My Ear-Trumpet Has Been Struck By Lightning

Friday Sherlock Links Compendium (March 30 - April 5, 2013)

always1895:

Doyleockian in “Villains - Don’t Look Back” - a post after my own heart - makes the brief yet totally relevant/necessary argument that canonical villains should not be overused in adaptations/pastiches such as BBC Sherlock: “Yes [Moriarty & Adler] were significant characters (as they were in the original stories) but if you keep bringing them back you dilute them. Irene Adler holds such a place in the canon precisely because she outwitted Sherlock Holmes in one adventure. However if Conan Doyle had kept bringing her back he either would have had to have her lose or keep beating Holmes.” In particular, Mr Alistair Duncan takes issue with that (rather vocal) segment of the BBC Sherlock fandom who insist that they want “more Moriarty” and/or “more Irene Adler” in the coming seasons. Mr Duncan, rightly in my opinion, bluntly states the futility and danger in constantly using and overusing particular canonical favorites (eg. the woman and the Napoleon of Crime).

[Moriarty feeling ‘used’ due to the overuse of his likeness in pastiches and adaptations.]

Car Talk (fans who obsessively listen to NPR will at least be passingly familiar with voices of car talk hosts Tom and Ray) posted a short little story - “I’d like to give you this Puzzler in the style of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle” - and then asked their readers/listeners: “How did the inspector know that the gardener did it?” It’s an intriguing little riddle and worth thinking about…can you figure it out? Click back here on/after Saturday April 13 for the answer. (Thanks to Ms Kate Karlson (BSI, ASH) for the tip!)

[Inspector G. Lestrade - note to Car Talk: it’s “Lestrade” and not “LeStrade’ - from CARD arresting Jim Browning, cime of passion perpetrator and ear cutter-offer.]

Kickstarter is hosting a fundraising  project for Watson & Holmes, a comic/graphic novel by Karl Bollers and Rick Leonardi, “a re-envisioning of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes and Dr John Watson as African Americans living in New York City’s famous Harlem district.” Money raised will be used for “covering fees, postage, and printing of the exclusive Kickstarter copies. Leftover money will be used to fund future projects, which include 5 planned Watson & Holmes one shot stories by other industry professionals.” There are some great packages available (signed comics, prints, t-shirts and even the chance to have your likeness appear in a future issue!) at a variety of donation levels. Make sure to check out the three minute promo video that accompanies the post. For general information on the book itself, make sure to check out the Watson & Holmes Facebook page or to buy the first issue at Comics Plus. (Thanks to Ms Lyndsay Faye for the hot tip!)

[For $500, you receive a print, t-shirt, signed cover comic and you - or your likeness - can appear in a future issue.]

Dan Andriacco reflects on the importance of maintaining tangible links to the past: “…count me among those who will never lose my affection for traditional books in their printed form. One of the reasons is the physical connection they give you to history. Today’s case in point is my copy of Profile by Gaslight, published in 1944…Edited by Edgar W. Smith and subtitled An Irregular Reader About the Private Life of Sherlock Holmes, it’s a stellar collection of essays from the early days of Sherlockian scholarship.” I couldn’t agree with Mr Andriacco more, about both the importance of maintaining tangible connections to the (Sherlockian) past via books as well as his choice of examples of one such tome. 

[An absolutely essential piece of any Sherlockian library: Profile By Gaslight (1944) edited by the legendary Edgar Smith.]

Inspector Lestrade’s Blotter Page explained the reasons for the dearth of posts as of late: “I have been working on my two talks that are fast approaching. On July 5, I am speaking to the Annual Gathering of the National Mensa Society in Fort Worth [Texas]. On August 10, I am speaking at the Sherlock Holmes Through Time and Place conference in Minneapolis sponsored by the University of Minnesota [and the Norwegian Explorers].” I’ll personally be looking forward to seeing Mr Don Hobbs speak at the latter event this August and hopefully have the opportunity to meet him in person. As well as preparing his trifling monologues, Mr Hobbs has also been giving mini tours to extremely lucky Sherlockians of his mega famous Holmes translations library. One of those lucky Sherlockians was Mr Joe Faye, a fellow member of Texas scion Crew of the Barque Lone Star (mentioned in last Friday’s Links) who’s pictured in the photo below with Hobbs and a fraction of Hobbs’ library.

[Mr Hobss and Mr Faye and hundreds of translations of the Canon.]

