The Best of Sherlock Holmes

 

Sidney Paget Original Drawings and Artwork:
A Census and Checklist

by Randall Stock, January 26, 2020

Sidney Paget is famous for his Sherlock Holmes drawings for the stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  This census identifies existing Sidney Paget original artwork and provides a basic description and provenance.

 

This is the most complete Paget census available, yet many drawings remain unrecorded and three Holmes drawings have not been reported for more than 40 years.  Any help in locating them or other original Paget art would be much appreciated.  As always I will keep owner's and source's identity private upon request.  If you know of other drawings or have additional information about the ones listed here, please contact me.

 

Sidney Paget drawing of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson in Silver Blaze

 

Sidney Paget Original Sherlock Holmes Drawings

Sidney Paget created more than 350 drawings for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes stories and established the iconic image of the great detective.  Most of these have been lost or destroyed, and only 30 are known to exist.  This section lists those extant original Sherlock Holmes drawings by Sidney Paget.  He also drew for other Conan Doyle stories and did a painting of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

 

Missing Holmes drawings: see the three Holmes drawings which have not been reported for more than 25 years.

 

Drawings are listed chronologically by publication date and then in the sequence in which they appeared in the text.  For a key to interpreting an entry, see the Census Notes at the bottom of this page.  Please contact me with any additions, corrections or suggestions.  I keep identities private upon request.

 

 

"All afternoon he sat in the stalls"

The Adventure of the Red-Headed League

Original Sidney Paget Drawing: The Red-Headed League #8

Owner: University of Minnesota, Allen Mackler Collection

The Strand Magazine, August 1891, p. 199.

 

Description: Original pen & ink and wash on paper (9 x 6 in. matted), initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower center and captioned in ink at bottom as "No. 8     'all afternoon he sat in the stalls.' "

 

History: J. Bliss Austin (1981 or earlier, died 1988);  Lehigh University Library (bequeathed from Austin, sold at May 1990 auction);   Consortium including Peter L. Stern, a dealer (purchased Austin collection en bloc in 1990 auction);  Offered by Pepper & Stern in November 1990 for $20,000;  Allen Mackler (from Stern, died December 2005);  University of Minnesota (bequeathed from Mackler).

 

Collection Notes:

 

Photos:

 

Notes: Framed for Mackler in Minnesota.  Illustration also used in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, London 1892, p. 46 and New York, facing p. 46.  Photo courtesy of the University of Minnesota.  (Last updated: 5/9/17)


 

"We had the carriage to ourselves"

The Adventure of the Boscombe Valley Mystery

Sidney Paget drawing for The Boscombe Valley Mystery

Owner: Saul Cohen

The Strand Magazine, October 1891, p. 401.

 

Description: Original wash or watercolor (9 x 6 1/4 in. matted), initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower center and captioned in ink at bottom as (in part) "We had the carriage to ourselves."  The mat conceals some additional text to the left of the caption (probably "no. 1") and something below it.

 

History: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (probably, died 1930);  Jean Leckie Conan Doyle (probably, died 1940);  Adrian or Denis Conan Doyle;  Dame Jean Conan Doyle (from her brother, died 1997);  Saul Cohen (bequeathed from Dame Jean).

 

Notes: Cardboard backing from Dame Jean's frame inscribed by her "This is the first appearance of SH in a deerstalker."  That backing was covered over when the drawing was cleaned, re-matted and reframed in 1999.  The new mat has two beveled cutouts, one showing the drawing and the other showing the caption below it.  The drawing height is given from the top of the image mat area to the bottom of the caption mat area.  Illustration also used in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, London 1892, p. 79.  Byerly #1.  (Last updated: 6/4/15)


 

"Taking up a glowing cinder with the tongs"

The Adventure of the Copper Beeches

Sidney Paget drawing for the Copper Beeches

Owner: Jon Lellenberg

The Strand Magazine, June 1892, p. 613.

 

Description: Original pen & ink and wash drawing on card (7 x 10 1/2 in.), initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower left corner and captioned in ink at top as "no. 1     Taking up a glowing cinder with the tongs | 2505" [the "2505" falls directly below "no. 1" with the caption off to the right].

 

History: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (probably, died 1930);  Jean Leckie Conan Doyle (probably, died 1940);  Adrian or Denis Conan Doyle;  Dame Jean Conan Doyle (from her brother, died 1997);  Jon Lellenberg (bequeathed from Dame Jean).

 

Notes: Cardboard backing from Dame Jean's frame inscribed by her in blue ink "From 'The Copper Beeches' " and separately "Jean Conan Doyle" with the latter underlined.  These two pieces of backing board have been transferred along with other material to the reverse of a new two-sided standing frame.  Illustration also used in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, London 1892, p. 290.  Byerly #2.  (Last updated: 6/10/15)


 

"Holmes gave me a sketch of the events"

The Adventure of Silver Blaze

Original Sidney Paget Drawing: Silver Blaze #1

Owner: Private collector

The Strand Magazine, December 1892, p. 646.

 

Description: Original gouache and watercolor drawing, 7 x 10 1/4 inches.  Initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower right corner.  Captioned vertically at the far right side under the mat in ink as "no.1 Holmes – gave me a sketch of the events."  Drawn in grisaille (gray washes) with highlighting in white and pale ochre.

 

History: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (probably, died 1930);  Jean Leckie Conan Doyle (probably, died 1940);  Adrian Conan Doyle (died 1970);  Anna Conan Doyle (offered by Lew David Feldman / The House of El Dieff for the Adrian Conan Doyle Estate in 1971);  Norman S. Nolan, M.D., BSI (probably purchased in July 1974 from the Adrian Conan Doyle Estate via the House of El Dieff, died 1999);  Diane Nolan (held 1999-2014. sold at Christie's 2014);  Private collector (from Christie's 2014).

 

Exhibited:

 

Photos:

 

Notes: For more details and a large photo, see this entry for the "Silver Blaze" drawing on the June 2014 Christie's auction page.  Loaned by Adrian Conan Doyle for the 1951 Holmes Exhibition in London (item #20).  Illustration also used in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 3.  Byerly #3.  (Last updated: 6/9/15)


 

"I fell into a brown study"

The Adventure of the Cardboard Box

Original Sidney Paget Drawing: The Cardboard Box #1

Owner: Toronto Public Library

The Strand Magazine, January 1893, p. 61.

 

Description: Original pen & ink and wash drawing (7 x 10 1/4 inches matted), initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower right corner and captioned in ink in the upper left hand corner as "no. 1   I fell into a brown study."

 

History: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (probably, died 1930);  Jean Leckie Conan Doyle (probably, died 1940);  Adrian Conan Doyle (died 1970);  Anna Conan Doyle (offered by Lew David Feldman / The House of El Dieff for the Adrian Conan Doyle Estate in 1971, 1974, 1975);  Toronto Public Library (purchased 3 November 1980 from the House of El Dieff).

 

Collection Notes:

 

Photos:

  • Shown above
  • Large photo from Adventures with Sherlock Holmes 2013 online exhibition

 

Notes: Illustration also used in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 168 for the story "The Resident Patient."  Conan Doyle omitted "The Cardboard Box" from The Memoirs, but transferred much of that story's opening to "The Resident Patient" in the book edition.  Photo courtesy of the Toronto Public Library.  Byerly #4.  (Last updated: 6/6/15)


 

"He held it up"

The Adventure of the Yellow Face

Sidney Paget drawing for the Yellow Face

Owner: Not known

The Strand Magazine, February 1893, p. 163.

 

Description: Original pen & ink and wash (7 x 9 in.).  Reportedly captioned as "He held it up" and probably initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower center.

 

History: Offered by the House of El Dieff (Lew David Feldman) in 1975.  Previously owned by the Adrian Conan Doyle Estate.

