"The Greek Interpreter" Manuscript:
Heritage Auctions 2022

By Randall Stock, July 16, 2022 (revised)

Heritage Auctions sold the only known complete manuscript from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes in July 2022 for $350,000.  This story introduced Sherlock's brother Mycroft Holmes.

 

 

"The Greek Interpreter" Manuscript Description

Lot 42005: Manuscript of "The Greek Interpreter" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Headed on the first page as "The Adventure of the Greek Interpreter," with a very faint pencil note of "No. XXII" in the upper left corner.  Signed at end in the bottom right corner of the page as "Conan Doyle / 12 Tennison Road / S Norwood."  Not dated but c. 1893.

 

Conan Doyle wrote this original autograph manuscript in sepia ink on the rectos only of 34 pages of ruled paper removed from a 4to notebook.  Sheets measure 9 x 7 inches and include revisions in ink and pencil.  Pages are numbered in the center of each sheet, likely by a compositor, in blue pencil that overlays the text as 1–34.  A child's pencil sketches and marks appear on the verso of page 22 and the recto and verso of page 33.  See below for photos of the manuscript's first and last pages.

 

The loose sheets of the manuscript are housed in a custom red cloth chemise case with a black morocco spine label stamped in gilt.

 

Bidding opens at US$100,000 and there is no reserve.  For more auction details, see the catalog section below.

 

Sale Results

The manuscript sold to a phone bidder for $350,000, which consisted of a $280,000 hammer price plus the buyer's premium.

 

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History

After writing his first twelve Sherlock Holmes short stories, Conan Doyle was ready to move on to other projects. When the Strand Magazine requested more Holmes tales, he told his mother "I offered to do a dozen for a thousand pounds, but I sincerely hope that they won't accept it now."

 

They did accept, and so he went on to produce what became The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. He almost certainly wrote "The Greek Interpreter" in late 1892 or early 1893. The story introduced both the detective's brother Mycroft Holmes and the Diogenes Club, where talking is not allowed.

 

Conan Doyle initially described Mycroft as ten years older than Sherlock, but then changed the manuscript to read "seven years." Mycroft has even better powers of observation and deduction than Sherlock, but lacks the energy to be a detective.

 

In a later story, Holmes reveals that Mycroft is the most indispensable man of the British government. "All other men are specialists, but his specialism is omniscience."

 

The story appeared in the September 1893 Strand Magazine, and in America in both the September 16, 1893 issue of Harper's Weekly and the October 1893 number of the New York Strand. Collected in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, George Newnes published the English first edition in 1893 (though dated 1894), and Harper & Brothers produced the American first edition in 1894.

 

Arthur Conan Doyle and his family dispersed most of his manuscripts over the years, but "The Greek Interpreter" is the possibly unique instance of a Holmes manuscript that they later repurchased. Prior to the opening of the Broadway musical Baker Street, the author's son Adrian Conan Doyle bought the manuscript at a Christie's auction in London on December 18, 1964. He then lent it for an exhibition of Sherlockian rarities in the lobby of The Broadway Theatre in New York City. The play opened February 16, 1965 with a record advance sale of $1 million, and ran for more than 300 performances.

 

Adrian's widow Anna Conan Doyle eventually sold the manuscript at a Christie's auction in London on May 5, 1982. David Karpeles bought it using Bernard Quaritch as his agent. Karpeles died in January 2022, and the Karpeles Trust is offering the manuscript via Heritage Auctions.

 

The Sherlock Holmes Manuscript Census lists all the Holmes manuscripts. As of June 2022, the manuscript of "The Greek Interpreter" is the only complete manuscript known to exist from The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes.

 

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"The Greek Interpreter" Manuscript Photos

First page of Conan Doyle manuscript for "The Greek Interpreter"

 

Last Page from "The Greek Interpreter" Manuscript

Last page of Conan Doyle manuscript for "The Greek Interpreter"

 

The manuscript description (above) has more information and a larger photo of Conan Doyle's signature. The history section includes a photo of the third page with references to Mycroft Holmes and the Diogenes Club. See the Heritage Auctions online catalog for other photos of the manuscript.

 

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Heritage Auctions Catalog & Sale Information

Heritage Auctions provides an online listing and bidding page for Lot #42005 Conan Doyle's Complete Autographed Manuscript Signed of "The Greek Interpreter." The listing includes a number of large photos of the manuscript.

 

This auction's printed catalog features a large photo of the first page on top of the other sheets. You can order a printed catalog, or download a free PDF, from the Heritage Auctions Sale #6247 web page.

 

Sale Information

Historical Platinum Session Signature Auction #6258

Saturday, July 16, 2022

 

Heritage Auctions

2801 W. Airport Freeway

Dallas, TX 75261

Phone: 877-HERITAGE (877-437-4824)

 

The buyer's premium is 25% on the first $300,000, plus 20% of any amount between $300,000 and $3,000,000.

 

Online bidding opened at US$100,000 on June 22, 2022. Heritage Auctions offered this lot with No Reserve. However, their terms explain "by law, consignors may still bid under certain conditions, but they are responsible for paying the full Buyer's Premium and Seller's Commission if they do."

 

Pre-sale viewing by appointment only.

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Acknowledgements and Page History

Manuscript photos courtesy of Heritage Auctions.

 

My thanks to Sandra Palomino and Samantha Sisler at Heritage Auctions.  Special thanks to the Karpeles family for allowing me to examine the manuscript in 2012.

 

This page is based on information from the Heritage online catalog as well as other research.

 

The first version of this report appeared on June 24, 2022. The July 16 revision added the sale results.

 

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Related Pages

Census of Sherlock Holmes Manuscripts

 

Census of the Manuscript of The Hound of the Baskervilles

 

Checklist of non-Sherlockian Conan Doyle Manuscripts

 

Lists of each year's best Sherlock Holmes books & DVDs, the most famous Sherlock Holmes quotes, and more Top 10 Lists.

 

 

 

Return to Manuscripts Home page and Introduction

 

 

 

Vers. 2.1bx-RN Original work
Copyright ©2022  Randall Stock. All Rights Reserved.