Uncle Bernac Manuscript:
Potter & Potter 2024 Auction

By Randall Stock, February 15, 2024 (revised)

Potter & Potter sold the manuscript of Conan Doyle's novel Uncle Bernac at auction in February, along with Lost World rarities, Sidney Paget material, and other Sherlockiana.

 

 

The Collections of Robert Hess and Roy Pilot

Potter & Potter Auctions is offering 336 lots of Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle material on February 15, 2024. The sale features Conan Doyle's manuscript for his novel Uncle Bernac, original artwork including Sidney Paget, rare Lost World items, and much more.

 

Most of the material comes from the collections of two well-known Sherlockian and Doylean collectors. Robert Hess built his extensive and wide-ranging collection over 40 years, and offered part of it in 2023 via Potter & Potter in their A Study in Sherlock Part I sale. Roy Pilot co-edited the Sherlockian volume Mandate for Murder (2006) as well as the Doylean books The Annotated Lost World (1996) and The Annotated White Company (2020).

 

The Collection of Roy Pilot

 

The Collection of Robert Hess (Part II)

 

See below for some highlighted lots, and the Catalog section for more details about the auction itself.

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Uncle Bernac Manuscript Description

Lot 59: Manuscript of Uncle Bernac by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Original autograph manuscript for the serialization of Conan Doyle's novel Uncle Bernac. Not signed or dated, but 1895–1896. Headed on first page with the provisional title "Boulogne. A Memory of the Empire" and the title for Chapter 1 as "The Coast of France."

 

First page of Conan Doyle manuscript for Uncle Bernac

 

This manuscript consists of 125 leaves with pages numbered throughout. Text is written in ink on the rectos only of white lined sheets of paper. Most pages are 13.5 x 8.5 inches, but 10 half-sheets are 7.25 x 8 or 5.25 x 8 inches, with a few others cut down to smaller dimensions. As is common with Conan Doyle manuscripts, pages have a spindle/pin hole in the upper left corner.

 

The manuscript pages are not bound, but are stored in a folding cloth chemise and a blue slipcase with "Boulogne / Original Manuscript / Doyle" on its spine. This in turn fits into a custom felt-lined folding wooden box with a brass plaque showing "Original Manuscript / Sir Arthur Conan Doyle / Boulogne / ("Uncle Bernac")."

 

 

The manuscript's chapter numbers, titles, and the number of leaves in the chapter are as follows:

For the story's book publication, Conan Doyle added a description of Napoleon, extending Chapter 12 into four chapters and revising the final chapter. The book edition thus contained 17 chapters.

 

In addition to the manuscript, this lot also includes three issues of The Cosmopolitan magazine with the complete American serialization of Uncle Bernac, and a copy of the first English book edition. For a photo of these, plus details about writing and publishing the story, see the Manuscript History & Provenance section below.

 

Presale Estimate: US$30,000 - $40,000

Bidding opened with a minimum bid of US$15,000. For more information about the auction itself, see the auction catalog section below.

 

Sale Results: The lot sold on 15 February 2024 with a hammer price of $34,000 and a price realized of US$42,500 including the 20% base buyer's premium plus 5% for using a third-party bidding platform.

 

For more details about the manuscript, including photos of all the items in this lot, see the Potter & Potter online entry for lot 59.

 

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Manuscript History & Provenance

Conan Doyle spent three years reading Napoleonic literature with the goal of writing a major book set in that era. He eventually published eight Brigadier Gerard short stories in the Strand Magazine from December 1894 to December 1895. By July 1895, he reached an agreement with Horace Cox to write a Napoleonic novel for serialization in The Queen.

 

After finishing Rodney Stone, he began thinking about his Napoleonic novel in September 1895, but confessed to his mother at the end of November that he had made no real progress on it. By then he was in Egypt, and on December 10 reported he had "begun my Napoleonic book & done 2 short chapters."

 

However, Conan Doyle grew discouraged by the end of January 1896, and talked of canceling his "long Napoleonic contract," finding it difficult to write it while in Egypt. He probably renegotiated the terms to allow for a shorter story, and eventually returned to London on May 1, 1896. At that point, he referred to a contract worth 2,000 pounds.

 

He still struggled with the story. "I am labouring heavily over that wretched little Napoleonic book," he wrote to his mother on July 9. "It has cost me more than any big book. I never seem to be quite in key, & I don't know that waiting will help me. I must slog through it somehow."

 

Conan Doyle finished the tale by August 18, 1896. The serialized story appeared in The Queen in England and in The Cosmopolitan in America from January through March 1897.

 

Smith, Elder, & Co. published the first British book edition in May 1897 (shown here), and D. Appleton and Company produced the American first edition in June 1897.

 

The book's text is longer than the serialized story. Conan Doyle extended Chapter 12 into four chapters, including a description of Napoleon that he probably wrote before starting Uncle Bernac itself. He also revised the final chapter. The first book edition thus contained 17 chapters while the serialized version had 14 chapters.

 

Brigham Young University holds seven manuscript pages from the book edition covering the end of Chapter 14 and the beginning of Chapter 15. These pages are bound into the end of the second volume of Conan Doyle's manuscript for his 1893 novel The Refugees.

 

Provenance:

Private dealer (acquired at an estate sale);  Roy Pilot (purchased from the dealer circa 1985, sold via Potter & Potter 15 February 2024).

 

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Other Rarities in the Sale

It is worth perusing the entire auction catalog, but in addition to the Uncle Bernac manuscript described above, here are short summaries of five especially notable lots (listed in order of their presale estimated price). The details below come from the Potter & Potter catalog and from Green and Gibson's bibliography.

