOUTH AUDLEY STREET, W.” appears on the front pastedown in the upper left corner. Below that, in pencil in another hand, is “Conan Doyle | ‘Dancing Men’.” An autograph title page with “Sherlock Holmes’ Series | The Adventure of the Dancing Men. | A Conan Doyle. || Original | Manuscript.” precedes the opening page of the story.
Bidding opens at $250,000. There is no reserve, but it will not be sold for less than the opening bid. An estimate in The Intelligent Collector values the manuscript at more than $500,000.
Sale Results
The manuscript sold to a mail/fax bidder for $312,500, which consisted of a $250,000 hammer price plus the buyer's premium.
History & Provenance
Provenance
Donated by Conan Doyle to the 1918 Red Cross auction by Christie's. Purchased at auction by Maggs Brothers on April 22, 1918. David Gage Joyce, sold from his collection at the Anderson Galleries on February 13, 1923. Sold at auction by Hodgson's on January 28, 1925, probably to Paton. Purchased by Brian Perkins in Texas circa 1974. Given to Laura Perkins Mercer in 2012. Sold at Heritage Auctions on April 18, 2018. For more details, see "Tracking 'The Dancing Men': Its History and Manuscript" by Randall Stock in Dancing to Death (2016).
History
Conan Doyle got the idea for the dancing men cipher in May 1903. He signed a young woman's autograph book while staying at the Hill House Hotel in Norfolk (England). The book also contained drawings on another page by two children: Gilbert John Cubitt and Edith Alice Cubitt.
Gilbert used decorated letters to create "secret" writing. His sister Edith drew "A Musical Tragedy" with stick-figure notes on five-line musical staves to convey a brief skit. Conan Doyle combined these elements, along with memories of Poe's "The Gold Bug," to come up with the dancing men cipher. He later used the family name "Cubitt" for the client in this story.
He first mentions the story in a May 1903 letter to his editor at the Strand Magazine. Although the manuscript is not dated, Conan Doyle's diary and other sources suggest he finished the story in early June 1903. Written as the fourth story in The Return, it was published as the third tale in order to give a stronger start to the new series. It first appeared in the December 1903 Strand Magazine and in the December 5, 1903 issue of Collier's Weekly, and was later collected in The Return of Sherlock Holmes (1905).
When he rated the Sherlock Holmes tales as part of a 1927 contest held by the Strand Magazine, Conan Doyle ranked "The Dancing Men" as the third best Holmes story. All of the major Sherlockian polls since then have placed it among the 10 best Holmes stories.
For more details on the origin of this tale, see "Dancing Men: An Inspired Choice" by Randall Stock in the Winter 2016 Baker Street Journal. The Toronto Public Library holds the autograph book with the Cubitt drawings and Conan Doyle's signature.
"The Dancing Men" Manuscript Photos
First page of The Dancing Men manuscript
Last Page of The Dancing Men Manuscript
Conan Doyle's signature at the end of the manuscript
For more details on the manuscript and additional photos, see the Heritage online catalog.
Heritage Auctions Catalog & Sale Information
Heritage provides an online catalog for this sale (#6196) with descriptions and large photographs from each lot.
You can also go directly to their listing for Lot 47156: Conan Doyle's "Dancing Men" manuscript. It includes large photos of 9 manuscript pages, the front cover, the autograph title page, and its leather case. Heritage Auctions has also produced a YouTube video about the manuscript.
Heritage also offers printed catalogs for their auctions. The cost is $50 in advance of the auction, After the auction, their printed catalogs are $25 (subject to availability), or you can download a free PDF version. Look for "2018 April 18 Manuscripts Grand Format Auction - Dallas #6196" on their online ordering page.
Sale Information
Manuscripts Grand Format Auction - Dallas #6196
Wednesday April 18, 2018 at 10 am CT
Heritage Auctions - Design District Showroom
1518 Slocum Street
Dallas, TX 75207
Phone: 877-HERITAGE (437-4824)
The buyer's premium is 25% on the first $250,000, plus 20% of any amount between $250,000 and $2,500,000.
Pre-sale Viewing
New York: Monday-Thursday April 9-12 (call 212-486-3500 for details)
Dallas: Tuesday April 17: 9am-5pm, or any day previous to that by appointment
News About the Manuscript and Sale
Unless noted, online reports were available free to the public when originally posted. Some websites may remove online articles or charge for accessing older items.
Heritage Auctions YouTube Channel, April 5, 2018
"The Adventure of the Dancing Men" Arthur Conan Doyle's Favorite Sherlock Holmes Story
A 2-minute video about the manuscript and the story
The Mirror, April 5, 2018
Holmes under the hammer by Christopher Bucktin
UK news report on the manuscript and sale, including 3 photos of the manuscript
The Telegraph, March 30, 2018
Conan Doyle's handwritten manuscript of famous Sherlock Holmes story set for auction by David Millward
UK news report on the manuscript and sale, including 4 photos of the manuscript
Article at The Telegraph website
The Intelligent Collector, Spring/Summer 2018, p. 21
Sherlock Holmes Handwritten Manuscript
One-page article about the story and the manuscript
PDF Reprint courtesy of Heritage Auctions
Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press, March 2018, page #2
[The manuscript of "The Dancing Men" will be up for bids...] by Peter E. Blau
Brief report on the upcoming auction
http://redcircledc.org/index.php?id=39
Acknowledgements and Page History
My thanks to Laura Perkins Mercer, and to Sandra Palomino at Heritage Auctions, for their help with my reporting on the manuscript and auction.
The first version of this report appeared March 21, 2018. More details about the sale were added on March 23, and news reports were added on March 27. The March 31 revision added a link to the original autograph book at Toronto, the Telegraph newspaper report, and the New York pre-sale viewing. Links to the YouTube video and the Mirror article were added on April 5.
Related Pages
Census of Sherlock Holmes Manuscripts
News Archive for Conan Doyle Manuscripts
Other Conan Doyle rarities like Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887 and Sidney Paget drawings.
Lists of each year's best Sherlock Holmes books & DVDs, the most famous Sherlock Holmes quotes, and more Top 10 Lists.
Why "The Dancing Men" is the best Sherlock Holmes story: Randall Stock in About Sixty (2016).
Return to Manuscripts Home page and Introduction
Vers. 2.1fx-RN Original work
Copyright ©2018
Randall Stock. All Rights Reserved.