 

Notes: Please contact me if you know the location of this drawing (see larger image of this "missing" Paget).  Description based only on published reports.  Also reproduced in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 34.  Byerly #5.  (Last updated: 6/12/12)


 

" 'Nothing could be better,' said Holmes"

The Adventure of the Stockbroker's Clerk

Original Sidney Paget Drawing: The Stockbroker's Clerk #1

Owner: Private Collector

The Strand Magazine, March 1893, p. 281.

 

Description: Original wash drawing (7 x 10 inches matted).  No caption visible inside mat, but initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower right corner.

 

History: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (probably, died 1930);  Jean Leckie Conan Doyle (probably, died 1940);  Adrian Conan Doyle (died 1970);  Anna Conan Doyle (offered by Lew David Feldman / The House of El Dieff for the Adrian Conan Doyle Estate in 1971);  Marvin P. Epstein (purchased in early 1974 from the Estate of Adrian Conan Doyle via the House of El Dieff; died March 1988);  Offered by Pepper & Stern as part of the Epstein collection in 1985;  Peter Lemiski (1997 or earlier);  Philip Hawley, sold to current owner 5 August 2007.

 

Exhibited:

 

Photos:

 

Notes: This drawing shows Holmes visiting in Watson's quarters after Watson was married.  Illustration also used in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 55.  Photo courtesy of the owner.  Byerly #6.  (Last updated: 4/12/15)


 

"A curious collection"

The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual

Sidney Paget drawing for the Musgrave Ritual

Owner: Otto Penzler

The Strand Magazine, May 1893, p. 480.

 

Description: Original wash on pasteboard (12 x 14 in.), initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower right corner.  The mat probably conceals the caption "A Curious Collection."

 

History: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (probably, died 1930);  Jean Leckie Conan Doyle (probably, died 1940);  Adrian Conan Doyle (died 1970);  Anna Conan Doyle (offered by Lew David Feldman / The House of El Dieff for the Adrian Conan Doyle Estate in 1971);  Otto Penzler (purchased in 1975 from the House of El Dieff).

 

Notes: Framed for the House of El Dieff.  Illustration also used in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 101.  Byerly #7.  (Last updated: 6/14/15)


 

"I'll fill a vacant peg, then"

The Adventure of the Crooked Man

Sidney Paget drawing for the Crooked Man

Owner: Not known

The Strand Magazine, July 1893, p. 22.

 

Description: Original pen & ink and wash (10 1/2 x TBD inches), initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower left corner.  Probably has the words "Crooked Man" written in the upper right corner and reportedly captioned as "Thank you! I'll fill the vacant peg then."

 

History: Offered by the House of El Dieff (Lew David Feldman) in 1975.  Previously owned by the Adrian Conan Doyle Estate.

 

Notes: Please contact me if you know the location of this drawing (see larger image of this "missing" Paget).  Description based on published reports.  Also reproduced in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 146.  Byerly #8.  (Last updated: 6/12/12)


 

"What do you make of that?"

The Adventure of the Crooked Man

Sidney Paget drawing for the Crooked Man

Owner: Andrew Peck

The Strand Magazine, July 1893, p. 26.

 

Description: Original wash drawing (7 x 9 3/4 in. matted), initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower right corner and captioned in pencil at top as "No. 3     Carefully unfolded it upon his knee."

 

History: Lew David Feldman / The House of El Dieff (dealer);  Marvin Epstein (purchased from Feldman, sold in 1986);  Private collector (from Epstein in 1986, sold to Andrew Peck);  Andrew Peck.

 

Notes: Illustration also used in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 154.  (Last updated: 6/27/15)


 

Original Sidney Paget Drawing: The Resident Patient #6

Owner: Jerry Margolin

The Strand Magazine, August 1893, p. 136.

 

Description: Original pen & ink and wash on paper on board (10 x 7 in.), initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower right corner and captioned in ink at bottom as "No. 6     Holmes opened it & smelled the single | cigar which it contained."

 

History: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (probably, died 1930);  Jean Leckie Conan Doyle (probably, died 1940);  Adrian Conan Doyle (died 1970);  Anna Conan Doyle (offered by Lew David Feldman / The House of El Dieff for the Adrian Conan Doyle Estate in 1971, 1974, 1975);  Peter L. Stern, dealer (from House of El Dieff, owned in 1983);  Private collector in Canada (from Stern);  Jerry Margolin (from the Canadian collector in 1987 via Stern).

 

Photos:

 

Notes: Illustration also used in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 186.  Photo courtesy of the owner.  Byerly #9.  (Last updated: 6/7/15)


 

"Holmes examined it critically"

The Adventure of the Naval Treaty (Part II.)

Sidney Paget drawing for the Naval Treaty

Owner: Not known

The Strand Magazine, November 1893, p. 462.

 

Description: Original pen & ink and wash (9 1/2 x 7 in.).  Reportedly captioned "Holmes examined it critically," and probably initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower center.

 

History: Offered by the House of El Dieff (Lew David Feldman) in 1975.  Previously owned by the Adrian Conan Doyle Estate.

 

Notes: Please contact me if you know the location of this drawing (see larger image of this "missing" Paget).  Description based only on published reports.  Also reproduced in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 244.  Byerly #10.  (Last updated: 6/12/12)


 

"Is there any other point which I can make clear?"

The Adventure of the Naval Treaty (Part II.)

Original Sidney Paget Drawing: The Naval Treaty #15

Owner: The University of Texas at Austin

The Strand Magazine, November 1893, p. 468.

 

Description: Original ink and wash with white highlights on board (7 1/4 x 10 1/2 inches), initialed "SP" by the artist and inscribed in ink on mat "Hesketh Prichard from his friend Arthur Conan Doyle."

 

History: Arthur Conan Doyle (from inscription);  Hesketh Prichard (from inscription);  The House of El Dieff / Lew David Feldman (dealer, from Sotheby's in April 1959);  Harry Ransom Center (probably from Feldman by early 1960s).

 

Collection Notes:

 

Photos:

 

Notes: Illustration also used in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 255.  Photo courtesy of the Harry Ransom Center.  (Last updated: 6/10/15)


 

"The death of Sherlock Holmes"

The Adventure of the Final Problem

Sidney Paget frontispiece for the Final Problem

Owner: Private collector in Illinois

The Strand Magazine, December 1893, p. 558 (frontispiece).

 

Description: Original pen & ink and wash drawing (10 1/2 x 6 3/4 in.), signed "Sidney Paget | 1893" by the artist in the lower left corner.  The drawing consists of two sections, with the lower piece being 3 3/8 inches high.

 

History: Sold at auction by Maurice F. Neville in 2004.  Previously owned by Sotheby Parke Bernet in 1983, and offered by the House of El Dieff (Lew David Feldman) for the Adrian Conan Doyle Estate in 1971.

 

Notes: Shown at the 2011 Newberry Library Conan Doyle - Holmes Symposium.  Loaned by Adrian Conan Doyle for the 1951 Sherlock Holmes Exhibition in London (item #26).  Also reproduced as the frontispiece to The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893] and New York 1894 (which is used for the image here).  Byerly #11.  (Last updated: 10/1/11)


 

"He turned his rounded back upon me"

The Adventure of the Final Problem

Sidney Paget drawing for the Final Problem

Owner: Charles M. Collins

The Strand Magazine, December 1893, p. 563.

 

Description: Original pen & ink and wash (9 x 6 1/2 inches matted).  It is initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower center portion.  There is no handwritten caption visible in the drawing's display area, but a typewritten caption has been added beneath the drawing in a cut-out portion of the mat.

 

History: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (probably, died 1930);  Jean Leckie Conan Doyle (probably, died 1940);  Adrian Conan Doyle (died 1970);  Anna Conan Doyle (offered by Lew David Feldman / The House of El Dieff for the Adrian Conan Doyle Estate in 1971);  Chris Steinbrunner (purchased from Feldman circa 1974-1976, died in July 1993);  Charles M. Collins (bequeathed by Steinbrunner 1993).

