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

1930

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.

📸 Do you have a photograph that preserves a family legacy, a village memory, or a vanished way of life?
Share it on OldPik.com and help illuminate the past, one photo at a time.

SEO tags: Arthur Conan Doyle 1930, Conan Doyle and son Adrian, last year of Conan Doyle's life, Sherlock Holmes creator, Biddulph Staffordshire history, vintage British authors, historical family photographs UK

Contributed by OldPik on January 7, 2024

Image

Conan Doyle in 1930, the year of his death, with his son Adrian
You must be logged in to comment on the photos.
Log in

No comment yet, be the first to comment...

Nearby photos

c. 1909 OldPik

A Birds eye view of the Potteries

15 km away

William Foden, a gardener at Quarry Bank Mill

27 km away
c. 1963 OldPik

shopping development

32 km away
c. 1901 OldPik

Street

32 km away
c. 1910 OldPik

HIGH ST.

32 km away

Maypole grocery shop

33 km away
c. 1929 OldPik

Brook House farm

33 km away
c. 1922 JOSE M LOPEZ

Bridgewater Canal

34 km away
c. 1887 OldPik

The Fields

36 km away

Local fishmonger selling his wares

39 km away