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The Hound of the Baskervilles Manuscript:
Heritage Auctions 2021 Sale Information
By Randall Stock, November 6, 2021 (revised)
Heritage Auctions sold a page from Conan Doyle's manuscript for The Hound of the Baskervilles for a record-breaking $423,000 on November 6, 2021. It is one of only three privately-held pages with a chapter heading from the story.
The Hound of the Baskervilles Manuscript (H31) Description
Lot 47171: Manuscript Leaf From The Hound of the Baskervilles by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
This leaf from Conan Doyle's original autograph manuscript contains 33 lines of text written in ink on one side of a sheet that is about 8 x 13 inches. It is headed at the top of the page as "Chapter XIII Fixing the Nets." Like the other extant Hound leaves, it is not signed or dated, but Conan Doyle wrote this story in the spring of 1901.
As noted in the census for The Hound of the Baskervilles manuscript, only 37 leaves from this novel still exist and institutions hold most of them. In addition to this leaf, there are only two other surviving privately-held leaves that contain chapter headings (Leaf H7 and Leaf H27 on the census).
This page (census Leaf H31) opens by mentioning Holmes's name in the first line of text. Watson is named twice, once with the well-known phrase "My dear Watson." Other references central to the story include the moor, the hound, and the death of Sir Charles Baskerville. Conan Doyle strengthened his plotting for the story's climax by cancelling a line on this leaf involving the hound's hiding place.
These fine textual attributes, combined with being a most unusual chapter head (see the history section), make for an especially appealing manuscript leaf. See below for a photo and transcription of the entire manuscript leaf.
Other Points of Interest
The number "1" appears in the upper right corner of the page. A mostly erased pencil mark in the left margin might be the number "14." Other Hound leaves contain numbers added to the left margin.
Conan Doyle probably used the "1" while he was writing to indicate the first page of the chapter. An editor or compositor marked the other number.
Pencil notations on the back of the leaf in another hand read "Conan Doyle From Hound of the B" and "545." See below for a photo of the verso (back) of this manuscript leaf.
The manuscript shows prior use of tape to repair separation at its folds. That tape has been removed and the manuscript restored with Japanese tissue. Small spindle holes in the upper left and right corners have been repaired.
This leaf comes with a custom chemise with blue-gray boards. A quarter morocco clamshell case is titled in gilt on its spine and measures 9.25" x 14" overall.
Sale Results & Related Information
Bidding for this leaf H31 opened online at US$85,000 on October 8, 2021. It sold on November 6, 2021 for a price realized of US$423,000 including the buyer's premium. The hammer price of US$340,000 was roughly double the expected sale price.
The previous record for a page from The Hound was $158,500 and set in a 2012 auction for Hound Leaf H36. Prior to that, Hound Leaf H27 sold in 2004 for $78,000.
As of 2021, the highest price ever realized for a Sherlock Holmes manuscript came in 1996 when The Sign of the Four sold for $519,500. A 2004 auction set a record for a Holmes short story manuscript when The Sussex Vampire manuscript sold for $399,500.
For more details about this 2021 auction including the buyer's premium, see the catalog section below.
Publishing History
Inspired by a West Country legend conveyed to him by Bertram Fletcher Robinson, Conan Doyle wrote this tale in roughly three months from May to July 1901. He originally planned for the text from this leaf (H31) to be the opening of Chapter 13, but he changed the chapter break prior to the story's first serial publication.
In The Strand Magazine, this leaf's text appears near the end of chapter 12, although the Strand still used the leaf's heading for the published heading of Chapter 13. These chapter changes carried through into the first English book edition, but both the first American edition and later American reprints by various publishers retained the chapter break and text as indicated on this leaf.
Conan Doyle's handwritten manuscript was broken up as part of a publicity campaign for the American publication of the book in 1902. Most of the manuscript is almost certainly lost, with only 37 leaves reported to exist, and the majority of those held by institutions.
The Hound was serialized in both the London and New York editions of The Strand Magazine. The English version appeared from August 1901 through April 1902, while the American version went from September 1901 through May 1902. George Newnes published the English first edition of The Hound of the Baskervilles in 1902, and McClure, Phillips & Co. produced the American first edition.
Manuscript Ownership History
A member of the Baker Street Irregulars literary society owned this leaf in 1952, and displayed it at the 6 November 1952 meeting of The Five Orange Pips in New York. Later owners included BSI members Lew David Feldman and Rollin Hadley. Pepper & Stern advertised it in 1989 in their Rare Books Catalogue 25, and it was last reported as owned by David Karpeles as leaf H31 on the manuscript census.
The Hound of the Baskervilles Manuscript (H31) Photos
Leaf H31 of Conan Doyle manuscript for The Hound of the Baskervilles
Text From Leaf H31 of The Hound of the Baskervilles Manuscript
Chapter XIII
Fixing the Nets
"We're at close grips at last" said Holmes, as we walked together across the moor. "What a nerve the fellow has! How he pulled himself together in the face of what must have been a paralysing shock when he found that the wrong man had fallen a victim to his plot. I told you in London, Watson, and I tell you now again that we have never had a foeman more worthy of our steel."
"I am sorry that he has seen you."
"And so was I at first. But there was no getting out of it."
"What affect do you think it will have upon his plans, now that he knows you are here?"
"It may cause him to be more cautious or it may drive him to desperate measures at once. Like most clever criminals he may be too confident in his own cleverness and imagine that he has completely deceived us."
"Why should we not arrest him at once?"
"My dear Watson, you were born to be a man of action. Your instinct is always to do something energetic. But supposing for argument's sake that we had him arrested tonight, what on earth the better off should we be for that? We could prove nothing against him. I know where he keeps his hound, but what of that? There's the devilish cunning of it! If he were acting through a human agent we could get some evidence, but if we were to drag this great dog to the light of day it would not help us in putting a rope round the neck of its master."
"Surely we have a case."
"Not a shadow of one — only surmise and conjecture. We should be laughed out of court if we came with such a story and such evidence."
"There is Sir Charles' death."
"Found dead without a mark upon him. You...
For more details on the manuscript, see the description section above.
Back of Leaf H31 of The Hound of the Baskervilles Manuscript
Lower right quadrant of manuscript leaf H31 verso for The Hound of the Baskervilles
Heritage Auctions Catalog & Sale Information
See above for the results of this auction.
Heritage Auctions provides an online listing and bidding page for Lot #47171 Conan Doyle's Hound of the Baskervilles manuscript leaf. The listing includes large photos of the front and back of the leaf, as well as a photo of its custom clamshell case.
This auction's printed catalog features a cover with a photo of this Hound leaf, as well as a full-page photo of the leaf as part of the lot description. You can order a printed catalog, or download a free PDF, from the Heritage Auctions Sale #6243 web page.
Sale Information
Historical Manuscripts Signature Auction #6243
Saturday November 6, 2021 at 11 am CT
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$85,000 on October 8, 2021. 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.
Acknowledgements and Page History
Manuscript photos courtesy of Heritage Auctions.
My thanks to Sandra Palomino and Courtney Elliott at Heritage Auctions, and to Peter E. Blau and Evan Holzwasser for their assistance.
This page is based on information from the Heritage online catalog as well as other research including prior auction catalogues and sale reports.
The first version of this report appeared August 25, 2021. A few details about the auction and its catalog were added on October 9 after online bidding opened. On October 30, 2021, Heritage Auctions disclosed this lot was offered with No Reserve, and this page was updated the same day. Sale results with the price realized were added on November 6, 2021.
Census of the Manuscript of The Hound of the Baskervilles
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Randall Stock. All Rights Reserved.