Conan Doyle in 1930, the year of his death, with his son Adrian

This evocative image captures Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of the immortal Sherlock Holmes, in the final year of his life. Seated at his desk, pen in hand, he is joined by his youngest son, Adrian Conan Doyle, who would go on to help preserve and promote his father's legacy.

By 1930, Conan Doyle had become not only a literary giant but also a controversial public figure. In his later years, he devoted himself to spiritualism, believing fervently in communication with the dead—a conviction that often bewildered his admirers. This photograph, taken shortly before his death in July of that year, reveals a moment of calm reflection and familial bond.

Adrian would later co-author additional Holmes stories and publish volumes about his father’s life and work. Here, in this quiet study, we see not only the closing chapter of a great writer’s life, but the passing of a torch.

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