"The Crooked Man" Manuscript:
Sotheby's 2023 Auction

By Randall Stock, July 20, 2023 (revised)

Sotheby's sold Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes manuscript featuring the great detective's famous phrase "Elementary."

The Crooked Man manuscript - first 5 lines

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Manuscript Description

History

Manuscript Photos

Catalog & Sale Info

"The Crooked Man" Manuscript Description

Lot 1185: Manuscript of "The Crooked Man" by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Headed on the first page as "The Adventure of the Crooked Man," with a "Reform Club, Pall Mall S.W." blind stamp in the upper right corner. Not signed or dated but c. 1893.

Blind stamp on The Crooked Man manuscript

The extant manuscript consists of four pages written on the rectos only of four large sheets measuring 12.7 x 8 inches (322 x 202 mm). A "Reform Club" blind stamp appears on the first two pages. As is common for Holmes manuscripts, the sheets include a small hole in the upper left corner from a paper fastener.

As the only surviving portion of the manuscript, these pages provide approximately the first 1,100 words of the story. Page 2 includes Holmes's famous "Elementary" response after explaining a deduction to Watson. See below for photos of the manuscript.

The loose sheets of the manuscript are housed in a red cloth portfolio with gilt titles on the cover as "The Adventure of the Crooked Man / Arthur Conan Doyle / Original Manuscript / The Only Surviving Portion / [South Norwood, 1893]."

The pre-sale estimate was US$35,000 - $50,000. The bid as of July 15 was at US$32,000, and the reserve had been met. For more auction details, see the catalog section below.

Sale Results

The manuscript sold for US$95,250, which consisted of a $75,000 hammer price plus premiums.

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History & Provenance

After writing his first twelve Sherlock Holmes short stories, Conan Doyle was ready to work on other projects. When the Strand Magazine requested still more Holmes tales, he told his mother "I offered to do a dozen for a thousand pounds, but I sincerely hope that they won't accept it now."

They did accept, and so he went on to produce what became The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. He probably wrote "The Crooked Man" in early 1893. The surviving manuscript features the dialogue between Holmes and Watson that eventually transformed into Sherlock Holmes's most famous quotation:

"Excellent! I cried.
"Elementary," said he.

Elementary on page 2 of the manuscript of The Crooked Man

The better-known version of "Elementary, my dear Watson" does not appear in any of Conan Doyle's stories, and so this manuscript is the closest one can get to the original source of the "Elementary" quotation.

The story appeared in the July 1893 Strand Magazine, and in America in both the July 8, 1893 issue of Harper's Weekly and the August 1893 number of the New York Strand. Collected in The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, George Newnes published the English first edition in 1893 (although dated 1894), and Harper & Brothers produced the American first edition in 1894.

Conan Doyle did not consistently retain his Holmes manuscripts until after 1900. Most of his early Holmes manuscripts no longer exist. The only complete manuscript from the Memoirs is "The Greek Interpreter." Of the other stories in the Memoirs, these four pages remain from "The Crooked Man," as well as single pages from "The Reigate Squires" and "The Final Problem." The Sherlock Holmes Manuscript Census lists all the Holmes manuscripts

Provenance:

Christie's London April 28, 1966 lot 189 to Maggs; a California dealer (from Maggs); Lew David Feldman / House of El Dieff (Catalogue 71 issued November 1971, item 15); Alastair B. Martin (purchased from Feldman, died 1/12/10); Robin Bradley Martin (bequest of Alastair B. Martin, offered at Sotheby's July 2023).

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"The Crooked Man" Manuscript Photos

Manuscript of The Crooked Man - first page

First page of Conan Doyle manuscript for "The Crooked Man"

Page 4 from "The Crooked Man" Manuscript

Page 4 of Conan Doyle manuscript for "The Crooked Man"

The manuscript description (above) has more information and a larger photo of the Reform Club blind stamp. The history section includes a photo from the second page showing the usage of "Elementary." See the Sotheby's online catalog for other photos of the manuscript.

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Sotheby's Catalog & Sale Information

Sotheby's provides an online listing and bidding page for Lot #1185: Almost elementary, my dear Watson (manuscript of "The Crooked Man." The listing includes three large photos of the manuscript.

Sale Information

Fine Books and Manuscripts, Including Americana (Part 2)

Sale Number: N11243

Thursday, July 20, 2023; 2:00 PM EDT

Online Bidding Only: July 6–20, 2023

Sotheby's

1334 York Avenue

New York, New York 10021

Phone: +1 212-606-7000

The buyer's premium is 26% on the first $1,000,000. There is also an Overhead Premium of 1% of the hammer price.

Online bidding opened on July 6, 2023. Sotheby's offered this lot with a reserve. However, on July 11 their website indicated a bid at US$30,000 and that the reserve had been met.

Pre-sale Viewing in New York

Thu, 13 Jul: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM EDT

Fri, 14 Jul: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM EDT

Sat, 15 Jul: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM EDT

Sun, 16 Jul: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM EDT

Mon, 17 Jul: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM EDT

Tue, 18 Jul: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM EDT

Wed, 19 Jul: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM EDT

Thu, 20 Jul: 10:00 AM - 5:00 PM EDT

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