Scintillation of Scions is quickly approaching (June 7 - 9, 2013) and registration - capped at 100 Sherlockians - is a must. If you’re still deciding on whether to go or not, just check out the line-up of speakers for SOS VI: Daniel Stashower, Lyndsay Faye, Regina Stinson, Donna Andrews, Sherlock NYC, Sherlock DC, Dana Cameron, Dan Andriacco and the guy that runs Always1895.net. Having attended SOS V last year, I stress in the strongest possible terms that you do whatever it takes to attend.

[Click for a history of Scintillation of Scions.]

Quick Sherlock Links:

The Daily Dot attempts to explain “how a middle-aged Scottish sitcom writer came to be the idol of Tumblr users across the globe” - the writer of course being Doctor Who and Sherlock czar Steven Moffat.

MX Publishing and Save Undershaw are hosting a ‘caption contest’: “This week’s caption competition - Another great piece of fan art from The Art of Deduction. Prize is a pre-publication copy of The Amateur Executioner (new Holmes novel from Andriacco and McMullen) delivered to your door….” 

The Bartitsu Club of NYC invites one and all seeking to master the Victorian fighting style, which allowed Holmes to soundly trounce the Napoleon of Crime, to a seminar on Bartitsu with Mark P. Donnelly, Professore di Armes, on Saturday and Sunday, April 13-14, 2013 at Studios 353 in Manhattan. For more information about the seminars or to learn about Bartitsu, visit NYC Steampunk.

[How well would you do if confronted by a senior citizen professor on the edge of a waterfall?!]

What Ho! posted one of my favorite original Strand covers from January 1927 which featured the third to last Sherlock Holmes story ever published “The Adventure of the Retired Colourman”, later part of The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes.

[The Strand, January 1927.]

Pink Studies created this diptych titled ‘Contrast’ featuring the likenesses of Holmes and Watson (a la BBC Sherlock). Fan art is often hit or miss but this piece is definitely one of the cooler stabs at more ‘serious’ Sherlockian art.

[‘Contrast’ by Pink Studies.]

Friday Sherlock Links Compendium (November 17 - November 23, 2012)

always1895:

Huffington Post UK posted a great piece about Stephen Fry (who played Mycroft clothed and unclothed in A Game of Shadows (2011)) and his remarks on the 125th anniversary of Sherlock Holmes “So raise a glass to the greatness of Doyle and the eternal glory of Sherlock Holmes, ushered into this world 125 years ago” as well as Portsmouth’s Lancelyn Green Collection displaying a beautiful first edition copy of A Study in Scarlet. “Due to its fragile condition, A Study in Scarlet is not on permanent display but will feature in the exhibition along with other items from the collection as well as activities based on Holmes’ first outing.” The RLG Collection has approximately 55,000 items. For more information about Mr Richard Lancelyn Green (1953 - 2004) and his bequeathed collection to the Portsmouth Library, read a short yet succinct profile of him here and a description of the collection here. Short pieces about the exhibition were published by BBC News as well as the London Evening Standard. For a comprehensive, exhaustive and fascinating annotated checklist and census of all known copies of the first edition of STUD, check out Best of Sherlock’s extremely helpful ‘Beeton’s Christmas Annual 1887’. Finally, watch this short Stephen Fry video discussing ACD, Sherlock Holmes, Richard Lancelyn Green and the venerable Portsmouth collection. 

[Cover for Beeton’s Christmas Annual 1887 which featured the very first appearance of ACD’s Sherlock Holmes in A Study on Scarlet.]

MX Publishing announced that Dan Andriacco’s (author of Baker Street Beat and The 1895 Murder) short story “Sherlock Holmes: The Peculiar Persecution of John Vincent Harden” has been translated into Persian, which is of course the native tongue of the poet Hafez referenced by Holmes in “The Case of Identity” (ie. Sherlock Holmes: “If I tell her she will not believe me. You may remember the old Persian saying, “There is danger for him who taketh the tiger cub, and danger also for whoso snatches a delusion from a woman.” There is as much sense in Hafiz as in Horace, and as much knowledge of the world.”). John Vincent Harden is of course “the well known tobacco millionaire” referenced by Holmes in “The Adventure of the Solitary Cyclist” as one of the important cases he was working on in April of 1895. It must be an excellent feeling to see your name adorning a published book but even more exciting to see the cover of a book you’ve published yet in language whose script you can’t even read let alone the language. Congratulations to Mr Andriacco for being published in both the West and the East!

[Translated cover of the pastiche ”Sherlock Holmes: The Peculiar Persecution of John Vincent Harden” by Dan Andriacco on MX.]

