An Original Very Rare Handwritten and Signed Letter by the First Sherlock Holmes Actor Charles Brookfield. Dated 1912. A beautiful touching letter to a close friend about the ravages of time, illness and his own impending death. Charles Hallam Elton Brookfield 1857 – 1913 was a British actor, author, playwright and journalist, including for The Saturday Review. His most famous work for the theatre was The Belle of Mayfair (1906). In November 1893, he became the first actor known to portray Sherlock Holmes on stage, appearing at the Royal Court Theatre in Under the Clock, a musical parody of Holmes and Watson written with by Brookfield and Seymour Hicks, who played Watson. Lottie Venne played Hannah, a maid of all-work. Little is known about the plot either. A servant announces a visitor named M. Emile Nana. There are the usual deductions of Sherlock Holmes about the client. But the detective does not believe the client. Furthermore, there is probably a Parisian who has an invitation to the Lord Mayor. The piece is excellent for its many disguises, which are typical of Sherlock Holmes. In Under the Clock, for example, he is said to have taken on various disguises from well-known actors from the time. Examples here would be a certain Mr. Wilson Barrett, Mr. Irving or Mr. Tree. The piece angered Arthur Conan Doyle. Size is 180mm x 112mm. Condition is good. Light folding crease.