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The Best of Sherlock Holmes |
Sidney Paget Original Drawings and Artwork:
A Census and Checklist for His Sesquicentennial
17 July 2010
Sidney Paget is famous for his Sherlock Holmes drawings for the stories by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. This census identifies Sidney Paget original artwork for the Holmes stories and provides a basic description and provenance. While it primarily focuses on illustrations for the Holmes stories, it also identifies Paget paintings and original art for other stories.
This is the most complete Paget census available, yet many drawings remain unrecorded and four Holmes drawings have not been reported for more than 25 years. Any help in locating them or other original Paget art would be much appreciated. As always I will keep owners 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.
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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. Many 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 four 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. Unless noted, images are from The Strand Magazine 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.
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"All afternoon he sat in the stalls"Owner: University of Minnesota, Allen Mackler Collection The Strand Magazine, August 1891, p. 199, "The Adventure of the Red-Headed League."
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: Bequeathed to the University by Allen Mackler, who died in December 2005. Purchased by Mackler from Peter L. Stern, a dealer. Previously owned by J. Bliss Austin, who died in 1988 and left his collection to the Library of Lehigh University. The collection was sold at auction in May 1990 to benefit the library and it was purchased en bloc by a consortium including Stern.
Collection Notes: University of Minnesota, Sherlock Holmes Collections, Allen Mackler Collection Not currently in their online catalog or finding aids. Exhibited: Victorian Secrets & Edwardian Enigmas 6/11/07-8/20/07 (PDF catalog - 2.2 MB)
Notes: Framed for Mackler in Minnesota. Also reproduced in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, London 1892, p. 46 and New York, facing p. 46. (Last updated: 9/27/08) |
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"We had the carriage to ourselves"Owner: Saul Cohen The Strand Magazine, October 1891, p. 401, "The Boscombe Valley Mystery."
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: Bequeathed to the owner by Dame Jean Conan Doyle. Given to her by Adrian or Denis Conan Doyle. Previously owned by Lady Doyle (Jean Leckie) and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
Notes: Cardboard backing from Dame Jean's frame inscribed by her "This is the first appearance of SH in a deerstalker." The backing was removed 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. Also reproduced in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, London 1892, p. 79. Byerly #1. (Last updated: 7/7/10) |
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"Taking up a glowing cinder with the tongs"Owner: Jon Lellenberg The Strand Magazine, June 1892, p. 613, "The Adventure of the Copper Beeches."
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: Bequeathed to the owner by Dame Jean Conan Doyle. Given to her by Adrian or Denis Conan Doyle. Previously owned by Lady Doyle (Jean Leckie) and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.
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. Also reproduced in The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, London 1892, p. 290. Byerly #2. (Last updated: 3/23/08) |
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"Holmes gave me a sketch of the events"Owner: Private collector The Strand Magazine, December 1892, p. 646, "The Adventure of Silver Blaze."
Description: Original pen & ink with wash (7 x 10 in.). No details available on caption, but probably initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower right corner.
History: Purchased by the husband of the current owner in July 1974 from the House of El Dieff (Lew David Feldman). Previously owned by the Adrian Conan Doyle Estate.
Notes: Description based only on published reports. Also reproduced in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 3. Byerly #3. (Last updated: 3/9/08)
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"I fell into a brown study"Owner: Toronto Public Library The Strand Magazine, January 1893, p. 61, "The Adventure of the Cardboard Box."
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: Purchased in November 1980 from the House of El Dieff. Previously owned by the Adrian Conan Doyle Estate and offered by Lew David Feldman (House of El Dieff) for the estate in 1975.
Collection Notes: Toronto Public Library, The Arthur Conan Doyle Collection Not currently in their online catalog or finding aids. Exhibited: Images of Sherlock Holmes 6/26/97-8/2/97
Notes: Also reproduced in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 168 for use with the story "The Resident Patient." Conan Doyle omitted "The Cardboard Box" from The Memoirs but transferred much of the story's opening to "The Resident Patient" in the book edition. Byerly #4. (Last updated: 7/5/10) |
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"He held it up"Owner: Not known The Strand Magazine, February 1893, p. 163, "The Adventure of the Yellow Face."