FreemanWeb posted the text of an extremely long and interesting interview with Martin Freeman from the Sunday Times Magazine discussing Peter Jackson’s upcoming The Hobbit film (the Sunday Times is behind a pay-wall but FreemanWeb has pasted the text on their blog). As most of you know, Mr Freeman was cast in the lead role of Bilbo Baggins (of the Shire) based on J.R.R. Tolkien’s novel The Hobbit, or There and Back Again. Apparently, according to The Sun, “Freeman almost lost the lead role in the new movie The Hobbit because he was contracted to play Dr Watson for the BBC.” No word whether Benedict Cumberbatch almost lost his chance to play fire breathing dragon Smaug because of his BBC Sherlock obligations. From the Sunday Times interview: Freeman on looming mega-fame: “he’s found an even wider audience playing Watson, the morally centered sidekick to Benedict Cumberbatch’s eccentrically brilliant Holmes in the BBC’s Sherlock. He’s aware that his next film is about to jettison him into previously uncharted territory: global stardom. It’s not something he’s particularly comfortable about. “You have to police yourself not to become an idiot about it. Because it’s not normal and it doesn’t happen to people with normal jobs,” he says, having clearly agonized over the subject before. “If you’re a doctor — and what’s more important than that? — they don’t stop you in the street and say ‘loved the way you took that pulse!’ So it’s skewed and it’s silly. I know that. But I think I’ve been pretty rigorous and self-flagellating about it.” Good ol’ Freeman, a fixed point in a changing age.

[Dr Watson stabbing the corpse of Jim Moriarty on the roof of St Barts in a BBC Sherlock deleted scene.]

Sherlock Peoria in this week’s valiant attempt at defending the honor of the Canon against the debasing forces of Elementary suggests a thought experiment, originally devised by Ellery Queen in Challenge to the Reader (1938), where “within a single volume, gathered twenty-five of the greatest fictional detectives of the day, from Sherlock Holmes to Sam Spade, from Father Brown to Craig Kennedy. And then Ellery Queen changed the names of all of the detectives in all of the stories. The challenge to the reader was to figure out which story featured which detective.” Mr Brad Keefauver suggests that when this challenge is taken up by either Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes or Moffat’s BBC Sherlock, the reader will have no difficulty “recognizing the result as Sherlock Holmes” - but of course when applied to CBS’s Elementary “suddenly you’re in with a host of other CBS procedural shows [such as] The Mentalist, not to mention Monk, House M.D., Psych, Perception, Person of Interest, C.S.I. and all those other Sherlock-ish shows that came before.” As much as I’ve personally enjoyed Mr Keefauver’s myriad earlier attempts at condemning Elementary (eg. his Aquaman comparison is rather astute), I think he’s completely and compellingly hit the nail on the head with everything that’s wrong with the show. But before you swear a blood oath to assassinate Keefauver and/or permanently unsubscribe Always1895.net from your RSS feeds (please abstain from at least doing the latter), remember he’s not (necessarily) saying Sherlockians should never watch Elementary or that one can’t be entertained by Elementary; he’s attempting to show via a creative and effective intuition pump (philosopher Daniel Dennett’s term for thought experiment) that Elementary doesn’t have very much to do with Sherlock Holmes, with the further implication that equating Elementary with real Sherlock Holmes ‘stuff’ could be potentially detrimental to the Sherlockian legacy (roughly speaking). Note: If you’re interested in reading Challenge to the Reader, you can ‘borrow’ it form Open Library (just signup for a free account and learn about eBook borrowing here).

[Cover of Challenge to the Reader (1938) edited by Ellery Queen.]

The Wolfe Pack - what scions are to Sherlockian culture, the Wolfe Pack is to Nero Wolfe and Rex Stout aficionados - is hosting their annual Black Orchid Weekend (Nov 30 - Dec 2). Similar to BSI Weekend, there are dinners, lectures, meetings, etc. I’ve recently began reading Rex Stout’s Nero Wolfe books (33 novels, 39 short stories) systematically so maybe next year I’ll be prepared to check out the doings of the wonderfully named Wolfe Pack. Rex Stout, aside from being a mystery novelist of major renown, was an early Sherlockian and BSI member who is perhaps most famous/infamous in the Sherlockian world for his “Watson Was a Woman” talk at a BSI dinner in 1941 (“his tongue-in-cheek humour did not fare well in that venue”) and later that year published in The Saturday Review of Literature, Vol 23, No. 19 (the March 1, 1941 issue). Mr Stout also reviewed Vincent Starrett’s classic work of Sherlockian scholarship The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes in an essay, oft reprinted, “Genesis of a Detective”. Note: Expect to read considerably more about Rex Stout in the coming months as I delve deeper into his Nero Wolfe novels as well as I re-read various bits of information I have on him, mainly from Jon Lellenberg’s BSI Archival History series (the red, muliti-volume history of the BSI).

