Arthur Conan Doyle – Adventures of Sherlock Holmes [with] The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes – First UK Editions – 1892-1894

Newnes 1894, 1892. Two volumes, both first editions, first issues. Original light and dark blue cloth with gilt lettering and Strand Library design on upper covers and gilt labels on spine. A very good set. ‘The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes’ First edition, first printing. Published by George Newnes Limited in London, 1892. This is a very good copy. The true first issue, with the street sign blank on the front cover, the misspelling of ‘Cocaine’ (’Cucaine’) on page 133 and ‘Miss Violet Hunter’ (’Violent’) on page 317. The boards are generally bright and presentable, but the gilt titling and black ‘Strand Library’ stamp are faded. The spine is moderately tight, but suffers from rubbing at the top and tail, fading again to the ‘Strand Library’ stamp and the gilt titling. There is a small tear at the tail end of the spine. The corners are sharp, but slightly frayed. The gilt text side text block is bright and generally clean; the top and bottom text blocks are toned. Internally, the end papers are beautifully designed and remain clean, but with slight toning to the fly leaf; the rear end papers match this. This copy is, however, mostly free from foxing. ‘The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes’, a very good (or better) copy without inscriptions (small blindstamp to the top of the endpaper, accompanied by a name, repeated to the prelims, gutters are uncracked and very good indeed, some rubbing to the corners and extremities). A much nicer set than is usually encountered.