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: Description based only on published reports. Also reproduced in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 34. Byerly #5. (Last updated: 3/9/08) |
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" 'Nothing could be better,' said Holmes"Owner: Private Collector The Strand Magazine, March 1893, p. 281, "The Adventure of the Stockbroker's Clerk."
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: Offered by Pepper & Stern as part of the Epstein collection in 1985. Purchased by Marvin P. Epstein, who died in March 1988, from the House of El Dieff (Lew David Feldman) in early 1974. Previously owned by the Adrian Conan Doyle Estate.
Notes: Shown at the "Images of Sherlock Holmes" exhibition at the Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library in 1997. Also reproduced in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 55. Byerly #6. (Last updated: 5/23/08) |
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"A curious collection"Owner: Otto Penzler The Strand Magazine, May 1893, p. 480, "The Adventure of the Musgrave Ritual."
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: Purchased in 1975 from the House of El Dieff (Lew David Feldman). Previously owned by the Adrian Conan Doyle Estate.
Notes: Framed for the House of El Dieff. Also reproduced in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 101. Byerly #7. (Last updated: 3/8/08) |
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"I'll fill a vacant peg, then"Owner: Not known The Strand Magazine, July 1893, p. 22, "The Adventure of the Crooked Man."
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: Description based on published reports. Also reproduced in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 146. Byerly #8. (Last updated: 9/27/08) |
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"What do you make of that?"Owner: Andrew Peck The Strand Magazine, July 1893, p. 26, "The Adventure of the Crooked Man."
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: Purchased from a private collector.
Notes: Also reproduced in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 154. (Last updated: 2/23/08) |
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"Holmes opened it and smelled the single cigar which it contained"Owner: Jerry Margolin The Strand Magazine, August 1893, p. 136, "The Adventure of the Resident Patient."
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: Purchased in 1987 from a private collector in Canada. Previously owned by Peter L. Stern, the House of El Dieff (Lew David Feldman), and the Adrian Conan Doyle Estate.
Notes: Also reproduced in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 186. Byerly #9. (Last updated: 7/13/10) |
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"Holmes examined it critically"Owner: Not known The Strand Magazine, November 1893, p. 462, "The Adventure of the Naval Treaty." (Part II.)
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: Description based only on published reports. Also reproduced in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 244. Byerly #10. (Last updated: 3/9/08) |
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"Is there any other point which I can make clear?"Owner: The University of Texas at Austin The Strand Magazine, November 1893, p. 468, "The Adventure of the Naval Treaty." (Part II.)
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: Purchased at auction by the House of El Dieff (Lew David Feldman) in 1959. Previously owned by Hesketh Prichard and Arthur Conan Doyle (from inscription).
Collection Notes: The Harry Ransom Center Art Collection, The University of Texas at Austin Item 65.157, but not currently in their online catalog or finding aids. The Ransom Center also holds a drawing from "The Norwood Builder."
Notes: Also reproduced in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 255. (Last updated: 3/25/08) |
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"The death of Sherlock Holmes"Owner: Not known The Strand Magazine, December 1893, p. 558 (frontispiece), "The Adventure of the Final Problem."
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: 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: 3/9/08) |
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"He turned his rounded back upon me"Owner: Charles M. Collins The Strand Magazine, December 1893, p. 563, "The Adventure of the Final Problem."
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: Bequeathed to the current owner by Chris Steinbrunner, who died in July 1993. Purchased by Steinbrunner from the House of El Dieff (Lew David Feldman) circa 1974-1976. Previously owned by the Adrian Conan Doyle Estate.
Notes: Held in a gold frame (16 x 12 inches) with a red mat as received by the current owner. Also reproduced in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 264. Byerly #12. (Last updated: 4/7/08) |
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"My decrepit Italian friend"Owner: Private Collector The Strand Magazine, December 1893, p. 565, "The Adventure of the Final Problem."
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.
Notes: Also reproduced in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 267 and New York (revised) 1894, p. 250. Byerly #13. (Last updated: 5/23/08) |
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"I saw Holmes gazing down at the rush of the waters"Owner: Ms. Willy Werby The Strand Magazine, December 1893, p. 568, "The Adventure of the Final Problem."
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 as "No. 7 I saw Holmes gazing down at the rush of the waters."
History: Purchased in 1980 from John Howell Books, who got it from the House of El Dieff (Lew David Feldman). Previously owned by the Adrian Conan Doyle Estate.