[Rex Stout with a few fellow BSI Sherlockians you definitely should recognize. Photograph and information from page about Rex Stout and his Sherlockian/BSI connection on NeroWolfe.org.]

Quick Sherlock Links:

Baker Street Babes posted audio and video from a Q&A moderated by Baker Street Babes Curly, Kafers, Maria, & Ardy with BBC Sherlock composer Michael Price and blog writer Joe Lidsterand (and by “blog writer” they mean the guy that writes the ‘in-show’ blogs for Sherlock Holmes: the Science of Deduction, John Watson MD, Molly Hooper and of course Connie Prince) from their recent and, by all accounts, wildly successful event Sherlopalooza. I just finished listening to this and it’s really interesting; Mr Price and Mr Lidsterand contribute a novel and refreshing take on BBC Sherlock from the perspective of ‘the guy who writes the music for the show’ and ‘the guy who maintains actual blogs of fictional characters’, respectively. One suggestion: if I was in the audience I would have asked whose totally brilliant and awesome idea it was to have John Watsons blog’s hit counter to ‘always’ be stuck on that magical number “1895” - a terrific example of the show’s creators/producers/writer’s explicit respect for the canon and Sherlockian history, specifically Vincent Starrett and his famous 221B Sonnet as well his pioneering work of Sherlockian studies The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. On a related Baker Street Babes note, check out this picture of Curly’s laptop - what excellent taste in stickers!

[The guy that designed the above banner was one-half of the Sherlopalooza Q&A Joe Lidsterand.]

Laurie R King announced - via @Mary_Russell on Twitter - on her blog Mutterings that she, along with Holmes/Sandman/Lovecraft/Dracula annotator Leslie S Klinger, will releases a new collection of Holmes stories/pastiches titled In the Company of Sherlock Holmes due out in the Fall of 2013. Contributors include: “Sara Paretsky, Michael Connelly, Jeffery Deaver, Meagan Abbott, Denise Hamilton, Lisa Lutz, Denise Mina, Val McDermid, Andrew Grant; and from outside the mystery world: Cornelia Funke, Lev Grossman, Larry Niven, Michael Dirda, Michael Sims, Gahan Wilson, John Reppion & Leah Moore, Michael Scott and Diamond Dagger.” Having previously collaborated on the excellent A Study in Sherlock, Mr Klinger was recently featured on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere talking about his annotation of Dracula and Ms King just released her 12th Mary Russell novel Garment of Shadows.

Digital Spy posted a “celebration of the men who came before [Jonny Lee] Miller - the five greatest actors to bring Conan Doyle’s detective to life on the small screen…” A fairly predictable list except for #4 Tom Baker (of Fourth Doctor fame) in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1982) - a Holmes TV version you don’t see ‘favorited’ that often. 

Londonist features a photo set of a phone box outside of St Barts in Smithfield which serves as an ad hoc shrine to Sherlock Holmes and his ‘fall’ off of the roof of said building. 

Markings titled this week’s piece ‘Sherlock’s Motto in “The Creeping Man”’ though Mr Ray Wilcockson could have just as easily called it ‘Makings glorious connections between disparate elements of the Canon, the life of ACD and Sherlockiana not to mention the Great Seal of Utah and the motto of New York State, et cetera’. An entertaining romp through the uncharted territory of a mind dedicated to the Great Detective. 

Aeon published an essay by Sherlockian psychologist Maria Konnikova titled: ‘The Empathy Machine: Sherlock Was Right – New Research Shows That Seeing Through Another’s Eyes Takes a Detached Mind Not Just a Warm Heart’. Enlightening reading to be sure, of interest to the Sherlockian and literary fan with a penchant for the cognitive sciences alike. You can also listen to an audio version of ‘The Empathy Machine’ via SoundCloud. Ms Konnikova has a book due out in January 2013 on Viking entitled Mastermind: How To Think Like Sherlock Holmes and there’s no doubt every Sherlockian will want to absorb Ms Konnikova’s unique and scientifically rigorous Sherlockian perspective. Sherlockology recently posted a review: “Moving through principles of logic and deduction, creativity and imagination, Mastermind puts 21st century neuroscience and psychology in service of understanding Holmes’ methods.”

