London: Ward, Lock & Co., 1888. First edition. Octavo. Contemporary red pebbled cloth, titles in gilt to spine. Housed in a custom red morocco slipcase with titles in gilt direct to spine, gilt and black ruling, and red cloth chemise. 6 plates from line-drawings by Charles Doyle, decorative tailpieces. A little cocked, lightly rubbed and soiled, the binding otherwise firm, very occasional light spotting, the contents otherwise bright and without marks. A very good, fresh copy.

First edition, first impression, of the first Sherlock Holmes story; preceded only by the story’s appearance in Beeton’s Christmas Annual 1887. Two of the signatures were reset after the first printing, resulting in a misprint in the preface: "younger" becoming "youuger" from the second impression on. The two printings are often referred to by these spellings. The book was illustrated by the author’s father, Charles Doyle, whose drawings are somewhat crude and bear little resemblance to what became the conventional image of Holmes four years later with the Strand Magazine drawings by Sidney Paget.

Of the first edition, all impressions included, WorldCat locates twelve copies, only three of which are in the UK (NLS, Oxford, BL); Library Hub adds one other copy (Cambridge).

Green & Gibson A1a. (Item #3308)