NEED A FIX? No, no, no, not the seven-per-cent solution. I wouldn't push that trauma on anyone. I'm talking about a visual fix of the Great Detective; his attire, his accoutrements and his unmistakable visage. And really, who could we find that's more deserving to give thanks to this month--well besides everyone who is working diligently to battle this horrible pandemic we're stuck in--than the ultimate practitioner of science, logic and deduction himself--Sherlock Holmes.
Sidney Edward Paget (1860-1908) is the British artist most associated with Sherlock Holmes. He produced an astonishing 356 drawings for Doyle's Holmes stories over the course of his too short career. This is his first published illustration of Holmes, a pen & ink and wash, representing the story The Adventure of the Red-Headed League, in the August, 1891, issue of The Strand Magazine (UK).
Here Paget illustrates the famous scene at the Reichenbach Falls in the Switzerland Alps, with Holmes grappling to the death with his nemesis Professor James Moriarty, lifted from Doyle's story The Final Problem, published in The Strand Magazine in December, 1893.
The September, 1914, issue of The Strand Magazine, has Sherlock Holmes profiled in color by Sidney Paget, illuminating Arthur Conan Doyle's serialized novel, The Valley of Fear.
Salomon Abbey (1883-1955), born Salomon van Abbé and nicknamed Jack, produced the cover art on Sherlock Holmes: Fact of Fiction?, a biographical conceit by Thomas S. Blakeney, which was published in hardcover by John Murray of London in 1932. Abbey, along with his younger brother Joseph (Salomon signed the 'y' in his name in a straight line or slash; Joseph looped his 'y'), was a prodigious illustrator for most of the major publishers in the United Kingdom, from 1915 through the mid-1950's, with an estimated 470 book jackets produced.
Conan Doyle's Stories for Boys (what, no stories for girls?) by A. Conan Doyle was published in hardcover by Cupples & Leon Co., of London in 1938, with jacket art and frontispiece supplied by an unknown illustrator.
'Strange adventure, dangerous intrigue and baffling mystery throb through every page of these amazing stories about that master detective-- Sherlock Holmes... Read this startling collection which includes A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of the Four, A Case of Identity, The Red-Headed League, A Scandal in Bohemia, and The Boscombe Valley Mystery, and learn why we, the publishers, are proud to offer these stories to the boys of America as our recipe for sheer reading enjoyment.'
The Sherlock Holmes Pocket Book by A. Conan Doyle was published in paperback by Pocket (No. 95) in 1941. The cover art is uncredited, but if I had to guess I would say it was the work of H. Lawrence Hoffman, Pocket's then primary in-house artist and designer.
'... is a collection of the most vivid and fascinating of the Holmes stories-- revealing the lightning-quick, penetrating reasoning of this phenomenal sleuth. It contains his most famous cases: The Red-Headed League; The Sign of the Four; A Case of Identity; A Scandal in Bohemia; and A Study in Scarlet. In each of these stories Holmes pits himself against the most cunning criminals of his time, and with his uncanny abilities he brings each one to justice. All lovers of mystery and adventure will be delighted to find within one volume these, the greatest of Conan Doyle's famous stories.'
Philip Simmonds, a British artist, produced the jacket art on Doyle's novel The Valley of Fear, a hardcover reprint published by John Murray of London in 1949. Not much is known
about Simmonds, though I have found maybe a dozen examples of his cover art
online. If I didn't know better I would say that this is the work of
one of the Abbey brothers.
'Sherlock Holmes solves the mystery of a murder in a moated house in
Sussex but, in doing so, uncovers an earlier and grimmer history of
lawlessness and wholesale murder in a mining valley in the United
States. The trail of vengeance seemed to have failed when its emissary
was himself killed by the man who was to have been his victim. In the
subsequent events Holmes recognized the touch of that criminal genius
Professor Moriarty, and the battle of giants was once more on.'
The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was
published in paperback by Bantam in 1949. This cover, drawn to near perfection by an unknown
artist, has Holmes fighting Moriarty at the now famous Reichenbach Falls.
'A locked door... a low-voiced bitter quarrel... and silence. They found James Barclay sprawled on the floor near the fireplace, his dead face framed in a widening pool of his own blood, frozen in a dreadful grimace of inhuman terror. Near him, his beautiful young wife lay mercifully unconscious on the couch. And even to save her own life, later, Nancy Barclay could not remember what terrible thing had happened in that room of horror and murder. SHERLOCK HOLMES, world's greatest detective, traps a killer in, The Crooked Man, only one of eleven exciting adventures, including the story of Holmes' most dangerous opponent, Moriarty, king of crime, and their life-and-death struggle at the Reichenbach Falls.'
Charles Skaggs (1917- 2017) designed the cover art on The Case Book of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. It was published in paperback by Pocket in 1950. Skaggs was an award-winning book designer and calligrapher who spent three decades working in New York City for various publishers. A special exhibition of his work was held in 2002 at Smith College in Northampton, MA, featuring 580 of his original book designs.