 

[Maria Konnikova’s new book Mastermind is set to be released in January 2013.]

Gods of Gotham is a video walking tour led by Lyndsay Faye, author of the tremendous historical fiction novel of the same name set in New York in the 1840s about the first official NYC police force. Even if you have yet to read Gods of Gotham (though you must!), this virtual tour of lower Manhattan is fascinating.

Rosenlaui scanned this very cool Vasily Livanov (from the Russian Sherlock) autographed photograph from the essential though ridiculously oversized The Pictorial History of Sherlock Holmes (1991) by Michael Pointer. 

[Vasily Livanov (1935 - present) is currently 77 years old, in Anno Domini Two-Thousand and Twelve.]

Joe Riggs reviews the intriguingly titled Holmes and Watson End Peace by David Ruffle on MX: “This book is well worth its weight in gold. It is fun, mysterious, emotionally captivating, full of twists and did I mention it’s 100% dialogue!” Another add for the ‘to read’ pile recommended by a Sherlockian that knows his business and his books.

Barefoot on Baker Street appears to be changing her mind about whether or not Elementary is rubbish, though Ms Charlotte Anne Walters - much to the disappointment of Sherlock Peoria (cf. above) - appears to be taking a significantly more positive view of the CBS procedural show. In the interest of kind of fair and sort of balanced blog-reporting, peruse “Is It Third Time Lucky For Elementary?” and find out exactly why Ms Walters is having a change of heart. If I was going to have a change of heart, it would be because of fan-art like this: really sad Jonny Lee Miller.(click on image below for a much larger, much sadder version):

[Fan-art of either Sherlock Peoria’s Brad Keefauver after watching the latest Elementary or Jonny Lee Miller as “Mr Elementary” waiting for his prostitute to show up.]

Alistair Duncan posted a fantastic shot of The Strand magazine from the issue which contains the obituary of it’s most famous (and lucrative) author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Also, Mr Duncan recently weighed in on Elementary: “My only observation to date seems to be that people either seem to think the show is awful (because they simply don’t like it or they don’t believe it should be allowed to exist alongside Sherlock) or they think it is an okay show in itself but not really canonical.” 

The Stormy Petrels posted “Fandom ‘Friday’ #20- November 17th, 2012” with links to comics, Pinterest fan art, various conceptions of the layout of 221B, ‘ghostbees’ (?) and a leaf from “The Final Problem” (click image below for full-sized version).

[A page from the manuscript of “The Final Problem” currently in the collection of the University of Indiana’s Lilly Library.]

The Game’s Afoot, blog of Molly Carr - author of The Sign of Fear on MX - posts Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s letter to the War Office, 1914: “I have been told that there may be some difficulty in finding offficers for the New Army. I think I may say that my name is well-known to the younger men of this country and that if I were to take a commission at my age it might be of help….” Click to read on.

The Wrap announced that “Paramount is in talks with “The Lion King 1 1/2” writer Evan Spiliotopoulos to write the script for the remake of Young Sherlock Holmes”. Chris Columbus, who is producing for Paramount “wrote the original Young Sherlock Holmes, which was executive produced by Steven Spielberg and Frank Marshall, and directed by Barry Levinson. Released in 1985, the story centered on Holmes and Watson after they meet at a British boarding school and stumble upon a series of murders.” Den of Geek regurgitates the above news, but with an air of pessimism where as The Movies hits a more optimistic tone. If you are unfamiliar with the movie, check out a trailer for the original Young Sherlock Holmes. 

Meiringens posted a still from Granada’s Sherlock Holmes, which actually borrows Holmes’ line about Watson’s particular brand of humour from The Valley of Fear Part 1, Chapter 1: The Warning. Personally, I can never ignore a good reference to Watson and his pawky humor. 

[“A touch! A distinct touch!” cried Holmes. “You are developing a certain unexpected vein of pawky humour, Watson, against which I must learn to guard myself.” (VALL)]

Tea at 221B does it again - and I can’t help myself from re-posting every lovely and magnificent Frederic Dorr Steel illustration I come across - with a haunting illustration of a once-and-for-all defeated Colonel Sebastian Moran being lead away in darbies by Lestrade and company following the events of “The Empty House”. 

