THROUGH THE MAGIC DOOR [signed]

1907. [signed by Doyle] With Sixteen Illustrations. London: Smith, Elder & Co., 1907. 6 pp undated ads. Original red cloth with cover vignette in gilt.

First Edition of this group of literary essays, written as wanderings about the library in the Doyle home (which is shown in the frontispiece photograph). "Through the Magic Door" gives you glimpses of the days when Conan Doyle was a struggling beginner in literature. Discussing the books on his library shelves, he picks out certain of them, each one of which, bought in student days when he was not affluent, it had cost him a lunch to buy [Bookman, quoted in G&G]. The sixteen illustrations (all are present) are of other writers, such as Scott, Pepys, Hawthorne, Darwin and Stevenson. This is a near-fine copy with scarcely any wear or soil (red spine slightly faded as usual; atypically, there is no foxing on the leaves). Green & Gibson B7a. This copy is signed in full by the author at the top of the title page, "With kind regards | from Arthur Conan Doyle.