 

Notes: Held in a gold frame (16 x 12 inches) with a red mat as received by the current owner.  Loaned by Adrian Conan Doyle for the 1951 Sherlock Holmes Exhibition in London (item #29).  Illustration also used in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 264.  Byerly #12.  (Last updated: 6/24/15)


 

"My decrepit Italian friend"

The Adventure of the Final Problem

Original Sidney Paget Drawing: The Final Problem #5

Owner: Private Collector

The Strand Magazine, December 1893, p. 565.

 

Description: Original pen, ink and wash (8 3/4 x 7 inches matted).  No caption visible inside mat, but initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower center.

 

History: Part of the Florence and Edward Kaye collection offered for sale by the House of El Dieff (Lew David Feldman) circa 1974, and probably sold separately by 1978;  Philip Hawley, sold to current owner 5 August 2007

 

Exhibited:

 

Photos:

 

Notes: This drawing shows Holmes disguised as an Italian priest.  Illustration also used in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 267 and New York (revised) 1894, p. 250.  Photo courtesy of the owner.  Byerly #13.  (Last updated: 4/12/15)


 

"I saw Holmes gazing down at the rush of the waters"

The Adventure of the Final Problem

Original Sidney Paget Drawing: The Final Problem #8

Owner: Ms. Willy Werby

The Strand Magazine, December 1893, p. 568.

 

Description: Original pen & ink and wash (10 1/2 x 7 in.), initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower right-center and captioned in ink at bottom left as "No. 7 | Gazing down | at the rush of | the waters."

 

History: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (probably, died 1930);  Jean Leckie Conan Doyle (probably, died 1940);  Adrian Conan Doyle (died 1970);  Anna Conan Doyle (offered by Lew David Feldman / The House of El Dieff for the Adrian Conan Doyle Estate in 1971, 1974, 1975);  John Howell Books of San Francisco (dealer, from the House of El Dieff);  Ms. Willy Werby (from John Howell Books in 1980).

 

Exhibited:

  • Culinary Institute of America (Hyde Park, NY) 1991

 

Photos:

  • Shown above

 

Notes: Re-matted and re-framed for the owner.  Illustration also used in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 275.  Photo courtesy of the owner.  Byerly #14.  (Last updated: 6/23/15)


 

"There he sat upon a stone"

The Hound of the Baskervilles (Chapter XII)

Sidney Paget drawing for The Hound of the Baskervilles

Owner: Private Collector

The Strand Magazine, February 1902, p. 124.

 

Description: Original wash and pencil on board (dimensions unknown).  No details available on caption, but probably initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower right corner.

 

History: Owned by the Paget family in 1983.  Purchased by the current owner many years ago.

 

Notes: This scene is described in the matching leaf from the Hound of the Baskervilles manuscript (H27).  Description based only on published reports.  Illustration also used in The Hound of the Baskervilles, London 1902, p. 260.  Byerly #15.  (Last updated: 4/30/19)


 

"The Hound of the Baskervilles"

The Hound of the Baskervilles (Chapter XIII)

Original Sidney Paget Drawing: Hound of the Baskervilles Ch13 #1

Owner: Occidental College (Los Angeles, California)

The Strand Magazine, March 1902, p. 242 (frontispiece).

 

Description: Original drawing (9 1/2 x 7 in), signed "S. PAGET" in the lower left corner and captioned by the artist in pencil as "a hound it was, an enormous hound | [illegible] Baskerville."  To the right of the caption appears "P.T." (possibly for Please Turn Over with the "O" hidden by the mat).  There is also an arrow pointing from right to left, and the text "Frontes."  On the back of the drawing the artist wrote "To engraver | Keep background of fog as | flat as possible | S.P."  Above this note are the letters "Mar" and in the upper right corner in a box is written in a different hand "By Sidney Paget | Illustration [symbol that looks like an incomplete "#"] | "The Hound of | the Baskervilles | by Conan Doyle."  There are also various numbers on the back, and in a different color "5620Levisrp, 20 engraver."

 

History: E. T. Guymon, Jr. sent the original drawing to Occidental in 1964 along with a donation of 529 items consisting of Conan Doyle material and Sherlockiana.  The official donation of the painting is recorded as 1974.  This set is part of the larger Guymon Mystery & Detective Fiction Collection of 16,000 volumes.

 

Collection Notes:

 

Photos:

 

Notes: Framed with a clear glass backing in order to see Paget's instructions on the back of the drawing.  Illustration also used in The Hound of the Baskervilles, London 1902, p. 310 (illustrating the text for p. 321).  Photo courtesy of Occidental College.  (Last updated: 6/9/15)


 

"'Phosphorus!' I said"

The Hound of the Baskervilles (Chapter XIV)

Original Sidney Paget Drawing: Hound of the Baskervilles Ch14 #4

Owner: Private Collector

The Strand Magazine, April 1902, p. 364.

 

Description: Original wash and pencil on board (10 x 7 1/2 inches matted).  No caption visible inside mat, but initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower right corner.

 

History: Sidney Paget;  Miss Winifred Paget and the Reverend John R. Paget (children of Sidney Paget, sold by J. R. Paget at Sotheby's in 1980);  Bernard Quaritch (dealer, purchased at Sotheby's in 1980 for the dealer John Howell of San Francisco);  Philip Hawley (sold to current owner 5 August 2007);  Private Collector.

 

Exhibited:

 

Photos:

  • Shown above

 

Notes: Loaned by Winifred Paget for the 1951 Holmes Exhibition in London (item #33).  Photo courtesy of the owner.  Byerly #16.  (Last updated: 8/12/15)


 

"A Retrospection"

The Hound of the Baskervilles (Chapter XV)

Original Sidney Paget Drawing: Hound of the Baskervilles Ch15 #1

Owner: Private collector

The Strand Magazine, April 1902, p. 368.

 

Description: Original watercolor (approx. 9  x 7 1/8 inches visible area), initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower right corner and captioned at top as "A Retrospection."  Two now-illegible words appear above the caption and have been heavily crossed out, and the caption itself has a line through it.

 

History: Purchased by the current owner in 1990 from Douglas Wilmer.  The son of the Assistant Art Editor of The Strand Magazine gave it to Wilmer to commemorate his portrayal of Sherlock Holmes in the BBC television series.

 

Photos:

 

Notes: Unlike other Holmes illustrations, the caption is based on a chapter title rather than text from a story.  Photo courtesy of the owner.  (Last updated: 6/7/15)


 

"A wild-eyed and frantic young man burst into the room"

The Adventure of the Norwood Builder

Original Sidney Paget Drawing: The Norwood Builder #2

Owner: Private collection of Dr. Constantine Rossakis

The Strand Magazine, November 1903, p. 484

 

Description: Original drawing in grisaille in gouache washes over pencil, highlighted in white (14 x 10 1/2 inches matted), initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower right portion and captioned in pencil at bottom as "Norwood builder 1 ['1' is circled] | burst into the room."

 

History: Edgar W. Smith (1948 or earlier, died 1960);  Unidentified gentleman (from Lew David Feldman / the House of El Dieff in 1974, sold at Christie's NY in 1999);  Jerry Wachs (from Christie's NY in 1999, sold to a dealer in 2002);  Dr. Constantine Rossakis (purchased in 2002).

 

Exhibited:

 

Photos:

 

Notes: A desperate client interrupts Holmes and Watson at their breakfast able in 221B.  Drawing details based only on published reports.  Photo courtesy of the owner.  (Last updated: 5/12/17)


 

"Look at that with your magnifying glass, Mr. Holmes"

The Adventure of the Norwood Builder

Original Sidney Paget Drawing: The Norwood Builder #6

Owner: The University of Texas at Austin

The Strand Magazine, November 1903, p. 492.

 

Description: Original ink and wash with white highlights on board (10 1/2 x 7 1/2 inches), initialed "SP" by the artist and inscribed in ink on mat "Hesketh Prichard from his friend Arthur Conan Doyle."

 

History: Arthur Conan Doyle (from inscription);  Hesketh Prichard (from inscription);  The House of El Dieff / Lew David Feldman (dealer, from Sotheby's in April 1959);  Harry Ransom Center (probably from Feldman by early 1960s).