Notes: Re-matted and re-framed for the owner. Exhibited in May 1991 at the Culinary Institute of America in Hyde Park. Also reproduced in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, London [1893], p. 275. Byerly #14. (Last updated: 7/7/10) |
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"There he sat upon a stone"Owner: Not known The Strand Magazine, February 1902, p. 124, The Hound of the Baskervilles (Chapter XII).
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.
Notes: Description based only on published reports. Also reproduced in The Hound of the Baskervilles, London 1902, p. 260. Byerly #15. (Last updated: 3/10/08) |
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"The Hound of the Baskervilles"Owner: Occidental College (Los Angeles, California) The Strand Magazine, March 1902, p. 242 (frontispiece), The Hound of the Baskervilles (Chapter XIII).
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: Ned Guymon Mystery and Detective Fiction Collection at Occidental College OASys catalog reference under Notes for the book "The Hound of the Baskervilles" Exhibited: ABAA Book Fair in Los Angeles January 2008
Notes: Framed with a clear glass backing in order to see Paget's instructions on the back of the drawing. Also reproduced in The Hound of the Baskervilles, London 1902, p. 310 (illustrating the text for p. 321). (Last updated: 4/5/08) |
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" 'Phosphorus!' I said"Owner: Private Collector The Strand Magazine, April 1902, p. 364, The Hound of the Baskervilles (Chapter XIV).
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: Purchased by Quaritch at auction in 1980. Previously owned by the Reverend John R. Paget and Miss Winifred Paget, the children of Sidney Paget.
Notes: Byerly #16. (Last updated: 6/22/08) |
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"A Retrospection"Owner: Private collector The Strand Magazine, April 1902, p. 368, The Hound of the Baskervilles (Chapter XV).
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.
Notes: Unlike other Holmes illustrations, the caption is based on a chapter title rather than text from a story. (Last updated: 7/8/10) |
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"A wild-eyed and frantic young man burst into the room"Owner: Private collector The Strand Magazine, November 1903, p. 484, "The Adventure of the Norwood Builder."
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: Purchased by Jerry Wachs at auction in 1999 from a gentleman who bought it from the House of El Dieff (Lew David Feldman) in 1974, and sold to the current owner in 2002. Previously owned by Edgar W. Smith.
Notes: Description based only on published reports. (Last updated: 3/29/08) |
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"Look at that with your magnifying glass, Mr. Holmes"Owner: The University of Texas at Austin The Strand Magazine, November 1903, p. 492, "The Adventure of the Norwood Builder."
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: Purchased at auction by the House of El Dieff (Lew David Feldman) in 1959. Previously owned by Hesketh Prichard and Arthur Conan Doyle (from inscription).
Collection Notes: The Harry Ransom Center Art Collection, The University of Texas at Austin Item 65.158, but not currently in their online catalog or finding aids. The Ransom Center also holds a drawing from "The Naval Treaty."
Notes: Also reproduced in The Return of Sherlock Holmes, London 1905, opposite p. 53. (Last updated: 3/29/08) |
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"I heard him chuckle as the light fell upon a patched Dunlop tyre."Owner: Private Collector The Strand Magazine, February 1904, p. 122 (frontispiece), "The Adventure of the Priory School."
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.
Notes: (Last updated: 5/23/08) |
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"With his neck craned, he looked into the room"Owner: Private collector The Strand Magazine, June 1904, p. 606, "The Adventure of the Three Students."
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, and reported to have the phrase "Three students (2)" written in script and in pencil at the right base of the drawing.
History: Probably sold by a private collector to the current owner after 1997. Offered by Pepper & Stern in 1993. Purchased by Neville at auction in 1980. Previously owned by the Reverend John R. Paget and Miss Winifred Paget, the children of Sidney Paget.
Notes: Description based only on published reports. Shown at the "Images of Sherlock Holmes" exhibition at the Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library in 1997, and reproduced in the event poster. Byerly #17. (Last updated: 6/22/08) |
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"He never looked up until Holmes's hand was on his shoulder"Owner: Private Collector The Strand Magazine, August 1904, p. 135, "The Adventure of the Missing Three-Quarter."
Description: Original wash drawing. No details available on a caption, but initialed "SP" by the artist at lower left.
