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The Edge of the Unknown Manuscript:
Swann 2024 Auction
By Randall Stock, March 7, 2024 (revised)
Swann Galleries sold the manuscript for part of chapter 15 from Conan Doyle's last book, The Edge of the Unknown.
The Edge of the Unknown Manuscript Description
Lot 152: Manuscript of The Edge of the Unknown by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle
Fragmentary autograph manuscript from chapter 15 of The Edge of the Unknown (1930), Conan Doyle's last book. Not signed, no date or location, but c. 1930.
The extant manuscript for this chapter consists of nine pages written in pencil on the rectos of small 4to sheets. Four of the pages are also marked with a vertical or diagonal blue pencil line. Some sheets have small holes near their upper edge.
These sheets provide a substantial fragment of the manuscript for chapter 15, "Singular Records of a Circle." Text is not continuous, but probably represents about half of the published chapter. Swann Galleries reports only minor differences between the text on these nine manuscript pages and the book's published text. See below for a photo of one sheet.
Two additional items are also included with the above manuscript:
(1) 2-page manuscript in an unknown hand, headed "Monte Video," and mostly in Pitman shorthand. See below for a photo of the first page.
(2) 2-page typescript transcription of an interview.
Presale Estimate: US$3,000 - $4,000
The starting bid was US$1,600. For more auction details, see the catalog section below.
Sale Results
The lot sold on 7 March 2024 with a hammer price of $2,400 and a price realized of US$3,000 including the 25% buyer's premium.
History & Provenance
Conan Doyle held a lifelong interest in psychic phenomena. After publicly proclaiming his belief in Spiritualism in late 1916, he spent most of his remaining years writing and speaking on the subject.
His final book, The Edge of the Unknown (1930), was published less than month before he died. In their Conan Doyle bibliography, Richard Lancelyn Green and John Michael Gibson describe The Edge of the Unknown as "the most enduring legacy of the author's work in the field of spiritualism."
John Murray published the first English edition on June 24, 1930. G.P. Putnam's Sons produced the first American issue of the book in Autumn 1930.
The book's 15 chapters include 14 essays published between 1919 and 1928. Conan Doyle revised many of them for his final book. However, chapter 15 had not been published previously.
Entitled "Singular Records of a Circle," that chapter provided a report of some séances in Uruguay starting in December 1928. The two associated items in this lot include partial transcriptions of "interviews" conducted during the séances. Conan Doyle probably referred to them while writing this chapter. His nine manuscript pages in this auction represent a substantial portion of the chapter's text.
Manuscript Provenance:
The Steve Forbes Collection, Malcolm Stevenson Forbes, Jr. (offered in March 2024 via Swann Auction Galleries).
The Edge of the Unknown Manuscript Photos
A page of Conan Doyle's manuscript from chapter 15 of The Edge of the Unknown
"Monte Video" Manuscript Page (The Edge of the Unknown)
Manuscript in shorthand associated with The Edge of the Unknown
The manuscript description (above) has more information about these two manuscripts. The history section includes some additional details about them.
Swann Catalogue & Sale Information
Swann Auction Galleries provides an online listing and bidding page for Lot #152: Conan Doyle's fragmentary draft manuscript from The Edge of the Unknown.
Sale Information
Autographs
Sale Number: 2661
Online Bidding Opens: February 21, 2024 at 2 PM ET
Lots Begin Closing Thursday, March 7, 2024 at 12 PM ET
Swann Auction Galleries
104 East 25th Street
New York, NY 10010
Phone: (212) 254-4710
The buyer's premium is 25% of the hammer price on the first $100,000.
Pre-sale Viewing
Saturday March 2: 12p-5p
Monday March 4: 12p-5p
Tuesday March 5: 12p-5p
Wednesday March 6: 12p-5p
Acknowledgements and Page History
Manuscript photos courtesy of Swann Auction Galleries.
My thanks to Marco Tomaschett at Swann Galleries, and to Peter E. Blau and Ross Davies for their assistance.
This page is based on information from Swann Galleries as well as other research.
The first version of this report appeared on February 23, 2024. It was revised to include the sale results on March 7, 2024.
Related Pages
Checklist of non-Sherlockian Conan Doyle Manuscripts
Census of Sherlock Holmes Manuscripts
News Archive for Conan Doyle Manuscripts
Other Conan Doyle rarities like Beeton's Christmas Annual 1887 and Sidney Paget drawings.
Lists of each year's best Sherlock Holmes books & DVDs, the most famous Sherlock Holmes quotes, and more Top 10 Lists.
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Vers. 2.1cx-RN Original work
Copyright ©2024
Randall Stock. All Rights Reserved.