Sherlock Holmes &
Conan Doyle Rarities

By Randall Stock

Find news and checklists of rare Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle material, including first editions, drawings, memorabilia, artifacts, and exhibitions.

Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887 cover, The Unique Hamlet, and a Sidney Paget drawing for The Hound of the Baskervilles

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News

Checklists of Rare Material

News Archive

More Best of Sherlock

News About Rare Books, Drawings & More

News & more about Conan Doyle manuscripts

Rarities News Archive

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Checklists of Rare Material

Conan Doyle Manuscripts: census, checklists, news, and facsimiles

Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887 (front cover)

Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887 with A Study in Scarlet: the first Sherlock Holmes publication

Original Sidney Paget Drawing: The Hound of the Baskervilles

Sidney Paget Original Sherlock Holmes Drawings and other Paget artwork

Sidney Paget's magnifying glass (memorabilia)

Sidney Paget Memorabilia

Title page of The Unique Hamlet by Vincent Starrett (1920 Starrett imprint)

The Unique Hamlet by Vincent Starrett: the most valuable Sherlock Holmes pastiche

Cover of the Christie's May 2004 catalogue for the Conan Doyle Collection

A Census of The Conan Doyle Collection sold at Christie's in May 2004

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Rarities News Archive

See the Conan Doyle Manuscripts page for news and the news archive about manuscripts.

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October 2024: Unique Hamlet census updated, including two more copies found

The new owner of Starrett copy VS5 is identified along with two Hill copies at the NYPL.

June 2024: Paget's "Death of Sherlock Holmes" drawing & More at Auction

Sotheby's sold the Sidney Paget drawing and the Sign of Four manuscript for record prices, and offered a Starrett-imprint of The Unique Hamlet (copy VS5).

February 2024: Rare Sidney Paget & Lost World items at Auction

Potter & Potter also sold the manuscript of Uncle Bernac.

February 2023: Minnesota Exhibition of Holmes Manuscripts, Drawings & More

The University of Minnesota hosts "Sherlock Holmes in 221 Objects" from Glen Miranker, with many Holmes manuscripts, five Sidney Paget drawings, "Wisteria Lodge" artwork by Frederic Dorr Steele, and fabulous rare books.

August 2022: Indiana Exhibition of Holmes Manuscripts, Drawings & More

The Lilly Library hosts "Sherlock Holmes in 221 Objects" from Glen Miranker

January 2022: New York Exhibition of Holmes Manuscripts, Drawings & More

The Grolier Club hosts "Sherlock Holmes in 221 Objects" from Glen Miranker

July 2021: Hound of the Baskervilles Drawing at Auction

Quinn's Auction Galleries sold Frederic Dorr Steele's The Slavering Hound

July 2019: Auction of Postcard About the Origins of Sherlock Holmes

Forum Auctions sold a Conan Doyle postcard referring to Dr. Joe Bell & Sherlock Holmes

October 2014: London Exhibition of Holmes Manuscripts, Original Drawings and More

The Museum of London held the largest exhibition of rare Sherlockiana since 1951. It included copies R21 and R23 of Beeton's as well as eight original Paget drawings, Paget's painting of Conan Doyle, Paget artifacts, and a Frederic Dorr Steele drawing.

October 2014: "How Watson Learned the Trick" Miniature Holmes Manuscript

Reproduction of a Holmes parody written by Conan Doyle for Queen Mary

June 2014: "Silver Blaze" Paget Drawing and "Black Peter" Manuscript Sale

Christie's New York sold an iconic Paget drawing and a Holmes manuscript

November 2012: 125 Years of Sherlock with Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887

The Arthur Conan Doyle Collection in Portsmouth, England, exhibited copy R23 of Beeton's (complete in original wrappers).

June 2012: Hound Manuscript & Drawings in San Francisco Exhibit

The Book Club of California exhibit for The Hound includes two manuscript leaves, original drawings by Paget, Steele, and Brock, and many other rarities.

September 2011: Publication of The Narrative of John Smith

The British Library publishes Conan Doyle's lost first novel from manuscript it now holds

May 2011: Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887 at auction

Australian Book Auctions offered copy R32 of Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887, bound & nearly complete.

July 2010: Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887 at auction

Sotheby's offered copy R20 of Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887, bound & inscribed.

May 2009: Harvard Symposium - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle at 150

Harvard's "Ever Westward" exhibition included copy R2 of Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887, a Holmes manuscript, drawings of Holmes by Frederic Dorr Steele, and more.

May 2008: Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887 at auction

Bonhams sold copy R31 of Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887, bound with other material.

June 2007: Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887 at Sotheby's

The sale included copy R22 of Beeton's and "The Three Gables" manuscript.

November 2004: Paget's famous drawing of Holmes and Moriarty at Sotheby's

The sale also included manuscripts of "The Solitary Cyclist" and The Hound.

May 2004: Conan Doyle Collection Sale

Some of Conan Doyle's heirs sold an extensive collection of his letters, manuscripts, and personal effects.

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