History: Owned by a private collector in 1997 and sold to a different private collector since then.
Notes: Shown at the "Images of Sherlock Holmes" exhibition at the Metropolitan Toronto Reference Library in 1997. (Last updated: 5/1/08) |
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"It hinged back like the lid of a box"Owner: Private Collector The Strand Magazine, December 1904, p. 602 (frontispiece), "The Adventure of the Second Stain."
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: Purchased by Quaritch at auction in 1980. Previously owned by the Reverend John R. Paget and Miss Winifred Paget, the children of Sidney Paget.
Notes: Also reproduced in The Return of Sherlock Holmes, London 1905, facing p. 392. Byerly #18. (Last updated: 6/22/08) |
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[Portrait of Sherlock Holmes (A)]Owner: Offered by Biblioctopus (Mark Hime) in 2010 Not published with any story. The Cornhill Magazine, No. 987 (Summer 1951), p. 253.
Description: Original ink and wash (5 3/4 x 8 in.), not signed or captioned.
History: Held by at least one private collector since 1980 and offered in 2010 through Biblioctopus. Purchased by Quaritch at auction in 1980, acting as agent for the American dealer John Howell, who bought on behalf of a private collector. Previously owned by the Reverend John R. Paget and Miss Winifred Paget, the children of Sidney Paget.
Notes: Description based only on published reports. 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. Shown at the Sherlock Holmes Exhibitions of 1951 and 1952, and displayed at The Sherlock Holmes pub in Northumberland Street starting in the late 1950s. Photo courtesy of Sidney Paget's granddaughter. Byerly #19. (Last updated: 7/4/10) |
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[Portrait of Sherlock 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: Sold at Sotheby's December 1998 auction of the Norman L. Rosenbaum collection. Purchased by the dealer Nigel Williams, who was acting as agent for the American dealer Peter L. Stern, who was acting for the current owner.
Notes: Description based only on published reports. One of three known Paget portraits of Holmes that were not published with a Holmes story. The drawing appears as the frontispiece to all three volumes of The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes edited by Leslie Klinger, and that may be the first reproduction outside of a dealer or auction catalog. Photo courtesy of the owner. (Last updated: 7/4/10) |
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[Portrait of Sherlock 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: Bequeathed to Portsmouth by Richard Lancelyn Green, who died in March 2004. Offered by Biblioctopus (Mark Hime) in 1983 for $7,500. Hime purchased it from Peter L. Stern, a dealer. Stern bought it from George Locke, who got the drawing for £800 at a 24 September 1980 auction at Sotheby King & Chasemore in Pulborough, West Sussex. Previously owned by the widow of the Paget family gardener.
Collection Notes: The Arthur Conan Doyle Collection Lancelyn Green Bequest, Portsmouth City Council Not currently in their online catalog or finding aids. Exhibited: A Study in Sherlock 6/23/07-present (City Museum in Portsmouth) There are two other (non-Holmes) Paget drawings in the Portsmouth collection.
Notes: One of three known Paget portraits of Holmes that were not published with a Holmes story (see above). Hime first reproduced the drawing in his 1983 catalog and this was reprinted in the Dictionary of Literary Biography: British Mystery Writers, 1860-1919. The Winter 2008 Sherlock Holmes Journal contains a very nice reproduction of it from Portsmouth. 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: 7/4/10) |
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.
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" 'Isn't it a sacrilege?' said the Oxford Man"Owner: Not known The Strand Magazine, May 1897, p. 495, The Tragedy of the Korosko (Chapter II).
Description: Original pen & ink and wash (10 1/2 x 7 in.). No details available on caption, but probably initialed "SP" by the artist in the lower right portion.
History: Offered by the House of El Dieff (Lew David Feldman) in 1975. Previously owned by the Adrian Conan Doyle Estate.
Notes: Description based only on published reports. (Last updated: 3/11/08) |
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"They all looked at the long string of red-turbaned riders"Owner: The Newberry Library (Chicago, Illinois) The Strand Magazine, May 1897, p. 497, The Tragedy of the Korosko (Chapter II).
Description: Original pen & ink and wash (10 x 7 inches). No details available on caption, but signed by the artist as "S. PAGET" and reportedly inscribed by Arthur Conan Doyle on the verso.
