Auction Date:2010 Nov 10 @ 19:00 (UTC-05:00 : EST/CDT)
Location:5 Rt 101A Suite 5, Amherst, New Hampshire, 03031, United States
ALS - Autograph Letter Signed
ANS - Autograph Note Signed
AQS - Autograph Quotation Signed
AMQS - Autograph Musical Quotation Signed
DS - Document Signed
FDC - First Day Cover
Inscribed - “Personalized”
ISP - Inscribed Signed Photograph
LS - Letter Signed
SP - Signed Photograph
TLS - Typed Letter Signed
Unsigned pencil notes on a 4.5 x 7 off-white sheet. Doyle apparently is making notes for an essay or speech on Irish literature. He lists 21 names including Yeats, Sheridan, John Whitcomb Riley, Swift, The Brontes, Jane Barlow, Shan Bullock, Justin McCarthy, and Standish O’Grady, and adds several comments, including “When we say an Irish book we should mean not a book about Ireland but a book by an Irishman. The other is, I think, a narrow & provincial view,” and “No permanent literature can ever be built upon politics.” In very good condition, with central horizontal and vertical fold, scattered toning and foxing, and an uneven left edge.
These notations offer a glimpse into the author’s working mind as he outlines his thoughts on Irish literature. When referring to an Irish book, he here expresses his intent for the phrase to mean “not a book about Ireland but a book by an Irishman.” Though born in Scotland, Doyle’s heritage was Irish Catholic—a fact that presented identity problems for him both in youth and adulthood. With his cultural background, Doyle never developed a sense of a Scottish identity—and as an adult saw himself as a quintessential ‘English gentleman,’ going so far as to consistently side with the British in the struggle between Ireland and England.
Doyle’s tales of Sherlock Holmes bore an underlying tide of the extreme political movements undertaken by the Irish, with the character of Professor Moriarty bearing a common surname from County Kerry. Many literary experts have noted that Holmes’ mortal enemy bearing a Celtic-Irish name clearly is not by chance. His concern over the political situation, and beliefs such as the one expressed here—“No permanent literature can ever be built upon politics”—would ultimately lead to his retreat into the world of spiritualism, where British imperialism and Irish nationalism had no place. Interesting handwritten notes on a topic that often caused internal conflict within the author.
Auction Location:
5 Rt 101A Suite 5, Amherst, New Hampshire, 03031, United States
Previewing Details:
Visit www.RRAuction.com
Buyer's Premiums:
| From (Incl.) | To (Excl.) | Premium |
| 0.00 |
Infinite |
20% |
Additional Fees:
Shipping Details:
Up to $100 $10.00
$101-$500 $15.00
$501-$1,000 $20.00
$1,001-$3,000 $35.00
$3,000-$10,000 $45.00
Over $10,000 $100.00
Payment Details:
No Info Available
Accepted Payment Methods:
- VISA
- Master Card
- Discover
- Money Order/Bank Draft
- Check/Cheque
- PayPal
- Wire Transfer
Buyer's Premium
A 20% buyer's premium will be added to each winning bid, with a 2% discount for those paying by check, cash, or money order.
Your bid is a contract
Placing a bid online means you agree to abide by the terms and conditions listed by RRAuction.
Payment methods accepted
Money Order, Cashier's Check, Personal Check, or Wire Transfer.
Payment for items won in auction 363 is due by Monday, November 22, unless prior arrangements have been made. Late payment may result in suspension of your bidding privileges.
Visa, Mastercard, PayPal, or Discover are only accepted up to $5,000 without prior arrangement: please contact Mandy Eaton-Casey.
Further descriptions
You can call us or email us if you'd like us to answer questions about these items.