 

Collection Notes:

 

Photos:

 

Notes: Illustration also used in The Return of Sherlock Holmes, London 1905, opposite p. 53.  Photo courtesy of the Harry Ransom Center.  (Last updated: 6/10/15)


 

Original Sidney Paget Drawing: The Priory School #1

Owner: Private Collector

The Strand Magazine, February 1904, p. 122 (frontispiece).

 

Description: Original wash drawing (9 1/2 x 6 3/4 inches matted).  No caption visible inside mat, but initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower right corner.

 

History: Not known.

 

Exhibited:

 

Photos:

  • Shown above

 

Notes: Photo courtesy of the owner.  (Last updated: 6/6/15)


 

"With his neck craned, he looked into the room"

The Adventure of the Three Students

Original Sidney Paget Drawing: The Three Students #3

Owner: Private collection of Dr. Constantine Rossakis

The Strand Magazine, June 1904, p. 606.

 

Description: Original wash and pencil (11 1/4 x 7 3/4 inches) in card mount.  Initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower left portion, with "Three students (2) | 'with his neck craned' " written in pencil script at the right base of the drawing.

 

History: Sidney Paget;  Miss Winifred Paget and the Reverend John R. Paget (children of Sidney Paget, sold by J. R. Paget at Sotheby's in 1980);  Maurice F. Neville (from Sotheby's in 1980);  Offered by Pepper & Stern in 1993 (dealers);  Peter Lemiski (1997 or earlier);  Dr. Constantine Rossakis (purchased in May 2005 via Peter L. Stern as agent).

 

Exhibited:

 

Photos:

 

Notes: Loaned by Winifred Paget for the 1951 Holmes Exhibition in London (item #38).  Photo courtesy of the owner.  Byerly #17.  (Last updated: 5/12/17)


 

"He never looked up until Holmes's hand was on his shoulder"

The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter

Original Sidney Paget Drawing: The Missing Three-Quarter #7

Owner: Private Collector

The Strand Magazine, August 1904, p. 135.

 

Description: Original wash drawing (10 x 9 inches).  No details available on a caption, but initialed "SP" by the artist at lower left.

 

History: Peter Lemiski (1997 or earlier), sold to current owner 20 November 2001.

 

Exhibited:

 

Photos:

 

Notes: The owner describes this drawing as "more painterly than most of his [Paget's] illustrations."  Photo courtesy of the owner.  (Last updated: 4/12/15)


 

"It hinged back like the lid of a box"

The Adventure of the Second Stain

Original Sidney Paget Drawing: The Second Stain #1 (frontispiece)

Owner: Private Collector

The Strand Magazine, December 1904, p. 602 (frontispiece).

 

Description: Original wash and pencil on board (10 1/2 x 7 3/4 inches, 14 x 10 1/2 board).  No caption, but signed "SIDNEY PAGET | 1904" in block letters by the artist in the lower right corner.  Marginal notes of "454 Wh (?) | to Match other || /  SP  S.S.         Tresby (?)" and "3 3/8 dE?".

 

History: Sidney Paget;  Miss Winifred Paget and the Reverend John R. Paget (children of Sidney Paget, sold by J. R. Paget at Sotheby's in 1980);  Bernard Quaritch (dealer, purchased at Sotheby's in 1980 for the dealer John Howell of San Francisco);  Philip Hawley (sold to current owner 5 August 2007);  Private Collector.

 

Exhibited:

 

Photos:

 

Notes: Loaned by Winifred Paget for the 1951 Holmes Exhibition in London (item #39), and for the 1954 National Crime Book Week exhibition (see SHJ Dec. 1954 pp. 21, 24).  Illustration also used in The Return of Sherlock Holmes, London 1905, facing p. 392.  Photo courtesy of the owner.  Byerly #18.  (Last updated: 8/26/15)


 

Original Sidney Paget Drawing: Portrait of Holmes (A)

Owner: Private Collector

Not published with any story.  The Cornhill Magazine, No. 987 (Summer 1951), p. 253. 

 

Description: Original ink and wash drawing, heightened with white (6 x 8 in.), not signed or captioned.  With numerous notes on the back, including the address of "Mrs S Paget, The Hawthorns, Church End, Finchley, London."

 

History: Sidney Paget;  Miss Winifred Paget and the Reverend John R. Paget (children of Sidney Paget, sold by J. R. Paget at Sotheby's in 1980);  Private Collector (purchased at Sotheby's in 1980 via the dealers Bernard Quaritch of London and John Howell of San Francisco);  Offered by Biblioctopus (Mark Hime) in 2010.

 

Exhibited:

 

Photos:

  • Shown above

 

Notes: One of three known Paget portraits of Holmes that were not published with a Holmes story, this drawing was reportedly torn in half by the artist and the top portion recovered by his wife from a waste-paper basket.  Loaned by Winifred Paget for the 1951 Holmes Exhibition in London (item #40).  Photo courtesy of Sidney Paget's granddaughter.  Byerly #19.  (Last updated: 6/30/17)


 

Original Sidney Paget Drawing: Portrait of Holmes (B)

Owner: Private collection of Dr. Constantine Rossakis

Not published with any story.  [see note regarding reproduction]

 

Description: Original ink and wash drawing, heightened with white (10 x 7 inches), not captioned but signed "SIDNEY PAGET | 1904" in block letters by the artist in the lower right corner.

 

History: Norman L. Rosenbaum (sold at Sotheby's December 1998 to Williams);  Nigel Williams (dealer, as agent for American dealer Peter L. Stern, acting for Rossakis);  Dr. Constantine Rossakis (from Sotheby's December 1998).

 

Exhibited:

 

Photos:

 

Notes: Description based only on published reports.  One of three known Holmes portraits by Paget that were not published with a Holmes story.  The drawing appears as the frontispiece to all three volumes of The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes, and that might be the first reproduction outside of a dealer or auction catalog.  Photo courtesy of the owner.  (Last updated: 5/12/17)


 

Original Sidney Paget Drawing: Portrait of Holmes (C)

Owner: City of Portsmouth, England

Not published with any Holmes story.  Dictionary of Literary Biography, v. 70 (1988), p. 118.

 

Description: Original wash and pencil drawing, probably on composition paper mounted on board (6 1/4 x 9 1/4 inches), signed "Sidney Paget | Dec 1904" in the lower right quadrant.  Mounted, framed, and glazed.

 

History: Sidney Paget;  Widow of the Paget family gardener;  George Locke (from Sotheby King & Chasemore in Pulborough, West Sussex on 24 September 1980 for £800, sold to Stern);  Peter L. Stern (dealer, from Locke, sold to Mark Hime / Biblioctopus);  offered by Biblioctopus (Mark Hime) in 1983 for $7,500;  Richard Lancelyn Green (acquired in or after 1983, held to death in March 2004);  City of Portsmouth (bequeathed by Lancelyn Green).

 

Collection Notes:

 

Photos:

 

Notes: One of three known Holmes portraits by Paget that were not published with a Holmes story (see above).  Hime first reproduced this drawing in his 1983 catalog, and this was reprinted in the Dictionary of Literary Biography: British Mystery Writers, 1860-1919.  Hime's 1983 catalog describes the drawing as framed in oak, with velvet matting and an engraved plate. That seems to match its appearance when owned by Green, with the plate identifying the drawing as "Sidney Paget | Portrait of Sherlock Holmes | 1904."  Photo courtesy of Portsmouth.  Byerly #20.  (Last updated: 6/19/15)


 

 

Original Paget Drawings for Other Conan Doyle Stories

While Paget is best-known for his Holmes drawings, he also created illustrations for a number of other stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  Some of these stories included Rodney Stone, The Tragedy of the Korosko, "The Crime of the Brigadier," "The Croxley Master," and Round the Fire Stories such as "The Japanned Box," "Playing with Fire," "The Jew's Breastplate," "The Club-Footed Grocer," "The Brazilian Cat," "The Usher of Lea House School," "The Brown Hand," and "B.24."