History: Donated by Dr. Kittle circa 2002 and now part of the C. Frederick Kittle Collection of Doyleana at The Newberry Library. Offered by the House of El Dieff (Lew David Feldman) in 1975. Previously owned by the Adrian Conan Doyle Estate.
Collection Notes: C. Frederick Kittle Collection of Doyleana at The Newberry Library Not currently in their online catalog or finding aids.
Notes: Glazed and in a black frame. Also reproduced as the frontispiece to A Desert Drama Being The Tragedy of the Korosko, Philadelphia 1898. (Last updated: 4/24/08) |
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"At every cut I heard shouts behind me''Owner: City of Portsmouth, England The Strand Magazine, January 1900, p. 49, "The Crime of the Brigadier."
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: The Arthur Conan Doyle Collection Lancelyn Green Bequest, Portsmouth City Council Not currently in their online catalog or finding aids. There are two other Paget drawings in the Portsmouth collection.
Notes: The illustration 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: 3/17/08) |
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.
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[Terence calming lead horse of a team of four]Owner: Ted Schulz [Serial reproduction not yet identified], Terence (Chapter TBD ) 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: Purchased from John Howell Books.
Notes: Terence probably appeared serially in 1898 or 1899. Published caption (if any) unknown; image description from owner. Not in London 1899 book edition. Photo courtesy of Ted Schulz. (Last updated: 5/31/10) |
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[A runaway carriage with a team of four horses]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: 5/31/10) |
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[A servant holding the door for two women, one holding a candle]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: 5/31/10) |
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"Ye might have heard tell of the Desmonds?"Owner: Ted Schulz [Serial reproduction not yet identified], Terence (Chapter XV ) 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: Purchased from John Howell Books.
Notes: Probably appeared serially in 1898 or 1899. Bold caption from writing on drawing; published caption TBD. Not in London 1899 book edition. Photo courtesy of Ted Schulz. (Last updated: 5/31/10) |
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"She stood with her back to the door"Owner: Not known [Serial reproduction not yet identified], Terence (Chapter XXVIII ) 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: 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: 3/26/08) |
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"The Kaiser and the Little English Boy—A Reminiscence of Cowes."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: 5/27/08) |
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"Come in, do! I haf been robbed. Fifteen t'ousant pounds."Owner: Peter L. Stern The [Harmsworth] London Magazine, November 1902, p. 339, The Red Triangle (The Affair of Samuel's Diamonds) 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 in pencil as "The Red Triangle", "Mr. Hewitt! he cried. Is it Mr. Martin Hewitt?".
History: Purchased by the current owner from George Locke, who bought it at auction.
Notes: Framed and glazed. 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: 4/23/08) |
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"The window was pushed open, and a man appeared convulsed with anger, shaking his fists and stamping."Owner: Otto Penzler The [Harmsworth] London Magazine, December 1902, p. 583, The Red Triangle (The Case of Mr. Jacob Mason) 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: 4/28/08) |
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"Plummer had snatched the lens, and was narrowly comparing the marks."Owner: Descendant of Sidney Paget The [Harmsworth] London Magazine, December 1902, p. 592, The Red Triangle (The Case of Mr. Jacob Mason) 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: 5/25/08) |
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"Hullo! Here's a job for Martin Hewitt after all!"Owner: City of Portsmouth, England The [Harmsworth] London Magazine, January 1903, p. 717, The Red Triangle (The Case of the Lever Key) 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: The Arthur Conan Doyle Collection Lancelyn Green Bequest, Portsmouth City Council Not currently in their online catalog or finding aids. Exhibited: A Study in Sherlock 6/23/07-present (City Museum in Portsmouth) There are two other Paget drawings in the Portsmouth collection.