Friday Sherlock Links Compendium (August 18 - August 24, 2012)

always1895:

Jerry Nelson (1934 - 2012) - creator of Sherlock Hemlock, a character from Sesame Street - passed away on Thursday August 23, 2012. I’m working on a full obituary for later (while wearing my Sherlock Hemlock t-shirt I picked up at an American Apparel warehouse sale a few months ago) this weekend but for now watch a few classic Sherlock Hemlock episodes online: “The Case of the Missing Cat” (see if you can catch the reference to “The Giant Gnat of Sumatra”), “Dial ‘M’ for Mother”, and “The Case of the Missing Toast” and be sure to check out Sherlock Hemlock’s exhaustive entry at the wonderfully maintained Muppet Wiki. 

[Sesame Street’s only private plush consulting detective Sherlock Hemlock.] 

Alistair Duncan in a fascinating and edifying piece speculates on the influence Charles Altamont Doyle - father of ACD - had on (in Mr Duncan’s non-Game playing parlance) “the road to Sherlock Holmes”. First off, how did I not know that ACD’s father’s middle name was “Altamont” (coincidence?!)? Mr Duncan succinctly maps out (in four steps) the role Papa Doyle had in the character and intellectual development of ACD’ and by extension Holmes, concluding ”…it seems pretty unarguable that the failings of Charles Altamont Doyle are what led to the creation of Sherlock Holmes. A tragic figure who suffered from alcoholism, epilepsy and later dementia ultimately triggered the creation of the most self-controlled and logical character in literary history.” Breaking Duncan News: Mr Duncan just posted an image (modled by Sherlockian author Carrie Chandler) of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London’s booklet designed to accompany their 2012 pilgrimage to Switzerland. Check it out:

[Click on The Swiss Booklet of the SHSL for larger image and more information.]

Baker Street Blog, in what is perhaps one of the most important cinematic developments of 2012, presents Sherlock Holmes vs the Wolf-Man, a long lost Sherlock Holmes film, conceived, directed and edited by Mr Steven Doyle, BSI (“The ‘Western Morning News’”) who was quote: “the preeminent auteur on [his] block.” Briefly: “A Wolfman is on the loose in London. After a grisly murder in an alley, Holmes begins to monitor the situation. Following a second similar murder of an old man in a cemetary, Holmes and Watson decide to take up the case….” Mr Doyle is of course “author of the Edgar-nominated Sherlock Holmes for Dummies and co-proprietor of The Wessex Press. He manages the publishing for The Baker Street Journal and works in video production in his day job.” 

[Sherlock Holmes vs The Wolfman - for some reason I can’t find an entry for this on IMDB.]

Dan Andriacco offers up some choice quotes from a 1974 People magazine article on “the early 1970s boom in all things Sherlock [which] was almost as strong as what we’re experiencing today.” I always do a double take when reading lines like this: “Arthur Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes is not only alive and well in the hearts of his ardent admirers - he has emerged as the most omnipresent literary figure of 1974.“ Being only negative three when the People article appeared, I can only speculate, but part of me pines for the mid-1970s explosion in Sherlockian popularity since it’s catalyst seems to have been the publication and success of Nicholas Meyer’s The Seven-Per-Cent Solution. Granted a film soon followed but as I understand it the two subsequent re-emergences of Holmes popularity were based on TV shows (c.1985 w/Granada TV’s Jeremy Brett and today’s BBC Sherlock TV show). I have nothing but pure Sherlockian love for Jeremy Brett and also very much enjoy BC on the BBC, but there’s something extra awesome about the written word (a single book!) having ignited the Sherlockian flames. After the present cycle runs it’s course with the inevitable decline in the popularity of the Great Detective, I hope to see a massive resurgence in Sherlock Holmes popularity generated by a book, opposed to another TV adaptation. (End rant.) Also, make sure to read Mr Andriacco full piece for more excellent quotes.

[The book that ‘shot’ Holmes into the pop-culture vein of America!]

Tea at 221B posted a set of preliminary sketches for The Hound of the Baskervilles from my favorite Sherlock Holmes illustrator of all time Frederic Dorr Steele which appear to live at the University of Minnesota Sherlock Holmes/ACD special collections. I was recently reading a short interview with FDS about how he, as is/was typical of professional illustrators back in the day, had thrown most of his Holmes-themed sketches/preliminaries away and that the majority of any existing material was probably owned by Sherlockian legend Dr. Gray Chandler Briggs of St Louis. If you’re interested in some of the history behind Frederic Dorr Steele, Vincent Starrett, Dr Briggs and FDS’s illustrations, check out the Baker Street Journal article “The Wicked Beginnings of a Baker Street Classic!” (BSJ, Vol. 57, No. 3 (Autumn 2007), pp. 6 - 12.) by noted Sherlockian and all around excellent person Ray Betzner, or for an exhaustively erudite and exciting treatment of this and related topics, check out the remarkable ‘Volume 1’ in the BSI Archival History set by Jon Lellenberg: Dear Starrett—”/”Dear Briggs— (co-edited with John Nieminski). I would love to see at least one of these sketches (like this one) show-up as an affordable, high quality print - fund-raising possibility U of Minn?  

[Good dog!]

Quick Sherlock Links:

I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere released episode #44 this week and it’s all about the digital comic Holmes adaptation from New Paradigm Studios that’s “a new modern urban re-interpretation of Sherlock Holmes” which is set in Harlem (New York City) where both Holmes and Watson are conceived as African-American. As well as the comic itself, the issue of race in the Canon is discussed, motivated in part by a Baker Street Journal (Vol. 27, No. 3) article by William P. Collins titled “Norbury and Steve Dixie: Holmes and Victorian Racial Attitudes.”

[Click on image for more preview artwork.]

Sherlockology’s presence on Twitter, as was pointed out by @CO_Jeannie on Thursday, now has over 70,000 followers - that’s 7 with four ‘0’s after it! A humongous congratulations to a site that started from scratch and a sincere love for BBC Sherlock and organically grew into the go-to BBC fandom Sherlock site it is today. 70K Sherlock fans can’t be wrong! 

Markings in his third of four posts discussing aspects of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s short story “The Final Problem”. “This post is a commentary on the language and techniques through which Doyle conjures the presence of Moriarty and because his Victorian readership was as ignorant of the Professor’s existence as are Watson and Lestrade of the Borgia Pearl.” A long, but worthwhile read.

BBC Sherlock announced - if you don’t know this you probably live under a rock, or at least under a rock with no access to Twitter - the “three words” that will define Season 3 of BBC Sherlock: Rat, Wedding, Bow. How to interpret these is anyone’s guess (but many will try), though various Sherlockians via Twitter have made some intelligent attempts. The Baker Street Babes offer up their own thoughts as well as links to a variety of commenters which represent the spectrum of speculation. Personally, after reading Moffat’s announcement (over 6,000 re-tweets and counting!), my first thought was: rat = “The Boscombe Valley Mystery”, wedding = “The Noble Bachelor” and bow = “His Last Bow”. Time will tell, but the Internet is obsessing big time about it.

Sherlock Peoria’s Brad Keefauver drops some perspective on today’s ‘three word’ mania: “”I love you” got replaced by “rat wedding bow” as the three most important words in the English language for a lot of people today. At least for a time.”

BBC News announces the (re-)rise of the statue of Sherlock Holmes which has been reinstated three years after it was removed to make way for tram works in Picardy Place, at the top of Edinburgh’s Leith Walk. 

[Click here or above for some great before/during/after shots of Holmes Edinburgh statue being removed, cleaned and ‘returned’.]

Computer Weekly speculates that if Holmes was seeking employment today, he might throw the old deerstalker into the ‘data scientist’ ring and eek out a living “Managing and analysing large and complex data sets”. 

Well-Read Sherlockian reviews Tim Symonds Sherlock Holmes and the Dead Boer at Scotney Castle from MX, 2012.

221 Baking Geeks presents their recipe for Sherlock Coke Cakes. I need to make a vegan version of these! 

Yahoo Answers has a rather completely useless page called: “How does Sherlock Holmes figure out mysteries?” The most promising repose so far is quote: “First off , He’s bad *** and he’s so ******* smart.” I’m guessing it won’t get much better than that either.

Crime Is Common posted this great shot of Jeremy Brett as Holmes in The Adventure of the Dancing Men, one of the most visually intriguing Granada episodes due to the understated but clever use of animation. 

[Abe Slaney’s code didn’t stand a chance.]

Tea Rose made this absolutely marvelous animated GIF of Jeremy Brett from Granada’s adaptation of “The Naval Treaty” - an episode/story that contains many memorable scenes and lines including both ‘the rose’ speech as well as this image of Holmes chilling-out before putting his ingenious plan into action meant to catch the thief of the so-called Naval Treaty. I’ve said this before on Always1895, but one day I hope to own a suit as similar to Holmes’ NAVA suit as possible. 

[Click for larger, more animated version of JB in his all white country suit.]

