Conan Doyle on Holiday

Arthur Conan Doyle on Holiday

Among Conan Doyle’s many facets were a love of adventure and sport.  Due to his success as a writer, he had the opportunity to travel widely and often took his family. From Canada and America, to Australia, Ceylon and Egypt, Conan Doyle’s family were true globetrotters well before the age of the jetsetter. The Collection contains many albums of holiday snaps taken by the family of their tours through many exotic locales.

Conan Doyle was also a keen sportsman, and often took part in all kinds of leisure activities while at home and traveling. He and his sons tried their hands at baseball in New York, enjoyed deck-cricket  sailing the seas and rode camels in Egypt.

Never far behind Conan Doyle lurks the master detective, Sherlock Holmes. As the figure of Holmes became more and more iconic and entrenched in western culture, his deerstalker, pipe and profile made their way into all kinds of unrelated industries, including tourism.

This exhibition shows a glimpse of the places Conan Doyle and his family visited.

More Exhibitions to explore

•  Arthur and George - Conan Doyle's Fight for Justice for George Edalji

•  A Study for Sherlock - reproducing Sherlock Holmes' study at 221b Baker Street

• Conan Doyle - A Good Sport - Conan Doyle's wide ranging sporting interests

• Conan Doyle - The Pompey Lad - Conan Doyle's time in Portsmouth

• Conan Doyle on Holiday - due to his success as a writer, Conan Doyle had the opportunity to travel widely. He often took his family. This exhibition explores the places they visited.

• Dinosaurs, Fairies and Conan Doyle - Conan Doyle's interest in science, and fairies

• Gripping Yarns - story writing in the style of Sherlock Holmes

• The Lost World - Conan Doyle's science fiction novel

• Playing Sherlock - improvised plays based upon Sherlock Holmes

• Sherlock Holmes Fandom - Sherlock Holmes has fans from around the world

• Stitching a Story - stitching a quilt based upon The Adventure of the Copper Beeches,

• The Cottingley Fairies - Conan Doyle's interest in fairies inspired Bunny Warren Nursery to create their own fairies

• To Catch a Thief - masks and disguises inspired by Arthur Conan Doyle’s story Charles Augustus Milverton

• You Don't Know Sherlock Holmes Yet -  a wide ranging exhibition featuring items and documents from the Collection. This exhibition covers Conan Doyle's life and works, including his arrival in Portsmouth, his books, his fights for justice and the phenomena that is Sherlock Holmes.

To see more images and find out more about The Conan Doyle Collection, please email: sherlock.holmes@portsmouthcc.gov.uk