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; 1.3 MB). See also notes for the first Red Triangle drawing above. (Last updated: 6/28/08) |
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"A hansom stopped and deposited Hewitt and another older gentleman"Owner: Christopher and Barbara Roden The [Harmsworth] London Magazine, January 1903, p. 726, The Red Triangle (The Case of the Lever Key) 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: 4/8/08) |
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" 'Ere 'e is!" cried the flydriver, regardless of the angry remonstrances of his fare. " 'Ere 'e is! 'E's all right! It ain't 'im! 'Ere 'e is!"Owner: Descendant of Sidney Paget The [Harmsworth] London Magazine, March 1903, p. 215, The Red Triangle (The Case of the Burnt Barn) 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: 5/25/08) |
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"That man's life has been justly forfeit a thousand times, but if it belongs to anybody it belongs to me!"Owner: Brigham Young University (Provo, Utah) The [Harmsworth] London Magazine, March 1903, p. 219, The Red Triangle (The Case of the Burnt Barn) 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: Perry Special Collections, Lee Library, Brigham Young University, Provo, Utah In their online catalog under title "Mr. Peytral's story" Listed in the Register of the David Bickersteth Magee Collection, VMSS 355 (Magee #842)
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) |
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"I saw the free hand steal out behind him and pitch away a crumpled fragment of paper. One of the policemen saw me snatch it up."Owner: Robert C. Hess The [Harmsworth] London Magazine, May 1903, p. 473, The Red Triangle (The Adventure of Channel Marsh) 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: 8/6/08) |
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"No offence to you, Mr. Hyne, but when the property comes into my hands I choose my own guests."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: 5/25/08) |
Sidney Paget Paintings: General Subjects
This section is under construction. The information is generally incomplete and more details will be added for each painting. Currently the paintings are listed in four groups: Portraits (regardless of medium), Oil Paintings, Watercolors, and Type TBD.
If you know of other paintings, especially ones owned by an institution or by an owner willing to provide details about the painting, please send me e-mail.
PORTRAITS
Portrait of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Owner: The Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Foundation
The Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by John Dickson Carr (New York: Harper & Brothers, 1949), facing p. 148.
Description: Oil on canvas (43 1/4 x 33 1/2 inches), signed "SIDNEY PAGET | 1897" by the artist in the lower right corner.
History: Painted for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1897. Owned by his son Adrian Conan Doyle after his father's death, and taken by Adrian to the Château de Lucens in Switzerland by the mid-1960's. Held by the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Foundation after Adrian's death in 1970. Lent by the Foundation to the Sherlock Holmes Museum of Lucens in 2001 and on display there since that time.
Collection Notes:
The Sherlock Holmes Museum of Lucens, Switzerland
No online catalog.
Exhibited: On display since June 2001.
Notes: Includes the family coat of arms in the upper right corner. Paget recorded this portrait at £52.10.0 in his account book entry for October 1897. (Last updated: 6/22/08)
Portrait of Sir John Aird, Bart. M.P., Mayor of Paddington
Owner: Westminster City Council
Description: Oil painting (59 1/2 x 39 1/2 inches inside frame), signed "SIDNEY PAGET | 1903" by the artist in the lower left corner.
History: Presented to Paddington Borough Council, which merged with the Westminster and Marylebone boroughs in 1965.
Notes: A full-length portrait held in a gilt frame with commemorative plaque at bottom. Aird was best known for damming the Nile, completing construction at Assuan and Assyût by 1902. See the article by Catherine Cooke listed in the Sources section for more details about this portrait. (Last updated: 7/11/08)
Portrait of Mr. Frank Dethridge, the Paddington Borough town clerk, 1903
Owner: Westminster City Council
Description: Oil painting (approx. 59 1/2 x 39 1/2 inches inside frame), signed "SIDNEY PAGET | 1903" by the artist in the lower left corner.
History: Exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1903. Presented to Paddington Borough Council, which merged with the Westminster and Marylebone boroughs in 1965.
Notes: A three-quarter length portrait held in a gilt frame with commemorative plaque at bottom. Dethridge was Vestry Clerk of Paddington for 40 years and became the first Town Clerk of the Borough of Paddington in 1900. See the article by Catherine Cooke listed in the Sources section for more details about this portrait. (Last updated: 7/11/08)
Portrait of Edith Hounsfield (Mrs. Sidney Paget)
Owner: Descendant of Sidney Paget
Description: Oil painting (55 1/2 x 35 1/2 inches inside frame), signed "SIDNEY PAGET" by the artist in the lower left corner.
History: Exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1902. Owned by Sidney Paget and his descendants.