 

Drawings are listed chronologically by publication date and then in the sequence in which they appeared in the text.  Unless noted, images are from the first publication and NOT the original drawing.  For a key to interpreting an entry, see the Census Notes at the bottom of this page.  Please contact me with any additions, corrections or suggestions.  I keep identities private upon request.

 

" 'Isn't it a sacrilege?' said the Oxford Man"

The Tragedy of the Korosko (Chapter II.)

Original Sidney Paget Drawing: The Tragedy of the Korosko Ch2 #9

Owner: Nicholas Utechin

The Strand Magazine, May 1897, p. 495.

 

Description: Original pen & ink and wash heightened with white (10 1/2 x 7 1/8 inches).  Initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower right corner, with no caption or marginalia on front.  Upper left corner blank with ink border on two edges to accommodate Strand Magazine text block.  Pencil notes on back suggest it was mounted for Conan Doyle while he lived at Undershaw (1897-1907), and include possible inventory or accession numbers as "199 – 57 | 76 – 87 – 984."

 

History: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (probably, died 1930);  Jean Leckie Conan Doyle (probably, died 1940);  Adrian Conan Doyle (died 1970);  Anna Conan Doyle (offered by Lew David Feldman / The House of El Dieff for the Adrian Conan Doyle Estate in 1971, 1974, 1975);  Marc Davidson (probably purchased in 1980s, sold via Burchard Galleries auction 9/20/15);  Nicholas Utechin (from Burchard Galleries 2015).

 

Notes: Not in the 1898 London or Philadelphia first editions.  Frame from Davidson with label of Southern Paint & Supply Co. of Daytona Beach, FL.  Reframed with new mount for Utechin by Oxford Framing Gallery, U.K., in October 2015.  Photo courtesy of the owner.  (Last updated: 10/18/15)


 

"They all looked at the long string of red-turbaned riders"

The Tragedy of the Korosko (Chapter II.)

Sidney Paget drawing for The Tragedy of the Korosko

Owner: The Newberry Library (Chicago, Illinois)

The Strand Magazine, May 1897, p. 497.

 

Description: Original pen & ink and wash (10 x 7 inches) on paper attached to a thin piece of grey cardboard.  No details available on any caption, but signed by the artist as "S. PAGET."  The verso shows minor pencil notations and a note in black ink as "From 'The Tragedy of the Korosko' by Sir Arthur Conan | Doyle. | Original drawing by Sidney Paget," but this is probably not Conan Doyle's handwriting.

 

History: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle (probably, died 1930);  Jean Leckie Conan Doyle (probably, died 1940);  Adrian Conan Doyle (died 1970);  Anna Conan Doyle (offered by Lew David Feldman / The House of El Dieff for the Adrian Conan Doyle Estate in 1971, 1974);  Dr. Fred Kittle (donated circa 2002 to The Newberry Library);  The Newberry Library (from Dr. Kittle circa 2002).

 

Collection Notes:

 

Notes: Reported as glazed and in a black frame in 2008, but not framed nor matted in 2015.  Also reproduced as the frontispiece to A Desert Drama: Being The Tragedy of the Korosko, Philadelphia 1898, and in The Tragedy of the Korosko, London 1898, p. 74.  (Last updated: 10/19/15)


 

"At every cut I heard shouts behind me"

The Crime of the Brigadier

Sidney Paget drawing for The Crime of the Brigadier

Owner: City of Portsmouth, England

The Strand Magazine, January 1900, p. 49.

 

Description: Original wash and pencil drawing, signed "S. PAGET" in the bottom center and with a hand-written title of "The Crime of the Brigadier 'I caught him fair' '' on the mount.

 

History: Bequeathed to Portsmouth by Richard Lancelyn Green, who died in March 2004.

 

Collection Notes:

 

Notes: This drawing is for a Brigadier Gerard story collected in both The Green Flag, London 1900 and in The Adventures of Gerard, London 1903 (as "How the Brigadier Slew the Fox"), and neither book reproduces the drawing.  (Last updated: 6/19/15)


 

 

Other Original Sidney Paget Illustrations

Paget was a prolific illustrator, and his work appeared in many periodicals, including The Strand Magazine, the Sphere, the Graphic, the Illustrated London News, and the Pall Mall Magazine as well as for many of Cassell's publications.

 

Drawings are listed chronologically by publication date and then in the sequence in which they appeared in the text.  Unless noted, images are from the first publication and NOT the original drawing.  For a key to interpreting an entry, see the Census Notes at the bottom of this page.  Please contact me with any additions, corrections or suggestions.  I keep identities private upon request.

 

[Terence calming lead horse of a team of four]

Terence (Chapter TBD)

Sidney Paget drawing for Terence

Owner: Bruce Parker

[Serial reproduction not yet identified], Terence by Bithia Mary Croker.

 

Description: Original wash drawing (10 1/4 x 9 1/2 inches).  No caption on drawing, but printer's or engraver's notes in margin and signed  "S. PAGET" by the artist in the lower left corner.

 

History: Ted Schulz (purchased from John Howell Books, died 2013, bequeathed to Parker);  Bruce Parker (2013 bequest of Ted Schulz).

 

NotesTerence probably appeared serially in 1898 or 1899.  Published caption (if any) unknown; image description from Ted Schulz.  Not in the London 1899 book edition.  Photo courtesy of Ted Schulz.  (Last updated: 5/26/15)


 

[A runaway carriage with a team of four horses]

Terence (Chapter TBD)

Sidney Paget drawing probably for Terence

Owner: Granddaughter of Sidney Paget

[Serial reproduction not yet identified], story not yet identified but probably Terence by Bithia Mary Croker.

 

Description: Original wash drawing.  No details available on caption, but probably signed  "S. PAGET" by the artist in the lower right quadrant.

 

History: Owned by Sidney Paget and his descendants.

 

Notes: Matted and held in a simple wooden frame with glass front.  The subjects match the drawing above and this one was probably also done for Terence.  Photo courtesy of the owner.  (Last updated: 7/5/12)


 

[A servant holding the door for two women, one holding a candle]

Sidney Paget drawing, possibly for Terence

Owner: Granddaughter of Sidney Paget

[Serial reproduction not yet identified], story not yet identified but possibly Terence by Bithia Mary Croker.

 

Description: Original wash drawing.  No details available on caption.

 

History: Owned by Sidney Paget and his descendants.

 

Notes: Matted and held in a simple wooden frame with glass front.  Photo courtesy of the owner.  (Last updated: 7/5/12)


 

"Ye might have heard tell of the Desmonds?"

Terence (Chapter XV.)

Sidney Paget drawing for Terence

Owner: Private collector

[Serial reproduction not yet identified], Terence by Bithia Mary Croker.

 

Description: Original wash drawing (10 1/4 x 9 1/2 in.), signed  "S. PAGET" by the artist in the lower right corner  and captioned as "Chapter XV 'Ye might have heard tell of the Desmonds?' " with other printer's notes in the margin.

 

History: Ted Schulz (purchased from John Howell Books, died 2013, bequeathed to current owner);  Private collector (2013 bequest of Ted Schulz).

 

Notes:  Probably appeared serially in 1898 or 1899.  Bold caption from writing on drawing; published caption TBD.  Not in the London 1899 book edition.  Photo courtesy of Ted Schulz.  (Last updated: 5/26/15)


 

"She stood with her back to the door"

Terence (Chapter XXVIII.)

Sidney Paget drawing for Terence

Owner: Not known

[Serial reproduction not yet identified], Terence by Bithia Mary Croker.

 

Description: Original wash drawing (11 3/4 x 9 1/2 in.).  No details available on caption, but probably signed  "S. PAGET" by the artist in the lower left portion.

 

History: Sold at auction in 1987 by John Michael Gibson.

 

Notes: Please contact me if you know the location of this drawing.  Description based only on published reports [not seen].  Probably appeared serially in 1898 or 1899.  Bold caption from book edition.  Reproduced in Terence, London 1899, p. 288.  This image is from the 1900 second edition.  (Last updated: 6/12/12)


 

"The Kaiser and the Little English Boy—A Reminiscence of Cowes."

