A Study in Sherlock, Part II realizes $217K at Potter & Potter

Doyle's 'The Lost World' with its virtually unobtainable original dust jacket, which sold for $12,000 at Potter & Potter.

CHICAGO — Collectors of Arthur Conan Doyle and anything Sherlock Holmes-related got their second chance to purchase rarities from the combined collections of Robert Hess and Roy Pilot February 15 at Potter & Potter. The 336-lot sale brought the consignors $217,000 in a ringing endorsement of the collection’s quality. Complete results are available at LiveAuctioneers.

Potter & Potter president Gabe Fajuri quipped, “It was all but elementary here on auction day — we saw strong bidding on many unusual and elusive items from the Arthur Conan Doyle cannon, and are looking forward to — perhaps — yet another installment in this series of auctions in 2025.”

The sale’s top lot was Arthur Conan Doyle’s 1896 autograph manuscript of the novel Uncle Bernac. Estimated at $30,000-$40,000, it traded hands at $34,000 ($42,500 with buyer’s premium). The lot included the complete manuscript as published in the original serialization and is also known by its provisional title Boulogne. A Memory of the Empire.

Also on offer was a copy of Doyle’s The Lost World, complete with its virtually unobtainable original dust jacket. Originally published in London by Hodder and Stoughton on October 15th, 1912, this example was the first English trade edition, featuring the iconic image of Arthur Conan Doyle disguised as Professor Challenger on its dust jacket. This exact copy was the only one to ever appear at auction in the past; it was previously sold through Swann Galleries on June 20, 2013 and via Sotheby’s London on October 20, 2016. Estimated at $8,000-$10,000, the book hammered for $10,000 ($12,000 with buyer’s premium).

Demand for Jeremy Brett-related memorabilia continues to be strong. Brett (1933-1995) is best remembered for his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes on British television. Coming directly from his estate was a pair of photo albums featuring Brett as Holmes and in other roles, including 80 behind-the-scenes shots from the TV series. Estimated at just $150-$250, it hammered for $5,500 ($6,600 with buyer’s premium).

In addition, an archive of 40 audio cassettes of Jeremy Brett’s performances, commercials, interviews, and more was estimated at $100-$200 and scored $3,000 ($3,600 with buyer’s premium), Made in England in the 1980s and 1990s, they were primarily 90-minute cassettes with hand-written captions in an unknown hand on inserts.

Arthur Conan Doyle's autograph manuscript of the novel 'Uncle Bernac,' which sold for $42,500 at Potter & Potter.

Arthur Conan Doyle's autograph manuscript of the novel 'Uncle Bernac,' which sold for $42,500 at Potter & Potter.

Doyle's 'The Lost World' with its virtually unobtainable original dust jacket, which sold for $12,000 at Potter & Potter.

Doyle's 'The Lost World' with its virtually unobtainable original dust jacket, which sold for $12,000 at Potter & Potter.

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte

Jim Bunte has worked in editorial, design and the toy and auction industries for more than 30 years. He co-founded Auction Central News in 2007.

Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes return to Potter and Potter with A Study in Sherlock Part II Feb. 15

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CHICAGO — The second wave of Robert Hess’ massive Arthur Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes collection hits the market Thursday, February 15 at Potter and Potter. The first sale in April 2023 was just a sampling of the amazing collection that Hess has amassed since the 1980s. Bidding is now available at LiveAuctioneers.

Arthur Conan Doyle (1859-1930) is best remembered for his series of Sherlock Holmes adventures, but like other working authors of the period, he would accept commissions to write from outside parties. One such work, titled Uncle Bernac, was written by Doyle as part of the Gerard Saga, which appeared in The Queen and Manchester Weekly Times. Written completely by hand and apparently with much consternation (“I am labouring heavily over that wretched little Napoleonic book. It has cost me more than any big book. I never seem to be quite key, but I must slog through it somehow”), it was completed in 1896 in both Egypt and London. The lot is estimated at $30,000-$40,000.

Conan Doyle’s The Lost World, a 1912 adventure about dinosaurs roaming the earth, would become a huge silent film hit worldwide. This first English edition, second issue of the large paper edition of the book comes with an incredibly rare dust jacket featuring a dinosaur footprint, and is noted by Potter and Potter to be the first such copy ever to appear at auction. It has an estimate of $15,000-$18,000.

First National Pictures licensed The Lost World for its 1925 adventure-romance film that is best remembered for the amazing stop-motion animation of Willis O’Brien, who would go on to animate King Kong in 1933. Potter and Potter believes this title lobby card is the only example to remain in existence, and gave it an estimate of $5,000-$10,000.

Sidney Paget (1860-1908) served as illustrator on Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes works. This dressing gown, aka bathrobe, was the inspiration for Paget’s illustrations of Holmes wearing a dressing gown in at least six illustrations (out of a total of 13 illustrations of Holmes in a dressing gown). It is estimated at $2,000-$4,000.

The Sign of Four was a British motion picture released in 1932, just two years after Conan Doyle’s passing. Starring Arthur Wonter as the esteemed detective, the film is an adaptation of Doyle’s second novel, originally released in February of 1880. These two British half-sheet theatrical posters have been professional restored and present very well. Together they carry an estimate of $1,000-$2,000.
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Arthur Conan Doyle autograph manuscript of the novel ‘Uncle Bernac,’ estimated at $30,000-$40,000 at Potter and Potter.
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Arthur Conan Doyle, ‘The Lost World,’ first English edition, second issue of the large paper edition with dust jacket, estimated at $15,000-$18,000 at Potter and Potter.
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First National Pictures title lobby card for the 1925 film ‘The Lost World,’ estimated at $5,000-$10,000 at Potter and Potter.
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Sidney Paget’s personal dressing gown, which served as inspiration for Sherlock Holmes’ gown as illustrated by Paget, estimated at $2,000-$4,000 at Potter and Potter.
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Two Half-Sheets for the 1932 film ‘The Sign of Four,’ estimated at $1,000-$2,000 at Potter and Potter.
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