Notes: Held in a gilt frame. This three-quarter length portrait was probably done before their 1893 wedding. Paget family history has it that Sidney painted in the ring on her finger at a later date, and this could well have occurred shortly before the 1902 RA Exhibition in order to match the subject to its title of "Mrs. Sidney Paget." (Last updated: 6/14/08)
Portrait of Edith Hounsfield (Mrs. Sidney Paget)
Owner: Descendant of Sidney Paget
Description: Watercolor painting (8 x 6 1/2 inches), initialed "S. P. | SEPTEMBER | 1890" by the artist in the lower left corner and captioned "REMEMBRANCE" at top in arc integral to the drawing.
History: Owned by Sidney Paget and his descendants.
Notes: Painted on the back of a cartoon drawing captioned "The Grand Old Cherub" and initialed "H E B" (almost certainly Herbert E. Butler). This half-length portrait was done two months after the couple first met in July 1890. They were married in June 1893. (Last updated: 6/20/08)
Portrait of Evelyn Mereoah Paget (daughter of Sidney Paget)
Owner: Granddaughter of Sidney Paget
Description: Oil painting.
History: Owned by Sidney Paget and his descendants.
Notes: Evelyn Mereoah Paget (1899-1995) was Sidney's third daughter and fourth child. This quarter-length portrait is held in an ornate wooden frame and was probably painted between 1904 and 1908. (Last updated: 5/30/10)
Portrait of Beryl May Paget (daughter of Sidney Paget)
Owner: Granddaughter of Sidney Paget
Description: Oil painting.
History: Owned by Sidney Paget and his descendants.
Notes: Beryl May Paget (1902-??) was Sidney's fourth daughter and fifth child. This quarter-length portrait is held in a gilt wooden frame and was probably painted between 1905 and 1908. (Last updated: 5/30/10)
Portrait of Edith Louise Paget (sister of Sidney Paget)
Owner: Granddaughter of Sidney Paget
Description: Oil painting.
History: Owned by Sidney Paget and his descendants.
Notes: Edith Louise Paget (1872?-??) was Sidney's sister. This half-length portrait in profile is held in a gilt wooden frame. Unless there was another sister named Edith, it was probably painted in the 1870s. (Last updated: 5/30/10)
Portrait of Dr. Richard Francis Weymouth, Headmaster of Mill Hill School
Owner: Mill Hill School
Description: Oil painting (approx. 40 x 30 inches), not signed or dated but with a plaque in the frame's lower edge identifying the subject and artist.
History: Commissioned by the Old Millhillians' Club in 1886 as a lasting memento to the School's Headmaster. Displayed at the Old Millhillians' Dinner in October 1886 and presented to the School in 1887. Exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1887.
Collection Notes:
Mill Hill School Collection
No online catalog.
Exhibited: On display in the School Dining Hall
The School also holds Paget's portrait of Sir William Henry Wills.
Notes: A three-quarter length portrait in scarlet robes at D.Litt. Weymouth (1822-1902) was appointed Headmaster of Mill Hill School in 1869 and retired in 1886. (Last updated: 5/1/08)
Portrait of Sir William Henry Wills (Lord Winterstoke), first chairman of Imperial Tobacco
Owner: Mill Hill School
Description: Oil painting (approx. 4.5 x 3.5 feet), not signed or dated.
History: Exhibited at the Royal Academy of Arts in 1901. By 1912 it was held by Mill Hill School and resides there to this day.
Collection Notes:
Mill Hill School Collection
No online catalog.
The School also holds Paget's portrait of Dr. Richard Francis Weymouth.
