Fifty years’ worth of the Toronto Public Library’s collection of works by Arthur Conan Doyle is on display for enthusiasts of the Sherlock Holmes author.
A Study in Sherlock & His Creator: 50 Years of the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection features the “gems” that highlights the life and works of Doyle. It started on Feb. 5 and runs until April 16 at the TD Gallery on the first floor of the Toronto Reference Library at 789 Yonge Street.
Jessie Amaolo, the services specialist for the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection, curated the exhibit and manages acquisitions for the collection.
“It looks at the past 50 years of collecting and it’s a focus on Conan Doyle’s life as well as his most popular creation, Sherlock Holmes,” she said.
The Arthur Conan Doyle Collection houses more than 25,000 individual pieces related to the author and his works. These include his novels, letters, manuscripts, artwork, and collectibles of various kinds, with very little duplication.
Amaolo said the bulk of the content relates to Conan Doyle’s famous 19th Century detective, Sherlock Holmes.
“We collect anything and everything related to him, obviously,” she said. “Sherlock Holmes is a huge part of what he has created. So, that is a major part of the collection.”
There are also his other works, such as the Lost World, non-fiction, and musings on spirituality.
The collection is kept on the fifth floor of the Reference Library at the Marilyn and Charles Baillie Special Collections Centre. There is also a permanent exhibit, the Arthur Conan Doyle room, that is made to look like Victorian study.
The collection is currently by appointment only because of COVID-19 pandemic restrictions. Normally the Arthur Conan Doyle room is browseable for patrons and the rest of the collection is available on request.
Amaolo said this is temporary and the collection will eventually return to being publicly accessible.
“Everything is cataloged and we can bring anything out for people who wish to view items that are in the closed stacks. So everything is accessible,” she said.
Amaolo said the collection includes first editions of the novels and a rare original 19th Century illustration. It goes beyond books to movies, pastiches and memorabilia, including some very scarce items.
She said the items highlight Doyle’s balance of his life and his works,” Amaolo said.
“They offer a kind of insight into him as an author and (has) a lot of research value,” she said.
Amaolo said that although Sherlock Holmes is Doyle’s most popular work, she made sure to highlight his other accomplishments.
“We have done exhibits in the past that will just focus on Sherlock Holmes or an aspect of Sherlock Holmes, we didn’t want it to be the only focus,” she said. “It was important for us to focus on his personal interests and his business interests too.”
The exhibit also shows historical artifacts of the collection since its opening in 1971. Amaolo said it was important to also highlight Doyle’s connection to Canada, including items from his four visits.
“Being a research collection, we have made it a focus to collect Canadian materials related to Conan Doyle, or Sherlock Holmes, just to kind of have that unique Canadian perspective,” she said.
Fans can also enjoy the exhibit from home with a virtual tour through a YouTube video that takes viewers to the exhibits, complete with narration created for the pandemic.
“It’s just more of a sample of what we have, but that is kind of a way to compensate for not having the in-person tourists,” Amaolo said.
Both will remain on the website after the exhibit ends so people can continue to enjoy the exhibits.
Here is a timeline showing the significant events of the Arthur Conan Doyle Collection: