The Grolier Club, a private Upper East Side club and society for book lovers, is opening its doors to the public for what is the first comprehensive Sherlock Holmes exhibition in New York City in more than half a century.
Between now and April 16, "Sherlock Holmes in 221 Objects," will feature "an unrivaled number" of Sir Conan Doyle's belongings, including four short story manuscripts, a wealth of holograph letters from Doyle to friends, colleagues, and well-wishers, an idea book of his private musings, including a calendar note where he wrote "killed Holmes" on, as well as a never-before-displayed handwritten speech detailing his explanation for killing off Holmes.
The collection, assembled by Glen S. Miranker, also includes pages from The Hound of the Baskervilles, original artwork by the British and American illustrators who created
Sherlock’s iconic look, a fascinating cache of pirated editions and the only known salesman’s dummy for the American version of The Hound of the Baskervilles.
The exhibit is broken up into different "clusters" to present them within context for better insight. For example, you'll see souvenirs, posters and programs from when William Gillette performed in the play Sherlock Holmes, but you'll also see Gillette's correspondence with Doyle, including a 1901 Christmas card with this note: "Did you ever imagine that Sherlock would be sending his compliments to his maker?"
The exhibit is free, just make sure to RSVP on Eventbrite before making your way over to see it all!
