Sidney Paget's Waistcoat & Lost World in Dust Jacket:
Potter & Potter 2026 Auction

By Randall Stock, August 17, 2026

In September, Potter & Potter will offer the waistcoat Sidney Paget used when illustrating a Sherlock Holmes story, and a first edition of The Lost World in dust jacket.

 

 

Sidney Paget Waistcoat Description

Lot 62: Sidney Paget's Personal Waistcoat

Man's brown wide-ribbed corduroy waistcoat with a brown satin back and an adjustable belt.  Not dated, but from England circa 1890.

 

It has two pockets and a watch pocket on the front of the waistcoat.  Only four of the six buttons match.  The lining carries alternating blue and green pinstripes on a white background, along with two different types of plain white cloth patches.

 

Repairs and wear-marks on the waistcoat suggest considerable use by Sidney Paget.  He drew the waistcoat in an illustration for the first Sherlock Holmes short story.

 

See below for large photos of the waistcoat's front and back.

 

Presale Estimate: US$1,200 - US$1,800

Online bidding opened on August 11 with a starting bid of US$600.

 

For more information about the auction itself and a link to bid, see the auction catalog section below.

 

Topics

 

History & Provenance

Sherlock Holmes rocketed to stardom with his short stories in The Strand Magazine.  Sidney Edward Paget (1860-1908) illustrated those stories and established the classic image of Holmes.

 

Paget depicted a number of his own possessions in drawings for the Holmes stories.  In the very first Holmes short story, the classic "A Scandal in Bohemia" published in July 1891, he drew Holmes in the disguise of "a drunken-looking groom."

 

Paget's 1891 illustration and his waistcoat

 

After Paget's death in 1908, his family retained a collection of Sidney Paget memorabilia for more than 70 years.  His daughter Winifred Paget died in 1979 and his daughter Mollie passed in 1980.  Their brother the Reverend John Rodborough Paget then decided it was time to disperse this material.  He sent 12 lots to auction at Sotheby's in London in July 1980.  A year later, he consigned his father's corduroy waistcoat to Sotheby's London for sale on July 22, 1981.

 

Provenance:

Sidney Paget (died 1908);  Miss Winifred Paget and the Reverend John R. Paget (children of Sidney Paget, sold by J. R. Paget at Sotheby's on July 22, 1981 as part of lot 111);  Ann Byerly Marlowe (from Sotheby's 1981, purchased for her by Sawyer (likely the dealer Charles J. Sawyer) on behalf of Byerly's agent, the George S. MacManus Company, sold in private auction April 2017);  Robert C. Hess (purchased from 2017 auction, offered via Potter & Potter auction September 10, 2026).

 

Topics

 

Sidney Paget Waistcoat Photos

 

Back of Sidney Paget's Waistcoat

 

The waistcoat description (above) has more information. The Potter & Potter website listing for this lot includes a photo of an associated newspaper clipping.

 

Topics

 

Other Conan Doyle Material

This auction has other Conan Doyle material, including the following lot:

 

Lot 11: The Lost World. London: Hodder and Stoughton [1912] in Original Dust Jacket

Bound in blue cloth, this is the first English trade edition of the classic dinosaur story.  Its "exceedingly rare" original dust jacket features Arthur Conan Doyle disguised as Professor Challenger.

 

The professionally restored and reinforced dust jacket has substantial soiling and chipping, along with "1912" in pen on its spine.  This volume carries the bookplate of "J.E. Diamond" on its front free endpaper. Potter & Potter sold the Hess copy in dust jacket in 2024.

 

Presale Estimate: $6,000 - $12,000

Online bidding opened on August 11 with a starting bid of US$3,000.

 

For more information about the auction itself and a link to bid, see the auction catalog section below.

 

Topics

 

Potter & Potter Catalog & Sale Information

Potter & Potter provides an online listing and bidding page for Lot #62: Sidney Paget's Personal Waistcoat. Their website includes photos of waistcoat's front and back along with an image of an associated newspaper clipping.

 

The listing and bidding page for Lot #11: The Lost World in Original Dust Jacket includes photos of the dust jacket and the book's title page.

 

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.

 

Sale Information

Select Rarities: Exceptional Books and Paper Treasures (Public Auction #213)

Thursday, September 10, 2026

Live auction starting at 10 AM CDT

 

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, 8 Sep: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM CDT

Wed, 9 Sep: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM CDT

Topics

 

Acknowledgements and Page History

Photos of Paget's waistcoat and The Lost World dust jacket are courtesy of Potter & Potter.

 

My thanks to Chad Reingold at Potter & Potter, and to Peter E. Blau and Bob Hess for their assistance.

 

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

 

The first version of this report appeared on August 17, 2026. 

 

Topics

 

More Sherlock Holmes Rarities

Sidney Paget Memorabilia

 

Sidney Paget Original Sherlock Holmes Drawings and other Paget artwork

 

See color photos and read about the rare First Edition of The Dying Detective.

 

Conan Doyle manuscripts, including both Sherlock Holmes and non-Holmes material.

 

News and more about other Conan Doyle rarities

 

While not rare, there are also lists of the each year's best Sherlock Holmes books & DVDs, the best Holmes stories, and the most famous Sherlock Holmes quotes.

 

 

 

Vers. 2.2ax-RN Original work
Copyright ©2026  Randall Stock. All Rights Reserved.