'An urgent note requesting an appointment. The message, a matter of life and death. The writer, socially prominent Sir James Damery. Sherlock Holmes and his assistant Dr. Watson were on hand to hear the story Sir James had to tell. It was this: "We are dealing with a man to whom violence is familiar and who will stick at nothing. There is no more dangerous man in Europe..." Thus begins 'The Adventure of the Illustrious Client,' one of twelve stories of horror and murder included in this case book of the master detective, Sherlock Holmes.'
British artist Montague Philip Mendoza (1899-1973) is credited with the cover art on this paperback edition of The Valley of Fear by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, which was published by Pan Books of London in 1951. Philip Mendoza, in addition to his many book covers for both children and adults, also illustrated several comic books, including an outstanding adaptation of Sax Rohmer's The Island of Fu Manchu.
'The Valley of Fear was Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's last detective-novel and, in the opinion of his biographer Mr. John Dickson Carr, his best. It is in two parts. The first tells how Sherlock Holmes tackles the mystery of a strange crime at the moated Birlstone Manor. A man is found murdered in the study. There are obvious clues, such as a candle and a blood-mark. But there are other clues which Watson does not perceive, though Holmes instantly realises their importance--the fact, for instance, that one of a pair of dumb-bells is missing. Holmes tantalises Watson by insisting on the significance of the missing dumb-bell--and of Watson's umbrella; and the reader is given every vital clue to the solution. Then the plot switches to a mining valley in America in order to recount an earlier history of lawlessness and murder which led up to the crime in England. In the subsequent events Holmes recognises the touch of that criminal genius Professor Moriarty.'
The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes, a collection of pastiches by Adrian Conan Doyle (the son of Arthur Conan Doyle) and John Dickson Carr, was first published in hardcover by Random House in 1954. The jacket art was produced by Jules Gotlieb, with all interior illustrations drawn by Jerome Kuhl. Six of the twelve stories were written in collaboration by the authors, while last six were written solely by Adrian Conan Doyle. The book was not a great success at the time, and there were no further Sherlock Holmes pastiches by either writer.
'The footstep of a client is heard once more upon the stairs of 221B Baker Street. For the world's greatest detective is back at work, miraculously returned to life in a new collection of authentic adventures, none of which has ever appeared in any previous Sherlock Holmes book. This series might be called "The Unrecorded Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes," for all these further exploits are based on cases referred to in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's original works but never before reported by Dr. Watson. Now, at last, under the authorship of Adrian Conan Doyle and John Dickson Carr, Dr. Watson has been persuaded to describe fully the amazing adventures that were only cursorily mentioned in the earlier chronicles. The authors have carefully reconstructed the world of Sherlock Holmes, whose center was his rooms at 221B Baker Street. Their stories are the inspired results of years of meticulous research, of creative imagination and of scrupulous attention to the minute details that characterized all the efforts of the world's most famous detective. The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes are developed from the unsolved cases to which Dr. Watson alludes in the original fifty-six stories and four novels. The plots are new, but these stories are painstaking reproductions of the originals, in construction as well as in texture. And now turn to the first story, for once again "the game's afoot..."'
D. L. Mays (1900-1991) produced the jacket art on the first British edition of The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes, which was published in
hardcover by John Murray of London in 1954. D. L. Mays, baptized Douglas
Lionel Mays, was a very successful cartoonist, poster artist and
advertising designer before becoming a prolific illustrator of books for
children, teens and adults.
'Most readers have been tatalised by Dr. Watson's references, in the original Sherlock Holmes stories, to cases to which he referred by name but never recorded:--for instance, The Black Baronet, The Wax Gamblers, The Abbas Ruby, Foulkes Rath, The Deptford Horror, etc. The twelve stories in this volume are based on these hints. The plots are new but the stories are faithful to the originals both in construction and texture. Some have been written by the son of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and the master of detective fiction, John Dickson Carr, in collaboration, and some by each separately.'
'Baker Street Irregulars rally 'round! The good Dr. Watson has again taken up his pen and after consulting his diary written 12 more accounts of cases solved by the peer of all detectives, Sherlock Holmes. These are new stories, never before published in book form. They are written with meticulous attention to the details of style and settings established by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The son's work is worthy of his father. Adrian Conan Doyle is the youngest son of Sir Arthur and his literary executor. Six of the stories from his pen unaided by the junior author. The others are cooperative works. John Dickson Carr is one of our leading mystery writers with 59 novels to his name. The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes is a must for those who cut their eye-teeth in mystery with Dr. Watson's accounts of Holmes. To those who do not know their Holmes this is a fine introduction into the art of deduction as it was practiced at 221B Baker Street.' -- Colorado Springs Free Press.
Cheslie D'Andrea produced the cover art and interior illustrations for Whitman's 1955 edition of Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. There's not much personal information about D'Andrea online besides his birth and death date (1913-1999), but apparently he illustrated quite a few teen books in his day. There are also a couple of very nice oil paintings for sale online that have been attributed to him.
William Teason was an extremely prolific illustrator of paperback covers, and to some mystery fans his name is synonymous with the works of Agatha Christie. He also did a series of classic Sherlock Homes paperback covers for Berkley in the 1960s using still-life's as subjects, and while this 1960 Popular Library cover for The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes isn't signed or initialed, I believe it to be his work.
'Sherlock Holmes remains the best-known and best loved fictional detective ever conceived. He is also probably the most famous character in all English literature. In The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes, the ingenious detective and his ever-present Dr. Watson solve their most challenging and fascinating cases.'
Although it's not credited, I believe William Teason also produced the cover art on Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street (top), a fictionalized biography of Sherlock Holmes. It was published in paperback by Popular Library in 1963. Eleven years later Popular placed a slightly cropped version of it on their reprint edition of Doyle's The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (bottom).
Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street: 'A fascinating piece of work... new and starling... Did you know, for example, that the notorious Jack the Ripper was identified and brought to justice? Well, he was; and by no less a personage that the master sleuth, Holmes. And who was Jack? You are in for a real surprise... 'And did you know that Irene Adler bore Holmes a son, who now lives in New York and is a great detective in his own right? Read and discover for yourselves...' --- Best Sellers.
Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: 'Sherlock Holmes--the most famous character in all English literature. Dr. Watson--his faithful and beloved friend. Together they solve the most challenging and fascinating cases...'
Victor Kalin was also a prolific paperback cover artist, and while I'm no advocate for smoking of any kind, his cover art for Great Stories of Sherlock Holmes (Dell, 1962) by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle is, most assuredly, well lit.
'Who was Sherlock Holmes? Conan Doyle and Sherlock Holmes, one real and the other fictional.
Background? Both were the descendants of country squires.
Habits? Both worked in old dressing gowns, were monstrously untidy with their papers, kept loaded pistols on or in their desks, smoked clay pipes, shut themselves off from the whole world when investigating a case.
Knowing that he was dying, Conan Doyle at last put it on record--"if anyone is Sherlock Holmes, then I confess it is myself." --- Adrian Conan Doyle, writer and son of the creator of Sherlock Holmes.'
D. K. Stone (1922-2001), born David K. Stone, covered a lot of stuff in his commercial art career: genre paperbacks, children's books, magazines and even collectible stamps (The Pioneers of Flight series). Adding to his list of hardcover jacket accomplishments are The Seven-Per-Cent Solution and its sequel The West End Horror, both written by
Nicholas Meyer and published by E. P. Dutton in 1974 and 1975, respectively.
'The Seven-Per-Cent-Solution is a story unparalleled in the annals of criminal detection. Discovered in Hampshire, England, where it had lain neglected since 1939, then painstakingly researched and annotated for two years by editor Nicholas Meyer, The Seven-Per-Cent Solution marks the first publication of a heretofore unknown and astounding episode in the career of Sherlock Holmes as recorded by his closest friend and chronicler, Dr. John H. Watson. Even more remarkable than the historic discover of Watson's typescript are the revelations it contains concerning the real identity of the heinous Professor Moriarty, the dark secret shared by Sherlock and brother Mycroft Holmes, and the detective's true whereabouts and activities during the Great Hiatus when the world believed him dead. Most astounding of all, The Seven-Per-Cent-Solution details the events that led to the meeting in Vienna of the world's two most brilliant investigators and their collaboration on a sensational case of diabolic conspiracy.'
'... In The West End Horror, Nicholas Meyer has brought to light another previously unpublished episode in the career of the famous detective Sherlock Holmes as recorded by his close associated and friend Dr. John H. Watson: March, 1895. London. A month of singular occurrences in the West End. First there was the bizarre murder of theatre critic Jonathan McCarthy; the police were baffled. Then came the lawsuit against the Marquess of Queensberry for libel; the public was scandalized. And what of the ingenue at the Savoy, discovered with her throat slashed? Or the police surgeon who disappeared taking with him two corpses from the mortuary? Some of the theatre district's most fashionable and creative luminaries (as well as a number of more marginal participants) were involved or affected by these events: a penniless stage critic and writer named Bernard Shaw; Ellen Terry, the gifted actress and the loveliest woman in London; Gilbert and Sullivan; a suspicious box office clerk named Bram Stoker; an aging matinee idol, Henry Irving; an unscrupulous publisher calling himself Frank Harris; and a controversial wit by the name of Oscar Wilde. Scotland Yard is mystified by what appear to be unrelated cases, but to Holmes the matter is elementary: a maniac is on the loose.'
'The sixty adventures of Sherlock Holmes, as recorded by Dr. John H. Watson, M.D., are classics in their genre and, as such, have spawned hundreds of volumes of expert analysis and literary study. None, however, has withstood the test of time as well as this warm and imaginative re-creation of the legendary master detective. Though not intended to be a scholarly treatise, this work contains a great deal of valuable information about both Conan Doyle and the Holmes stories-- "The Sacred Writings," as the Baker Street Irregulars refer to them. Here, too, is fascination and entertainment that will endure as long as the cold London fog rolls in with the winter and mischief is planned and thwarted, and books are written and read. Come, visit once again "the nostalgic country of the mind, where it is always 1895."
Naked is the Best Disguise: The Death and Resurrection of Sherlock Holmes is a non-fiction analysis by Samuel Rosenberg that was published in paperback by Penguin in 1975. The cover art was produced by Robert Geissmann (1909-1976). Geissmann studied at the Ohio State University's Department of Fine Arts before becoming a regular contributor to the magazines of his era, including Holiday and Coronet. He also produced and designed book covers, and from 1953 to 1955 he was president of the Society of Illustrators.
'Here at last is the truth about Sherlock Holmes and his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Interpreting clues so obvious, so "naked," that most readers overlook them, Samuel Rosenberg proves that Professor Moriarty is really Friedrich Nietzsche, that Thaddeus Sholto in The Sign of the Four is really Oscar Wilde, and that Holmes himself is Sir Arthur's superego, forever at war with repressed sexuality and unmentionable perversions.'
John Watson is not as well known or productive as some of his illustrative peers were (or still are), but he was just as skilled as they were at what he painted. His forte was realism, and the Great Stories of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle shows him at his photo-realistic best. Dell published this paperback edition in 1975.
'Why was a madman running about London destroying statues of Napoleon? Elementary, dear reader (in The Adventure of the Six Napoleons).
How could the most remarkable horse in England simply disappear? Elementary, dear reader (in Silver Blaze).
What did a series of childish drawings have to do with a cold-blooded murder? Elementary, dear reader (in The Adventure of the Dancing Men).
The extraordinary Holmes comes up with these solutions and more in this magnificent collection of the master detective's most puzzling crimes.'
Richard Clifton-Dey (1930-1997) produced the cover art on this 1975 Panther paperback edition of Baring-Gould's fictionalized biography of Sherlock Holmes. Clifton-Dey was one of the United Kingdom's best illustrators during the last century. He produced covers for practically every genre there was, but with a decided leaning towards historicals, adventure and science-fiction.
'Sherlock Holmes has become a legend, his very name synonymous with brilliant crime detection. Here is the first comprehensive biography of the man, written with scrupulous accuracy, thoroughness, and a warm, infectious enthusiasm. Tracing Holmes's career, W. S. Baring-Gould has revealed many hitherto unknown facts: his parentage and early life, his somewhat erratic years at Oxford, Cambridge and Bart's, as well as an interlude on the stage in Britain and America. Holmes's little-known relationships with other celebrities of the time--including King Edward VII, Karl Marx, Lewis Carroll and Bernard Shaw--are put in the perspective of his mysterious 'missing years.' For those long acquainted with Holmes's superb feats of detection and newcomers to the classic accounts of his exploits alike, SHERLOCK HOLMES provides fascinating and unputdownable reading.'
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Victor Gadino provided this wonderful cover painting for Philip Jose Farmer's playful pastiche, The Adventure of the Peerless Peer, which Dell published in paperback in 1976. Gadino graduated from the Pratt Institute of Art in NYC and then went on to produce hundreds of excellent covers for books and magazines. He also illustrated collectibles and produced movie posters for Hollywood.
Famed "Jaws" artist Roger Kastel (1932- ) created this cover art on The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes, which was published in paperback by Pocket in 1976. It has become one of my favorite portraits in the entire Holmes canon.
'Once again, "The Game's afoot!" Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson embark on twelve new detective adventures that have never before appeared in a paperbound book. These strange and surprising cases--only hinted at in the famous earlier chronicles--are recorded at last in full. Here is the good Watson, rushing impetuously to the aid of lovely ladies in distress. And Holmes, taking soothing pleasure from his violin while frustrating Scotland Yard's Lestrade at every encounter. These are, indeed, cases for the connoisseur...'
Ken Barr (1933- 2016), who generally specialized in fantastic themed illustrations, produced the colorful cover art on both Hellbirds and The Earthquake Machine, two pastiches co-written by Austin Mitchelson and Nicholas Utechin. Belmont Tower published both of these paperbacks in 1976. Utechin is one of the world's foremost Sherlockians, and served as editor of The Sherlock Holmes Journal for 30 years, from 1976 to 2006.
The Earthquake Machine: 'In the autumn of 1906 a telegram was
delivered to 221B Baker Street. It contained a message which was to
plunge Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson into their most terrifying
adventure, which would threaten the very existence of the British Empire
and bring the world to the edge of destruction. This message set the
two detectives on a relentless search for a group of terrorists bent on
world war. It read simply: "Come at once, you country at stake."'
Hellbirds: 'In December of 1914, while the two greatest armies in history were deadlocked across Europe from the North Sea to the Alps, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson were called in to investigate the mysterious death of a man who had fallen victim to a vicious flock of birds. There is more to it than is first apparent, however--for an evil genius, the German master spy Von Bork, is planning to infiltrate all of England.'
The Giant Rat of Sumatra by Richard L. Boyer was published in
paperback by Warner in 1976. The cover art is signed on the lower left
side but I can't quite decipher it, so I don't know who the artist truly is. Boyer's novel is considered by many
Sherlockians to be the best Holmes pastiche ever written (and believe me there is a lot to choose from).
[*Update: A commenter (Jesse) informed me that the signature actually reads "SketchPad," which was the name of Don Punchatz's commercial art studio in Texas. Knowing that now I can certainly see Punchatz's influence on this piece].
'"A story for which the world is not yet prepared..." That is how Sherlock Holmes described the fantastic tale of THE GIANT RAT OF SUMATRA in his "The Adventure of the Sussex Vampire." Dr. John Watson, in deference to Holmes' wishes, kept the chronicle a secret, stipulating in his will that only in the year 1976 could the particulars of the case be revealed. Here it is! A tale that bears the marks of Holmes' deductive genius. Watson's faithful reportage and a plotting virtuosity that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself would have approved in the author, Richard L. Boyer. THE GIANT RAT OF SUMATRA: An adventure in abduction, intimidation and insanity.
Dr. Watson made provision before he died that the story of the giant rat, one of the most remarkable of all Sherlock Holmes's cases, should be held in the vaults of a London bank until all the protagonists--who included one of the most distinguished families of the day--were dead. Holmes himself, remarked that the world was not then ready to hear such a story. Now that it can be published, the reader is warned...'
'Who, in real life, was Sherlock Holmes? Who was Dr. Watson? And who, really was Sir Conan Doyle? With brilliant detection, Charles Higham follows the clues and comes up with the answers. Along the way, he solves the mystery of the true identity of Professor Moriarty, Holmes famous adversary, by unlocking a word puzzle that remained hidden in one of Conan Doyle's stories for more than fifty years. He also reveals the source of the famous "dancing men" code, and tells of Conan Doyle's own solving of the theft of the Irish crown jewels, the murder of a rich old lady in Glasgow, and the bizarre cattle mutilations in Stratfordshire.'
An East Wind is Coming is a science-fictional pastiche written by Arthur Byron Cover. It was published in paperback by Berkley in 1979. Boris Vallejo, who distinct style of painting is now literally world famous among SFF fans, produced the cover art.
'It was two million years in the future and they were immortal--Holmes, Watson, all the Great Ones. With nothing to master but limitless Time. But that was before the killing began, before the world's greatest sleuth discovered that history's most heinous criminal was also "alive" and steeping the East End of the Eternal City in the blood of goddesses. Somehow they had to stop him from wielding his antimatter blade. But the puzzle's solution would be less than elementary--and much more bizarre than even Holmes could envision--for an Eternity to come.'
The cover montage on Robert Weverka's Murder by Decree was carried over from the film's poster art by famed commercial and poster art specialist Richard Amsel (1947-1985). Ballantine published this novelization in paperback in 1979.
'THE MOST INFAMOUS MURDERER IN THE ENTIRE CENTURY--He terrorized a city. He committed acts of unspeakable horror. He ruled the shadows and the back alleys. He was called the Ripper... THE MOST ILLUSTRIOUS INVESTIGATOR OF ALL TIME-- He commanded boundless admiration. He possessed ruthless intelligence. He pursued his suspects with unfailing instincts. He was Sherlock Holmes.'
Jacques Devaud produced the cover art on Frank Thomas's pastiche Sherlock Holmes and the Sacred Sword, which Pinnacle published in paperback in 1980. Devaud modeled his take on Holmes after actor Alfred Burke, from a revival of a Gillette play performed in 1952. Watson is modeled after Nigel Bruce. From what I can glean, Devaud graduated from the Art Center College of Design in Pasadena, and in addition to producing book covers and movie posters he also he also taught art for a living.
'A dying man arrives at 221B Baker Street... An eccentric burglar scandalizes Sussex... The legendary sword of the prophet Mohammad surfaces, then disappears... This bizarre sequence of events propels Sherlock Holmes and Watson on a strange Odyssey, from Baker Street to the back canals of Venice, from Berlin to exotic Egypt and the Valley of the Kings--in search of the sacred sword and a false prophet who threatens to trigger a Holy War in the Middle East--unless Sherlock Holmes stops him in time.'
Neither Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Raleigh Legacy (St. Martin's, 1987), or Sherlock Holmes and the Case of Sabina Hall (Pocket, 1989), are credited with cover artists, but the 'Sabina Hall cover is initialed with a stylized "K." Could it be the work of longtime Pocket Books artist Roger Kastel? Well, maybe, but I don't think so. Chances are it is someone else entirely. The third volume, Sherlock Holmes and the Thistle of Scotland (Pocket, 1990), is credited to Tim O'Brien, one of Time magazine's and publishing's most venerable cover artists. He's currently a professor at the Pratt Institute in Brooklyn as well as the president of the Society of Illustrators in New York. All three Sherlock Holmes pastiches were written by Canadian resident L. B. (Lilian Beth) Greenwood.
[*Update: A commenter (Anonymous) identified the "K" as belonging to artist Kazuhiko Sano, whom I was aware of but also not aware of. Consider that a big 'duh' on my part.]
...RALEIGH LEGACY: 'The mystery stretched back to Sir Walter Raleigh. His cryptic letter, with its mention of a great treasure, was the only legacy young Aleck Raleigh had. And for almost three centuries every Raleigh heir had sought the treasure. Now only Aleck is left in the somber, decaying mansion of Nightsead--with his stepfather, Mr. Moseley, a gaunt man filled with suspicions and secrets. And as the mystery deepened with the appearance of a vivacious American girl and strange events at Nightsead, it was sure to end with murder... a devious, diabolical act that made this a case only the great Holmes could solve.'
...SABINA HALL: 'At the behest of a university acquaintance, Sherlock Holmes joins Dr. Watson on a mission of mercy to the bleak Bristol coast. But Holmes is not motivated by altruism, and when they reach Sabina Hall, his suspicions are justified. Miserly old Silas Andrews, who was to be Watson's patient, lies dead--and a peculiar smell on his medicine spoon means only one thing to Holmes: poison! The drafty, dilapidated hall teems with suspects: Bertha Garth, Sila's coldhearted sister-in-law, all too gleeful over her large inheritance; servants Joel and Belle Harper, who expect--and do not receive--a legacy; cheeky housemaid Sally Kipp, mysteriously far from her Cockney home; nasty village handyman Neb, bitter over conditions at Silas's now-derelict coal mine; and Aunt Garth's put-upon companion, Agnes, whose sweetness leaves Watson, at least, sure of her innocence...'
...THISTLE OF SCOTLAND: 'When a legendary jewel, the Thistle of Scotland, vanishes from the bride's coiffure at her wedding breakfast, Sherlock Holmes is summoned--in the strictest confidence. The exquisite amethyst is the sole dowry of the impoverished Earl Mowbray's daughter, Lady Caroline. If the centuries-old piece is not found, the marriage will be annulled. As the police busy themselves interrogating footmen and intimidating kitchen maids, Holmes and Watson uncover clue upon clue. Yet Holmes must confess himself baffled by the odd plethora of evidence: the strange condition of books in the Earl's library... the making of tea at a Ladies charity society... a pair of check trousers that no gentleman --would wear. Every avenue leads back to the proud and silent Lady Caroline. But when she, too, disappears, Holmes must make haste if he is to save a lady's honor--and his own reputation!'
Steve Macanga produced the cover art for Lloyd Biggle, Jr's., excellent pastiche The Quallsford Inheritance, A Memoir of Sherlock Holmes from the Papers of Edward Porter Jones, His Late Assistance. Penguin published this novel in paperback in 1987.
'Sherlock Holmes said, "If you want to know what happened in Edmund Quallsford's bedroom, you will have to find the first page of this letter..." And so Porter, Sherlock Holmes's nineteen-year-old apprentice, sets off for the Isle of Graesney, where Edmund Quallsford has committed suicide. Or has he? Evidence seems to point to murder, and rumors of smuggling and old family debts prove to be well founded. Luckily, Holmes shows up--in disguise, of course--and the Holmes-Porter team sorts its way through a lively group of locals to find the smuggling-ring mastermind.'
The Revenge of the Hound is an excellent Sherlock Holmes pastiche that was written by Michael Hardwick. Villard published it in hardback in 1987 (top). The jacket art was produced by Jim Steranko. Two years later a paperback edition was published by Pinnacle (bottom). Pinnacle commissioned some of the very best illustrators in the country to produce their cover art, but like here, they rarely if ever identified them.
Pinnacle edition: '... A sleeping derelict is savaged by a huge hound... The headless skeleton of Oliver Cromwell is stolen... A Chinese ship's steward is mysteriously murdered... And the King of England is threatened with blackmail. A sinister game is afoot, and it's up to Sherlock Holmes and his devoted crony and chronicler Dr. John Watson to put the pieces of the bizarre puzzle together, in order to keep the British Empire from being torn apart!'
