The only handwritten draft of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s second Sherlock Holmes novel is to sell for almost £1 million at auction.
The “exceptionally rare” 1889 manuscript of The Sign of Four is estimated to sell for up to $1.2 million (£949,000) as part of an auction held in New York by Sotheby’s during book week in June .
The article was signed twice by the British author and also contains edits to “Americanize” the text before publication in the United States.
It will be offered alongside a collection of letters between Sir Arthur and JM Stoddart, the editor of Lippincott’s monthly magazine in which The Sign of Four first appeared.
The letters chronicle the book’s progression, including details of the title deliberations and the author’s happiness with the printing and illustrations.
The only handwritten draft of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s second Sherlock Holmes novel is to sell for almost £1 million at auction. The “exceptionally rare” 1889 manuscript of The Sign of Four is estimated to sell for up to $1.2 million (£949,000) as part of an auction held in New York by Sotheby’s during book week in June.
The article was signed twice by the British author and also contains edits to “Americanize” the text before publication in the US.
Richard Austin, global head of books and manuscripts at Sotheby’s, said the item is an important historical treasure.
He said: ‘The autograph manuscript of Conan Doyle’s iconic work, “The Sign of Four”, is an exceptionally rare piece of literary history, offering a unique insight into Doyle’s writing process.
“Complemented by a collection of intimate letters exchanged between Doyle and his publisher, JM Stoddart, the set offers a rich body of insight into the preparation of Holmes for an American audience, cementing his legacy in the pantheon of literature’s greats.” .
The Sign of Four sees Sherlock Holmes and his assistant, Dr. Watson, in search of hidden treasure.
They receive a request for help from Miss Mary Morstan, who wants them to locate her missing father and trace the origin of his anonymous gift of pearls.
At the end of the novel, Mary and Dr. Watson are engaged to be married.
The character of Sherlock first appeared in Holmes’ 1887 novel, A Study in Scarlet. Above: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
The manuscript was signed twice by Conan Doyle. Above: the final page with the author’s signature.
The first page of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s second Sherlock Holmes novel, The Sign of Four.
The novel has been adapted for both television and film on several occasions, most recently in the BBC adaptation ‘Sherlock – The Sign of Three’, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman.
The character of Sherlock first appeared in Holmes’ 1887 novel, A Study in Scarlet.
In total, he appeared in four novels and 56 short stories and is now widely considered the world’s most famous fictional detective.
Sotheby’s is selling the manuscript and letters as part of a larger auction of a collection of literary works from Dr. Rodney Swantko’s library.
Swantko, who died in September 2022, was known in literary circles for his extensive collection of more than 40 rare books and manuscripts from the last two centuries.
This included works by Charles Dickens, F. Scott Fitzgerald, and Edgar Allan Poe.
Also included in the auction is Sidney Paget’s original drawing for the illustration The Death of Sherlock Holmes for the story The Final Problem.
Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes. The star played the detective between 1939 and 1946 in 14 films.
Paget’s version of the detective is the basis of his image in today’s media.
Another valuable item to be auctioned is a copy of Allan Poe’s Tamerlane and Other Poems from 1827.
It is considered one of the rarest first editions of American literature, as only 12 copies are known to exist, of which only two remain in private hands.
It is estimated to sell for between $400,000 and $600,000 (£317,000-£475,000).
Also offered are Scott Fitzgerald’s The Great Gatsby, L Frank Baum’s The Wonderful Wizard of Oz, and Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, all first edition presentation copies complete with inscriptions.
The auction will take place in New York from June 11 to 26.