Notes: This whole-length portrait of Sir William Henry Wills (1830-1911) was painted while he was a baronet. In 1906 he was raised to the peerage and became Lord Winterstoke. Educated at Mill Hill School, he was a major donor in later years and gave £10,000 to the School's centenary fund. In 1995 the School's Winterstoke House was converted to Grimsdell Pre-preparatory School. A study of this portrait was held by his adopted daughter, Janet Stancomb-Wills, circa 1912. (Last updated: 5/1/08)
OIL PAINTINGS
Passage Perilous
Owner: Granddaughter of Sidney Paget
Notes: Oil painting described as a rough study and known to the owner as "Passage Perilous." The painting includes a winged horse with rider and cherub-type characters. It's held in a gilt frame and displayed under a semicircular matte. This might be an early study or alternate version of the painting that Paget exhibited in 1905 at the Royal Academy entitled "The Passage Perilous." There are also reports of a Paget painting sold in 1972 known as "The Perilous Passage." (Last updated: 6/3/10)
Mountainous Landscape
Owner: Leeds City Art Gallery
Notes: Oil on Canvas (20 x 30 inches), signed and inscribed by Paget. Item 85a/1889. (Last updated: 3/16/08)
Figures resting in an extensive landscape
Owner: Not known
Notes: Oil on canvas (32 x 53 inches) of "Figures resting in an extensive landscape." Sold at auction in 2005. (Last updated: 3/16/08)
An angler by a rocky torrent
Owner: Not known
Notes: Oil on canvas (16 x 21 inches), signed. (Last updated: 3/16/08)
Landscape with Fishermen
Owner: Not known
Notes: Oil on canvas (20 x 30 inches), signed at lower right. (Last updated: 3/16/08)
Outcast
Owner: Not known
Notes: Oil on canvas (48 x 96 inches), signed "SIDNEY PAGET" at lower right. Shown London, Royal Academy, 1899, no.557. (Last updated: 3/16/08)
Wooded landscape with figures and horse by mill
Owner: Not known
Notes: Oil painting (29 x 21 inches), signed. (Last updated: 3/16/08)
WATERCOLOR PAINTINGS
Watercolour landscape
Owner: Not known
Notes: Watercolor landscape (17 x 27 inches) of river with rocks and boulders in a mountainous region with two male figures fishing and a female figure behind, signed ("S. Paget") at lower right. Sold at auction in 1998 by Norman L. Rosenbaum. (Last updated: 3/16/08)
Shipping boats in a swell
Owner: Not known
Notes: Watercolor (14 x 24 inches) with three boats in the foreground, signed "S. PAGET" in lower left. (Last updated: 3/16/08)
Surrey landscape
Owner: Not known
Notes: Watercolor (26 3/4 x 34 1/2) with a cart hauling timber and three large trees in foreground, signed. (Last updated: 3/16/08)
Angling below the waterfall
Owner: Not known
Notes: Pencil and watercolor heightened with white (20 x 28 3/4 inches), of a waterfall with mountains to either side, signed "S. PAGET" in lower right. (Last updated: 3/16/08)
Figures by a river with mountains beyond
Owner: Not known
Notes: Watercolor (13 x 20 7/8 inches), of two figures by a river with two trees to their left, signed "S. PAGET" in lower left. (Last updated: 3/16/08)
A British bucolic scene
Owner: Private Collector
Notes: Watercolor of a British bucolic scene. (Last updated: 3/16/08)
TYPE NOT IDENTIFIED
Fisher folk by beached boats
Owner: Not known
Notes: Painting (13 1/2 x 21 inches) of five people and two beached boats in the foreground, signed. Sold at auction in 2008. (Last updated: 3/16/08)
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.
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.
Sidney Paget Biography
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 which may have come from ingesting lead-based paint when sucking his brushes. He died at Margate on 28 January 1908 and was buried at Marylebone cemetery, Finchley.
Census Notes
For each illustration section, drawings are listed chronologically by publication date and then in the sequence in which they appeared in the text. The image next to an entry is from the first publication unless otherwise noted. Since images are NOT from the original drawing they will not show anything unique to the original.
Bold captions at the top of each entry contain the text that appeared with the drawing's first publication in England. That appearance is listed in the citation below the caption. When the illustration also appears in the first English or American edition of the relevant Sherlock Holmes book, I cite it in the Notes for that entry.
Ownership and descriptions have been personally confirmed by me with the owner unless noted otherwise. Dimensions are in inches, generally to the nearest quarter, and given as Height by Width.
History is based on various published reports and some information from owners.
The notes include other details of interest, and when applicable, a cross-reference to Ann Byerly's 1983 census as described below in the Sources section.
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+ at <http://members.cox.net/sherlock1/scuttle.htm>.
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 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
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].
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.
Photos by Peter E. Blau, Christopher Roden, Ted Schulz, Randall Stock, and others who preferred to remain anonymous.
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, Bob Coghill, Saul Cohen, Charles M. Collins, Catherine Cooke, Vincent Delay, Charles Foley, Andrea Grimes, Robert C. Hess, Roger Johnson, Fred Kittle, Jon Lellenberg, Paul Martin, 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, 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.
This website also has a census of Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887 with the first Sherlock Holmes story, and lots of information on Conan Doyle manuscripts.
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