 

Lot 180: The Lost World. London: Henry Frowde [1914] in Original Dust Jacket

The first English trade edition in 1912 was approximately 7.6 x 5 inches. The publishers simultaneously produced 190 copies of a "large paper" version at 9.5 x 6.5 inches. A "second issue" of that large paper edition came out in 1914 with the imprint of "Henry Frowde" at the bottom of the spine. This copy comes in the rare original dust jacket and is said to be the first such copy to appear at auction.

 

Provenance: Robert Hess (offered via Potter & Potter 15 February 2024).

 

Presale Estimate: $15,000 - $18,000

 

Sale Results: The book did not meet its undisclosed reserve price and went unsold.

 

For more details, including a photo of the frontispiece and the title page, see the Potter & Potter online entry for lot 180.

 

 

 

Lot 179: The Lost World. London: Hodder and Stoughton [1912] in Original Dust Jacket

This is the first English trade edition of Conan Doyle's story of dinosaurs and Professor Challenger. It comes in the "exceedingly rare" original dust jacket, which depicts Arthur Conan Doyle disguised as Professor Challenger.

 

Provenance: Swann Galleries, 20 June 2013 (lot 88);  Sotheby's London, 20 October 2016 (lot 41);  Robert Hess (sold via Potter & Potter 15 February 2024).

 

Presale Estimate: $8,000 - $12,000

 

Sale Results: The book sold on 15 February 2024 with a hammer price of $10,000 and a price realized of US$12,000 including the 20% buyer's premium.

 

For more details, including photos of the frontispiece and the title page, see the Potter & Potter online entry for lot 179.

 

 

 

Lot 13: The Lost World (First National, 1925). Lobby Card (11 x 14")

The first film version of this famous dinosaur movie appeared in 1925 and featured stop motion special effects by Willis O'Brien, who would later also use them in the movie King Kong (1933). Lobby cards were produced in sets, and this card is the exceedingly rare title card.

 

Provenance: Roy Pilot (sold via Potter & Potter 15 February 2024).

 

Presale Estimate: $5,000 - $10,000

 

Sale Results: The lobby card sold on 15 February 2024 with a hammer price of $7,000 and a price realized of US$8,400 including the 20% buyer's premium.

 

For more details and a larger photo, see the Potter & Potter online entry for lot 13.

 

 

 

Lot 278: Sidney Paget's (1860–1908) Personal Dressing Gown

Paget's illustrations in the Strand Magazine helped to establish the iconic look of Sherlock Holmes. Paget used his own personal items as models while drawing, and this dressing gown probably served as the inspiration for a number of his illustrations of Holmes wearing a dressing gown. This approximately 5-foot long dressing gown with two patch pockets includes a label with "L. R. Paget" on it, "indicating ownership of Paget's son, Leslie Robert."

 

Provenance: Leslie Robert Paget (from label);  Miss Winifred Paget and the Reverend John R. Paget (children of Sidney Paget, sold by J. R. Paget at Sotheby's London 24 July 1980 (lot 266);  Robert Hess (sold via Potter & Potter 15 February 2024).

 

Presale Estimate: $2,000 - $4,000

 

Sale Results: The dressing gown sold on 15 February 2024 with a hammer price of $3,400 and a price realized of US$4,080 including the 20% buyer's premium.

 

For more details, including photos of the dressing gown's back and the Paget label, see the Potter & Potter online entry for lot 278.

 

 

 

Lot 276: Sidney Paget (1860–1908) Original Drawing ("Tally Ho" at the Hippodrome)

While Paget is best known for his illustrations of the Holmes stories, he also produced drawings for a wide range of authors, magazines, and newspapers. This drawing of a foxhunt is not for a Conan Doyle story but is an association item via Sidney Paget. It is 14 x 10 inches and signed "S. Paget" by the artist in the lower right corner.

 

Provenance: Paget descendant;  Robert Hess (purchased from the Paget descendant in 2011, offered via Potter & Potter 15 February 2024).

 

Presale Estimate: $1,200 - $1,500

 

Sale Results: The drawing did not meet its undisclosed reserve price and went unsold.

 

For more details, including a larger photo and a color print of the drawing, see the Potter & Potter online entry for lot 276.

 

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Potter & Potter Catalog & Sale Information

The Potter & Potter website provides an online catalog and bidding option for their A Study in Sherlock, Part II sale.

 

A printed catalog is available for $35, or you can download a free PDF version of their print catalog. Note that their online catalog has many photos not included in the print/PDF catalog.

 

For direct links to their online listing for lots highlighted on this web page, see the lot detail entries above.

 

Sale Information

A Study in Sherlock, Part II: Including the Collections of Robert Hess and Roy Pilot

Thursday, February 15, 2024; 10:00 AM CST

 

Potter & Potter Auctions

5001 W. Belmont Avenue

Chicago, IL 60641

Phone: +1 773-472-1442

 

The buyer's premium is 20% of the hammer price. Some lots may have a reserve, but reserves never exceed the low estimate.

 

Pre-sale Viewing in Chicago

Tue, 13 Feb: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM CST

Wed, 14 Feb: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM CST

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Acknowledgements and Page History

Photos courtesy of Potter & Potter Auctions.

 

My thanks to Chris Brink at Potter & Potter, and to Peter E. Blau, Bob Hess, and Roy Pilot for their assistance.

 

Details in the Other Rarities section come from the Potter & Potter online catalog and from Green and Gibson's bibliography. Manuscript information is based on information from the online catalog as well as other personal research.

 

The first version of this report appeared on January 16, 2024. It was revised to include the sale results on February 15, 2024.

 

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Related Pages

Checklist of non-Sherlockian Conan Doyle Manuscripts

 

Sidney Paget Original Art

 

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 ©2024  Randall Stock. All Rights Reserved.