작품 상세

164. [Sherlock Holmes.] William Gillette. Doll of William Gillette in his role as Sherlock Holmes [1899]. (11 in.; 280mm), paper tag attached to back of doll states: “563. William Gillette as Sherlock Holmes (1899)”; contained in a Plexiglas case with wooden base. Doll of William Gillette as Sherlock Holmes. An extraordinary, one-of-a-kind piece of Sherlockiana, this doll was presented to William Gillette by his costumer on the opening night of Sherlock Holmes. Authentic in every detail, its clothes were cut from a fabric similar to that used for Gillette’s own costume. As Arthur Conan Doyle once observed: “The doll and its maker are never identical.” In bringing Sherlock Holmes to life on the stage, Gillette introduced three elements that became synonymous with the famous detective: his deerstalker cap, his long traveling cloak, and his curved briar pipe. All three elements are incorporated in the making of this highly detailed doll. Doyle’s Holmes was a Victorian fashion plate who would have worn the first two garments only while in the country; while some illustrations had shown Holmes smoking a straight pipe, Gillette felt that the curved pipe was a better stage prop which, along with the cap and cloak, became distinctive trademarks for the detective. Sherlock Holmes premiered at the Star Theater in Buffalo, New York, on 23 October 1899, and moved to Manhattan’s Garrick Theater on 6 November 1899. While not popular with the critics, audiences loved Gillette’s play and his interpretation of the popular detective. Until Gillette’s final appearance as Holmes on 19 March 1932, nearly 33 years after his first, Gillette appeared as Holmes approximately 1,300 times. Beyond his theatrical performances, illustrations and photographs of Gillette as Holmes circulated widely, and Doyle used Gillette’s Holmes as the model for illustrations of Holmes stories when he began writing new adventures for the detective in 1901. Exhibited: Ever Westward: Arthur Conan Doyle and American Culture. The Houghton Library, Harvard University, 5 May to 8 August 2009. Estimated value: $10,000 - $15,000