Raymond Smullyan was 97 years old when he died in 2017. He was a professor, mathematician, magician, concert pianist, logician, Taoist, philosopher, author, and quite possibly, a chess master. The Chess Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes was first published in 1979 in both hardback and trade paperback by Knopf. Their cover was produced by Richard Mantel of Push Pin Studios (top). Oxford University Press then republished Smullyan's book in 1992 (bottom). British artist Paul Dickenson created their rather well executed cover art.
Knopf edition: 'Here... are 50 elegant, witty, and altogether unique chess problems... Since these problems involve the same kind of logical reasoning that lies at the core of the Sherlock Holmes stories, Raymond Smullyan has aptly set each one within its own Holmes-Watson dialogue. In the first half of the book, Holmes instructs Watson in the intricacies of the type of chess detection known as "retrograde analysis." At various London clubs and in country houses, the two men find interrupted games (or games with a piece knocked off the table or ambiguously placed between two squares). In each case Holmes, by his remarkable powers of deduction, is able to demonstrate to his awed admirers precisely what must have happened, move by move, at the "scene of the crime"--the chess table. For example: what the missing piece is; what square it should be on; whether or not either side can castle. In the second half of the book, through a series of progressively more difficult (self-contained) chess problems, Holmes, with the reader's help, solves a mystery, and a double murder--perpetrated, of course, by Moriarty. And at the end of the book, a special bonus: ten problems from Moriarty himself (four of them composed before the age on nine!). A delight and a challenge for anyone who likes chess problems--or intellectual puzzles of any kind.'
This one-sheet poster, by noted artist Paul Davis (1938- ), was produced for Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's The Master Blackmailer, a two-part Sherlock Holmes television series episode starring Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke. It was hosted by Diana Rigg and it aired on May 6, 1993 on the PBS Mystery Theater. The artwork was also used on at least one TV-tie-in paperback edition from Penguin Select (The Return of Sherlock Holmes, 1987). My brother Jim was of the opinion that Brett was the best screen Holmes ever, and that the episodes he starred in were the best adaptations of Doyle's work to date. I don't quite share his enthusiasm for Brett (Hardwicke as Dr. Watson is great though!), but I will give him this, the episodes are indeed very faithful to the original stories.
Jill Bauman, one of the most important and leading purveyors of imaginative horror art during the 1980's horror boom, produced the cover art for six original Sherlock Holmes pastiche novels or anthologies published in hardback in the 1990s by St. Martin's Press. They are, in descending order by publication date, as follows:
In the Dead of Winter by Abbey Pen Baker (St. Martin's, 1994): Myrl Adler Norton was, by all accounts, one of the most remarkable women of the twentieth century. The daughter of the acclaimed opera singer Irene Adler, she was a respected professor of logic at Smith College as well as one of the most famous consulting detectives of all time. The books of her exploits, written by her lifelong friend and confidante Faye Martin Tullis, are among the most popular in the history of detective literature. Now, with this previously undiscovered manuscript, the true story behind the meeting of these two friends and their first case comes into light. In 1918, while a student at Smith College, Faye first encountered Myrl, an enigmatic figure with an interesting past. When a local actress is found dead amid bizarre circumstances, Myrl takes an interest in the murder, and the two travel to Brattleboro, Vermont, to investigate. There they uncover a twisted conspiracy, one far more dangerous than simple murder--and learn the truth about Myrl's real father, the world's most famous consulting detective.'
The Game is Afoot edited by Marvin Kaye (St. Martin's, 1994): Since his first appearance in print over one hundred years ago, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes has engaged the popular imagination like no other fictional character before or since. Doyle's fellow writers have long shared the general public's fascination--resulting in an endless series of witty parodies, clever pastiches, and learned essays on the original Canon. Now, for the first time in fifty years, THE GAME IS AFOOT brings the best and most sought-after of these writings together in a wide-ranging compilation sure to delight fans of the great detective everywhere. Ranging from the early parodies of Bret Harte, O. Henry, James M. Baarrie, Stephen Leacock, R. C. Lehmann, and John Kendrick Bangs to the later pastiches of Anthony Boucher, Daniel M. Pinkwater, John Dickson Carr, Fritz Leiber, and Robert Bloch, Marvin Kaye brings together over fifty pieces representing the full range of a century of Holmesian writing. Including pieces from eminent Sherlockians such as Vincent Starrett, Isaac Asimov, Maurice Baring, and Edgar Smith and from unlikely writers such as Basil Rathbone, Zasu Pitts, Frederic Dorr Steele, and Conan Doyle himself, THE GAME IS AFOOT is the next best thing to a trip to 221B Baker Street itself.'
Resurrected Holmes edited by Marvin Kaye (St. Martin's, 1996): 'It has long been believed that when Cox & Company (London) was destroyed in a World War II bombing raid, with it was also destroyed the legendary tin dispatch box of Dr. Watson. This box, containing notes on dozens of Sherlock Holmes's adventures never released to the public, is perhaps the Holy Grail for Holmesian scholars and fans. Now the miraculous truth can be told--the last casebooks of Sherlock Holmes have survived! When Watson died intestate, the box found its way into the hands of renowned Philadelphia book collector Mr. R. To his dismay, the collector discovered that the box contained primarily Watson's rough notes, so he set about commissioning writers to complete them for his own amusement. After Mr. R.'s death, it was discovered through records and text analysis that the ghost writers who completed the stories are among the most famous names in literature. Here, available to the public for the first time, are fifteen legendary Holmes tales as written by Ernest Hemingway (Morgan Llwelyn), Ellery Queen (Edward D. Hoch), W. Somerset Maugham (Henry Slesar), H. P. Lovecraft (Paula Volsky), Mickey Spillane (William L. DeAndrea), J. Thorne Smith (Mike Resnick), Jack Kerouac (Richard A. Lupoff), Edgar Rice Burroughs (Craig Shaw Gardner), and Rex Stout (Marvin Kaye), among others. All in all, it is a triumph of scholarship, a boon to literature, and a treasure trove sure to delight everyone whose heart belongs to Baker Street.'
The Confidential Casebook of Sherlock Holmes edited by Marvin Kaye (St Martin's, 1997): 'This long-awaited volume finally brings to light fifteen cases of the world's most renowned detective--cases that were originally suppressed to avoid bringing scandal and embarrassment to the Crown, to noted public figures, or, occasionally, to Holmes himself. In tales by Henry Slesar, Edward D. Hoch, Peter Canon, Craig Shaw Gardner, Jay Sheckley, and P. C. Hodgell, among others, the truth is finally revealed about Holmes's exploits involving such figures as Ida Tarbell, Consuelo Vanderbilt, P. G. Wodehouse, Arthur Conan Doyle, Jacques Futrelle, and James McNeil Whistler. As related by divers hands, including Dr. John Watson, Inspector Lestrade, and Sherlock Holmes himself, and detailing previously untold incidents involving the Titanic, Holmes's rematch with "the woman" Irene Adler, the childhoods of both Holmes and Watson, and the unfortunate results of Holmes's facility with disguises, THE CONFIDENTIAL CASEBOOK OF SHERLOCK HOLMES will delight the myriad fans of the world's most famous consulting detective.'
The Star of India by Carole Buggé (St. Martin's, 1998): 'Back in London after his long sojourn abroad following the events of Reichenbach Falls, Sherlock Holmes discovers that the worst possible situation has occurred--Moriarty lives! What begins as a social evening out, a trip to hear the Goldberg Variations at the Royal Albert Hall, sets into motion a chain of events that draws Sherlock Holmes into the most dangerous case of his career. In quick succession, Holmes is faced with a threat to the life of his longtime housekeeper, Mrs. Hudson; the seemingly random murder of a dear acquaintance; and a series of very clever, cryptic messages aimed solely at him. These events and more lead Holmes to the inescapable conclusion that he must once again match wits with his implacable nemesis, the man he has long believed dead--Professor James Moriarty. With Dr. Watson at his side, and the fate of the monarch--and that of England itself--in the balance, Holmes must once again find a way to outwit and outmaneuver his one true equal.'
The Haunting of Torre Abbey by Carole Buggé (St. Martin's Minotaur, 2000): "Watson, do you believe in ghosts?" With this question, Sherlock Holmes shatters the calm of a quiet evening in their London flat and, with Dr. John Watson at his side, embarks upon a particularly strange case. Holmes has received a request for aid from Lord Charles Cary, whose family is seemingly threatened by ghosts in and around the family manor, Torre Abbey, a twelfth-century monastery in Torquay, Devon, with a long history of hauntings. While skeptical of the supernatural, Holmes does believe that the Carys are in danger--a belief which proves to be horrifyingly accurate when, shortly after they arrive at Torre Abbey, a household member dies suddenly, mysteriously, and seemingly of fright. As strange sightings and threatening apparitions become almost commonplace, Holmes must uncover the secrets of the abbey and its inhabitants if he is to have any hope of protecting the living and avenging the dead. In a case that taxes his wits, and seems beyond the reach of his usual methods, Holmes must grapple with his most deadly and unforgiving foe.'
Paul Bachem spent thirty years as a professional artist before deciding to concentrate fully on plein air painting (the act of painting outdoors). So who better to end this post than with a colorful outdoor London street scene painted by Bachem for The Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The Illustrated Junior Library, a YA division of Grosset & Dunlap Books, published this handsome hardcover with its glossy boards in 1996.
"Education never ends, Watson. It is a series of lessons, with the greatest for the last."
--- Sherlock Holmes, His Last Bow.
[© November, 2020, Jeffersen]