Sidney Paget drawing for The King Salutes Young England

Owner: Descendant of Sidney Paget

The Sphere, 2 March 1901.

 

Description: Original ink and wash drawing (10 1/2 x 16 inches matted).  No caption visible inside mat, but signed "S PAGET" by the artist in the lower right corner.

 

History: Owned by Sidney Paget and his descendants.

 

Notes: Previously framed with a placard entitled "The King Salutes Young England | An Incident at Cowes, Feb'y 1st, 1901."  Illustrating an event witnessed by Paget the day before the Queen's funeral that involved the King of England and the Kaiser.  (Last updated: 8/30/15)


 

[A bobby with a lantern finding a body sprawled across stairs]

TBD: The Red Triangle
(The Affair of Samuel's Diamonds)

Likely Sidney Paget drawing for The Affair of Samuel's Diamonds

Owner: Not Known

Probably in The [Harmsworth] London Magazine, November 1902, p. [before 337?], The Red Triangle (The Affair of Samuel's Diamonds) by Arthur Morrison.

 

Description: Wash drawing (approximately 14 x 10 inches) of a police constable with a lantern finding a body sprawled across stairs.  Signed "SP" by the artist and captioned "The Red Triangle."

 

History: Offered by Peter L. Stern in 1989 and probably sold in the mid-1990s.

 

Notes: For The Red Triangle bibliographical details, see the notes below with the first confirmed drawing for that story.  Photo from 1989 catalog.

 

This drawing is captioned "The Red Triangle," and the chapter "The Affair of Samuel's Diamonds" includes the passage "just before midnight last night, near the York column, where a police-constable found the dead body of a man lying on the stone steps," which matches the drawing's subject as shown above.  However, the illustration does not appear in several different bound volumes that I've checked of the Harmsworth London Magazine.  I think this drawing served as the frontispiece for the November issue on an un-numbered page that often got discarded with advertising front-matter when bound.

 

If you have access to a copy of the November 1902 issue (Vol. 9, # 52) of the Harmsworth London Magazine, please check the front-matter for this illustration.  Besides immediately before the beginning of the story, it might have appeared across from that issue's table of contents or even at some other place among the advertisements.  Please contact me to help clear up a few points.  And if you have an original unbound copy of this issue, send me email even if you cannot find the illustration since this would conclusively disprove my tentative identification.  (Last updated: 6/5/15)


 

"Come in, do! I haf been robbed. Fifteen t'ousant pounds."

The Red Triangle
(The Affair of Samuel's Diamonds)

Original Sidney Paget drawing for The Affair of Samuel's Diamonds

Owner: Alexian A. Gregory

The [Harmsworth] London Magazine, November 1902, p. 339, The Red Triangle by Arthur Morrison.

 

Description: Original pencil, ink and wash (approx. 14 x 9 1/2 inches matted), initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower right and captioned at bottom in pencil as "The Red Triangle | 1 ['1' is circled] | 'Mr. Hewitt! he cried. Is it Mr. Martin Hewitt?'."  A blue pencil "5" appears below the caption, with blue pencil lines on either side pointing to the edges of the drawing, possibly indicating the desired size of the illustration.

 

History: Purchased at auction by George Locke.  Sold by Locke to Peter L. Stern before 1982.  Sold by Stern to the current owner in January 2020.

 

Notes: Framed and glazed.  Photo courtesy of the owner.  The illustration is for a Martin Hewitt adventure published serially under the title The Red Triangle with individual case names for each part.  It was collected in The Red Triangle, London 1903 and Boston 1903, but neither book contains any illustrations.  (Last updated: 1/25/20)


 

Sidney Paget drawing for The Red Triangle

Owner: Otto Penzler

The [Harmsworth] London Magazine, December 1902, p. 583, The Red Triangle by Arthur Morrison.

 

Description: Original wash drawing (14 x 10 inches matted), initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower left and captioned at bottom as "The Red Triangle | #2 | Get out, he shouted."

 

History: Purchased by the current owner circa 1979.

 

Notes: See notes for the first Red Triangle drawing above.  (Last updated: 7/9/12)


 

"Plummer had snatched the lens, and was narrowly comparing the marks."

The Red Triangle
(The Case of Mr. Jacob Mason)

Sidney Paget drawing for The Case of Mr. Jacob Mason

Owner: Descendant of Sidney Paget

The [Harmsworth] London Magazine, December 1902, p. 592, The Red Triangle by Arthur Morrison.

 

Description: Original pen and ink and wash drawing (12 x 10 inches inside frame), initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower right and captioned in pencil beneath the drawing as "Red Triangle | 5 [circled] | 'They are! he cried'."

 

History: Owned by Sidney Paget and his descendants.

 

Notes: Held in a simple wooden frame with glass front.  See also notes for the first Red Triangle drawing above.  (Last updated: 8/30/15)


 

"Hullo!  Here's a job for Martin Hewitt after all!"

The Red Triangle
(The Case of the Lever Key)

Sidney Paget drawing for The Case of the Lever Key

Owner: City of Portsmouth, England

The [Harmsworth] London Magazine, January 1903, p. 717, The Red Triangle by Arthur Morrison.

 

Description: Original drawing, other details not yet available.

 

History: Bequeathed to Portsmouth by Richard Lancelyn Green, who died in March 2004.

 

Collection Notes:

 

Notes: Photograph of the original framed drawing resting on a desktop with letters and ephemera appears on the back cover of the Collection's newsletter for Spring/Summer 2008 (PDF at Internet Archive; 1.3 MB).  See also notes for the first Red Triangle drawing above.  (Last updated: 6/19/15)


 

"Why, man alive!" he cried, "where did you get this?"

The Red Triangle
(The Case of the Lever Key)

Sidney Paget drawing for The Red Triangle

Owner: Martin O'Connell

The [Harmsworth] London Magazine, January 1903, p. 720, The Red Triangle by Arthur Morrison.

 

Description: Original wash drawing heightened by white (12 x 9 inches), initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower right portion and inscribed in the lower left corner as "To Dr McClure | The New Year | 1904." Drawn on a 12 x 10 inch Winsor & Newton watercolor sketching board. With printers guidelines in pencil at left and bottom edges of board.

 

History: Dr McClure (former Headmaster of Mill Hill School, 1904 inscription); McClure family (2010), sold at auction on 28 October 2010 at Cheffins Fine Art; Paul Rassam [dealer]; Peter L. Stern [dealer]; Martin O'Connell (from Stern in January 2019).

 

Notes: Framed and glazed by O'Connell in January 2019. Accompanied by a 1908 newspaper article about "The Late Mr. Sidney Paget" which was previously on the backing of an earlier frame.  See also notes for the first Red Triangle drawing above.  (Last updated: 1/24/19)


 

"A hansom stopped and deposited Hewitt and another older gentleman"

The Red Triangle
(The Case of the Lever Key)

Sidney Paget drawing for The Red Triangle

Owner: Christopher and Barbara Roden

The [Harmsworth] London Magazine, January 1903, p. 726, The Red Triangle by Arthur Morrison.

 

Description: Original ink and wash on stiff card (11 3/4 x 10 in.).  It's initialed "SP" by the artist at lower left  There is no caption on the drawing.

 

History: Purchased by the current owners at the Norman L. Rosenbaum auction in 1998.

 

Notes: Not framed at time of purchase.  See also notes for the first Red Triangle drawing above.  (Last updated: 6/12/12)


 

"Mr. Bell fell upon the first bundle almost as a dog falls upon a bone"

The Red Triangle
(The Case of the Lever Key)

Sidney Paget drawing for The Red Triangle

Owner: Private collection of Gabriele Mazzoni, M.D. (Italy)

The [Harmsworth] London Magazine, January 1903, p. 729, The Red Triangle by Arthur Morrison.

