Some new old books August 2024, and a personal connection

I'm visiting my aunt in Somerset, England. While I'm here, I'm picking up a small number of books I had delivered to their house. I had a brainwave - if the books are purchased in the UK, then ship them to my aunt, and the postage savings would be massive. And of course I'd have the motivation to make sure I visit, so that I can pick up the books!

It's only a couple of books that I had delivered, but I was looking forward to seeing them.

I wanted to highlight one, partly because it was slightly unusual (I think) and partly because of its prior owner:

This book is The Return of Sherlock Holmes: The Strand Magazine no.154-168: October 1903 - Vol. xxxi to December 1904 Vol. xxviii. The book may be a one-off ; it is each of the stories from "The Return" dis-bound from their Strand issues, and brought together in this volume, likely for a private individual. Because the articles are pulled from the Strand, there is the odd back page of the start or end of another story.

When I purchased this item, it shared that the book came "from the personal Sherlock Holmes collection of Thalia Proctor. Thalia was a passionate Sherlock Holmes fan all her life, which began with her joining the Sherlock Holmes Society as a teenager. Her love of reading and books led her into a 30 year career in the bookselling industry, starting at Athena, then Murder One, and Crime in Store, crime fiction bookshops. Ultimately she would become editorial manager at the Little, Brown Book Group. In 2022 Thalia sadly lost her battle with cancer but she wished for the proceeds from her Sherlockian collection to go to support the care and rehabilitation of animals at Folly Wildlife rescue."

In searching to learn more about Thalia (25th June 1970–2nd April 2022), I came across some more information in this wonderful obituary at thebookseller.com. That article includes some more information on Thalia's Sherlockian cred:

"An avid reader from a young age, books were in the genes of the Proctor family. As a teenager, Thalia joined the Sherlock Holmes Society with her mum, Loretta, reading Arthur Conan Doyle’s novels multiple times and making notes as she went. I was particularly grateful for this knowledge when she correctly answered Mark Billingham’s Harrogate crime-quiz question of how many steps there were from the ground floor to the study at 221b Baker Street (17, of course)."

I didn't meet Thalia, but I'll be printing the obit and sale information inside the cover of this book, and hope it always travels with this book - whoever owns it next, and next, and next.

Well, the other books were things I'd been looking out for.

This is a 1993 facsimile of the Ward, Lock & Co print of 'A Study in Scarlet. The wrapper around the facsimile (red cardboard) states that 500 copies were produced. I can't find any information on the "Dr Watson Books" but this facsimile is very similar in form to the Beeton's facsimile (red wrappers, limited edition of 550) published by John Michael Gibson (Conan Doyle Books) in 1987/1988.

 

At left is a copy of Through The Magic Door in its dust wrapper. The front and spine of the DJ have a price label for 2 shillings, modified to 2/6 by hand, presumably at the time of bookstore sale. At right is an advance reading copy of The Bells at Old Bailey by Dorothy Bowers. I have both the UK and English first editions (only editions?) of this book, and this is an unusual accompaniment. 

I also received a small set of Sherlock Holmes Society of London publications associated with their field trips. I hope to ultimately collect them all.