 

Description: Original ink and watercolour illustration (8.0 x 9.5 in.) on stiff card (10.0 x 14.0 in.) with some bodycolours, initialed "SP" by the artist at lower right and captioned at bottom as "Red Triangle 5 | Mr Bell had fallen upon the first bundle almost | as a dog falls upon a bone." It depicts the detective Martin Hewitt reaching into a ventilator with Mr. Bell next to him.

 

History: Held in a private collection for many years and sold in 2011 as part of a bereavement collection in Torquay, Devon. Purchased by the current owner in 2015 from an English dealer in Torquay.

 

Notes: Dr. Mazzoni describes this as with bodycolours, but notes that "gouache" and "bodycolour" are sometimes confused or used interchangeably. Previously framed with caption and margins hidden. Photo of original drawing is courtesy of Dr. Mazzoni. See also notes for the first Red Triangle drawing above.  (Last updated: 5/2/15)


 

Sidney Paget drawing for The Case of the Burnt Barn

Owner: Descendant of Sidney Paget

The [Harmsworth] London Magazine, March 1903, p. 215, The Red Triangle by Arthur Morrison.

 

Description: Original pen and ink and wash drawing (12 x 10 inches inside frame), initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower right and captioned in pencil beneath the drawing as "The Red Triangle     4 | 'Mr Victor Peytral I believe' said Hewitt."

 

History: Owned by Sidney Paget and his descendants.

 

Notes:  Held in a simple wooden frame with glass front.  See also notes for the first Red Triangle drawing above.  (Last updated: 8/30/15)


 

Sidney Paget drawing for The Red Triangle

Owner: Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah)

The [Harmsworth] London Magazine, March 1903, p. 219, The Red Triangle by Arthur Morrison.

 

Description: Original wash drawing (9 3/4 x 9 1/2 inches image area), initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower right portion and captioned in pencil at bottom as "The Red Triangle     5 | Mr. Peytral's Story."  A large "5" written in pencil appears on the back of the drawing.  Drawn on a 14 1/2 x 10 1/2 inch Winsor & Newton water color sketching board with Whatman's special surface no. 2. 

 

History: Offered by David Magee, a San Francisco rare book dealer, in 1969 as item #842 for $125 in Victoria R. I., his three-volume catalog of rare Victorian and Edwardian material.  BYU purchased this collection in toto in 1969.

 

Collection Notes:

 

Notes: Not framed or matted, though a pencil border outlines the image area.  See also notes for the first Red Triangle drawing above.  (Last updated: 9/27/08)


 

Sidney Paget drawing for The Adventure of Channel Marsh

Owner: Robert C. Hess

The [Harmsworth] London Magazine, May 1903, p. 473, The Red Triangle by Arthur Morrison.

 

Description: Original pen and ink and wash drawing (14 x 10 inches visible area), initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower left and captioned in pencil beneath the drawing as "Red Triangle     2 | 'saw me snatch it up'."  An ink stamp for "London | Magazine | No. 9813" (with "9813" handwritten in black ink) appears to the right of the caption.  Above the caption but below the drawing is written "120 Screen" in black ink.  Blue pencil notes for "Blk line | round | rounded | corners" and a "5" next to a double-headed horizontal arrow also appear below the drawing.

 

History: Purchased from Pepper & Stern Rare Books in 1991.

 

Notes:  Glazed and in a gold frame (20 3/8 x 16 1/8 inches) with a black mat.  See also notes for the first Red Triangle drawing above.  (Last updated: 6/12/12)


 

Sidney Paget drawing for The Face in the Dark

Owner: Descendant of Sidney Paget

The [Harmsworth] London Magazine, July 1903, p. 701, "The Face in the Dark" by L. T. Meade & Robert Eustace.

 

Description: Original pen and ink and wash drawing (12 x 10 inches inside frame), initialed "SP" by the artist at lower right and no visible caption on the front.  Faded writing appears on the back of the drawing as "Good news for you Mr Poltimore" and then the title "Face in the dark" and a number "1."

 

History: Owned by Sidney Paget and his descendants.

 

Notes:  Held in a simple wooden frame with glass front.  Despite the notation on the back of the drawing this is the second to appear in the story.  Lillie Thomas Meade was the pseudonym of Elizabeth Thomasina Meade Smith (1844-1914), and Paget illustrated other works of hers including The Brotherhood of the Seven Kings and The Sanctuary Club.  I haven't identified a collection of her short stories that includes "The Face in the Dark."  (Last updated: 8/30/15)


 

Sidney Paget drawing for The Sphere TBD Tally Ho Hippodrome

Owner: Robert C. Hess

[Serial reproduction not yet identified, probably from The Sphere]

 

Description: Original wash drawing (14 x 10 inches before framing), signed "S. Paget" by the artist in the lower right corner and captioned beneath the drawing as " 'Tally Ho' at the Hippodrome."  Drawn on a Winsor & Newton water color sketching board with Whatman's 'hotpressed' surface.  Pencil note "SPHERE" on back.

 

History: Purchased from a farmer on a farm owned by relatives of Paget in September 2011.

 

Notes: Please contact me if you know which issue of The Sphere first included this drawing.  Now in a black frame and white mat.  Photo courtesy of the owner.  (Last updated: 6/14/12)


 

Sidney Paget drawing of a man and a child on galloping horses

Owner: Sharon Kersten, South Africa

[Serial reproduction not yet identified]

 

Description: Original wash drawing (18 x 12 1/2 inches inside mat), signed "Sidney Paget | 1904" by the artist in the lower right corner

 

History: Purchased in London in 1910 by the great-uncle of the current owner.

 

Notes: Probably appeared as a full-page illustration or a two-page spread in 1904 or 1905.  Please contact me if you think you know where this drawing first appeared.  Now matted and framed.  Photo courtesy of the owner.  (Last updated: 7/29/11)


 

Sidney Paget Paintings & Memorabilia

See the Sidney Paget Paintings page on Part II of the census for portraits, oil and watercolor paintings.

 

See the Sidney Paget Memorabilia page for artifacts, books, and other Holmes-related items once owned by Paget.

 


 

Sidney Paget Exhibitions

Public exhibitions focused on Sidney Paget or including at least three original drawings.  Individual item showings are listed in the census entry.

 

Sherlock Holmes: The Man Who Never Lived and Will Never Die

17 October 2014 – 12 April 2015

The Museum of London: Sherlock Holmes Artwork & Rarities

It included eight original Holmes drawings by Paget, plus Paget's painting of Sir Arthur and Conan Doyle's wedding gift to Paget.

The Exhibition Catalogue has color photos of all the Paget art and commentary on the drawings by two collectors.

 

Sidney Paget's Sherlock Holmes: A Sesquicentennial Exhibition

13 October – 17 November 2010

San Francisco: The Arion Press Gallery, Paget Exhibition

Six original Paget drawings from the Holmes stories are shown in honor of Paget's Sesquicentennial, plus a talk by an expert Sherlockian.

26 October 2010, 6 pm – A Talk About Paget

 

Sidney Paget: Iconic Illustrator of Sherlock Holmes

April 2010 - present

Toronto Public Library Virtual Exhibit: Paget Sesquicentennial

This online exhibition honors the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sidney Paget and includes reproductions from a nice set of non-Holmesian works.

 

The Case of the Influential Illustrator: Sidney Paget's Sherlock Holmes

1 December 2007 - 5 May 2008

Church Farmhouse Museum, Greyhound Hill, London

This exhibition honors the centenary of Paget's death in January 1908 and included reproductions of many of his drawings as well as background material on Holmes and Watson.

 

Images of Sherlock Holmes

26 June 1997 – 2 August 1997

Toronto Public Library, The Arthur Conan Doyle Collection

Four original Paget drawings were shown in this exhibition (noted above), and a full-color exhibition poster reproduced one of them.

 

1951 Sherlock Holmes Exhibition (Festival of Britain)

May – September 1951

Catalogue of an Exhibition held at Abbey House, Baker Street, London

Seven original Paget drawings (noted above), with six from the Holmes stories and the unpublished portrait (A).

 


 

Sidney Paget Biography

Photo of Sidney Paget circa 1895

Sidney Edward Paget (1860-1908) was a painter and illustrator best known for his drawings for the Sherlock Holmes stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle that appeared in The Strand Magazine and various book editions by George Newnes and other publishers.

 

Paget was born in London on 4 October 1860 as the fourth son of Robert Paget and Martha Clarke.  His oldest brother, Henry Marriott Paget (1856-1936), was a painter of historical subjects and portraits.  His youngest brother, Walter Stanley Paget (1861?-1935), was also a painter but mainly drew for magazines and for books including Robinson Crusoe and Treasure Island.

 

Sidney entered the Royal Academy Schools in 1881 and won a number of prizes.  At least nineteen of his paintings were shown at Royal Academy exhibitions from 1879 to 1907.  Paget became a prolific illustrator, and his work appeared in many periodicals, including The Strand Magazine, The Sphere, The Graphic, the Illustrated London News, and the Pall Mall Magazine as well as for many of Cassell's publications.

 

He married Edith Hounsfield on 1 June 1893 and had six children with her.  Around 1905 he developed a painful chest complaint.  While some sources claim this may have come from ingesting lead-based paint when sucking his brushes, L. M Goode reports that his death certificate gave the cause of death as "Mediastinal tumour, 3 years, exhaustion."  He died at Margate on 28 January 1908 and was buried at Marylebone cemetery, Finchley.

 

Part II of this census, on Paget paintings, lists and shows Paget family portraits painted by Sidney.

 

Some other elements of Paget family history are shown and described on the Sidney Paget Memorabilia page.

 


 

Census Notes

Chronological Order: For each section of illustrations, drawings are listed chronologically by publication date and then in the sequence in which they appeared in the text.

 

Captions: Bold captions at the top of each entry contain the text that appeared with the drawing's first publication in England.  These are followed by the title of the story/article, when known.

 

Owners: A "Private Collector" is someone who requested anonymity for this online census.  I will forward email to the owner if you have a question for them.

 

Publication info: Lists the first published appearance of the drawing in England.

 

Descriptions: Dimensions, given as Height by Width, are in inches and generally to the nearest quarter.

 

History: Lists prior owners and some sales, but might not be complete.

 

Photos: This selective listing of photos of the original drawings focuses on widely available sources and typically does not include auction or dealer catalogs.  "Shown above" indicates the image on the census is a photo of the original drawing and not a reproduction from a publications like the Strand Magazine.

 

Notes: When the illustration also appears in the first English or American edition of the relevant Sherlock Holmes book, I cite that in the Notes for that entry.  When applicable, the notes cite a cross-reference to Ann Byerly's 1983 census.

 

Ownership and descriptions have been personally confirmed by me with the owner unless noted otherwise.

 

When reports differ on any aspect of a drawing, I typically provide what appears to be the most authoritative version.  Abbreviated dates are in the American form of Month/Day/Year.

 


 

Sources & Acknowledgements

In addition to various bookseller and auction catalogues, the following sources were particularly useful.

 

Blau, Peter E. Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press, various issues.  This invaluable Sherlockian newsletter is available online for 1985+ via <http://redcircledc.org/index.php?id=39>.

 

Byerly, Ann. "A Census of Sidney Paget's Sherlockian Drawings." Baker Street Miscellanea, No. 35 (Autumn 1983), 17-21.  All 20 drawings listed in her census are included with cross-references above, and many entries are updated with new information.  Her article and this entire issue of BSM contains a wealth of Paget information that is well worth reading.  Available on CD-ROM.

 

Cooke, Catherine.  "Portraits by the friend of Sherlock Holmes discovered in the City of Westminster."  Privately published, 2007 <http://www3.westminster.gov.uk/docstores/publications_store/holmes_portraits.pdf> (6.8 MB, accessed 29 March 2008).  See also the City of Westminster Sherlock Holmes Collection website.

 

Davies, David Stuart.  "Sidney Paget."  Illustrators, No. 8 (Summer 2014), 60-72.  Davies provides a short history on Paget and illustrating the Holmes tales.  Includes large color photos of nine original Holmes drawings.

 

Feldman, Lew David.  Seventy One: The World of Books Arts and Letters circa 1170-1970.  New York: The House of El Dieff, 1971.

 

Feldman, Lew David.  Sherlock Holmes and Sherlockiana: 76 Items.  New York: The House of El Dieff, [1975].

 

Goode, L. M. "The Death of Sidney Paget." The Sherlock Holmes Journal, Vol. 30, No. 2 (Summer 2011), 85-86.  Letter to the editor on Paget's cause of death.

 

Green, Richard Lancelyn, and John Michael Gibson. A Bibliography of A. Conan Doyle.  First revised edition.  New York: Hudson House, 2000.

 

Stock, Randall. "Sidney Paget: Paintings by the Numbers." The Baker Street Journal, Vol. 59, No. 2 (Summer 2009), 6-10.  Includes a census overview with other details on Paget drawings.

 

Utechin, Nicholas and Catherine Cooke.  Sherlock Holmes: A Catalogue of the Exhibition.  London & New York: The Quartering Press, 2015.  See my review of the catalogue and see it at the BSI website.

 

Werner, Alex.  "Sherlock Holmes, Sidney Paget, and the Strand Magazine."  Sherlock Holmes: The Man Who Never Lived and Will Never Die edited by Alex Werner (London: Ebury Press, 2014), pp. 101-125 (on Amazon).

 

Photos of original drawings are credited with the drawing entry.  Photos of published illustrations come from a variety of sources, including Peter E. Blau, Christopher Roden, and my own scans.

 

 

Special thanks to Peter E. Blau and Jerry Margolin, who inspired this census and provided frequent assistance in its development.  

 

Staff from a number of libraries and institutions provided detailed information on their Paget holdings.  My thanks to Russ Taylor at Brigham Young University, Pamela Taylor at Mill Hill School, Jenny Schwartzberg at the Newberry Library, Dale Ann Stieber and Helena de Lemos at Occidental College, Katy Ball and Sarah Speller for the Portsmouth Collection, Peggy Perdue at the Toronto Public Library, Timothy Johnson at the University of Minnesota, and Peter Mears at the University of Texas Harry Ransom Center.

 

Many others generously offered their expertise and knowledge.  I'm indebted to John Bergquist, Mattias Boström, Bob Coghill, Saul Cohen, Charles M. Collins, Catherine Cooke, David Stuart Davies, Vincent Delay, Charles Foley, Ernest Giarelli, L. M. Goode, Al Gregory, Andrea Grimes, Robert C. Hess, Roger Johnson, Sharon Kersten, Fred Kittle, Jon Lellenberg, Julie McKuras, Paul Martin, Gabriele Mazzoni, Martin O'Connell, Bruce Parker, Andrew Peck, Otto Penzler, Dana Richards, Christopher and Barbara Roden, Constantine Rossakis, Steven Rothman, Ted Schulz, Peter L. Stern, Nick Utechin, Jerry Wachs, Ms. Willy Werby, Kathryn White, and others who preferred to remain anonymous.

 

While this census could never have been made without everyone's help, I am solely responsible for any errors or omissions.  If I omitted your name, please be assured it was inadvertent and let me know so I can correct it.

 

Please send me e-mail if you have additions, corrections or suggestions for this census.


 

More About Sidney Paget

More Sidney Paget artwork is listed in Part II of the census with Sidney Paget paintings.

 

See the Sidney Paget Memorabilia page for artifacts, books, and other Holmes-related items once owned by Paget.

 


 

Other Sherlock Holmes Rarities

This website has information on many Conan Doyle manuscripts, including both Sherlock Holmes and non-Holmes material.

 

The site also has details on other rarities, including a census of Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887 with the first Sherlock Holmes story, and a census of the rare first edition of "The Unique Hamlet", a Sherlock Holmes pastiche by Vincent Starrett.

 

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.

 

 

 

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