Friday Sherlock Links Compendium (July 28 - August 3, 2012)

always1895:

Yahoo Sports published a piece arguing that ACD was, for all intents and purposes, the inventor of the modern marathon race. Um, say what? This is a Sir Arthur Conan Doyle story/theory that I have never heard so let’s unpack the article and see what’s what: “As exhausted runners enter the final stages of men’s and women’s marathons at the London Olympics they may silently curse Arthur Conan Doyle, the creator of fictional [sic] detective Sherlock Holmes, and a pastry chef who was disqualified from the race in 1908.” Apparently, ACD qua journalist covered the 1908 London Olympics, and his most memorable piece was about an Italian pastry chef/runner named Dorando Pietri who maintained the lead in the 26 mile and 385 yard race (a distance that later became the official distance of a marathon, based on this 1908 London course) until the very end when he fell directly before the finish line and was then helped over the line only to be disqualified under a no “outside assistance” rule. “Conan Doyle, working as a journalist, turned the gallant Pietri into a hero through his writing about the race for London’s Daily Mail.” The excitement generated by ACD’s reporting encouraged the idea of the marathon as the apex of strength, stamina and glory in the mind of the public, as well as assuring that the new ‘London version’ (26 miles & 385 yards) would be the official distance (opposed to the traditional ~ 25 miles of the ancient road from the scene of the Battle of Marathon to Athens). Does the above qualify ACD as the inventor of the modern marathon? You make the call.

[Image from the London Olympics of 1908.]

The Newberry Library in Chicago will host ace Holmesian/Doylean scholars Jon Lellenberg and Daniel Stashower on Saturday, September 29, 2012 for a talk on their recently released Dangerous Work: Conan Doyle’s Diary of Arctic Adventure. You may recall that the Literary Agent, before attempting to establish his first medical practice, served as an on-board doctor of a whaling vessel (c.1880) which traversed the Arctic. Having an inclination towards the written word, young ACD kept a journal, and now 132 years later, you can read it thanks to the hard work and editing skills of Team Lellenberg & Stashower - responsible for last year’s release of ACD’s The Narrative of John Smith and the very essential Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters. Though I haven’t received a review copy of Dangerous Work yet, visions of ”The Captain of the Polestar” immediately jumps to mind - a short story by ACD that can be read here - definitely one of the spookier Victorian ghost stories out there. Stashower and Lellenberg’s talk is part of a day long ACD symposium at the gorgeous Newberry Library which will also feature Carter Lupton on Prof. Challenger and Todd Rosenthal discussing a project that, if you haven’t heard about, sounds like it could be quite the experience: a “new exhibition entitled Sherlock Holmes: The Science of Deduction….[is an] 8,000-10,000 sq. ft. interactive exhibition for science and history museums [which] will immerse visitors in Conan Doyle’s Sherlock Holmes stories, the investigation and solution of crime in both Victorian London and today, and how Dr. Conan Doyle foresaw many later forensic methods in the Sherlock Holmes stories.” I’ll be posting more information on this insanely huge sounding exhibit as I come by them, but for now if you are in or near Chicago on September 29th, don’t miss this event! (Big thanks to Gary Thaden of The Norwegian Explorers of Minnesota, for the tip!)

[A great looking cover for what I’m guessing will be a whale of a tale.]

Calabash Press - the Sherlock Holmes-centric imprint run by Christopher and Barbara Roden - recently announced the release of an ebook version of William Baring-Gould’s classic Holmes ‘biography’ Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street: A Life of the World’s First Consulting Detective. In another fine example of Sherlockian serendipity, I just happened to finish re-reading (in physical book form) this excellent take on the life of the Great Detective. Digitizing and making easily available this Sherlockian classic will no doubt turn on an entirely new generation to the work of Baring-Gould (the original annotator of the canon). Sherlock Holmes of Baker Street is also an excellent introduction to playing The Game the way it should be played: “as solemnly as a country cricket match at Lord’s” but with an undeniable yet subtle sense of wicked playfulness. Three cheers for Calabash Press!

[The publisher expects the release date to be sometime in September 2012, so fire up your Kindle/Nook.]

Quick Sherlock Links:

The Sherlock Holmes Society of London’s July 2012 newsletter The District Messenger (edited by Roger Johnson) features a number of interesting ‘Holmesian’ (since they are British) links and bits of information but my favorite is to an article/interview with actor David Burke (Granada’s first Watson until “The Final Problem” after which Edward Hardwicke took over) called “The Changing Face of Sherlock Holmes and Dr Watson” - for some reason the actual link on the District Messenger is broken, but it can be found here. 

Dan Andriacco ’banks’ on the fact that he has discovered a novel connection between T. S. Eliot and Sherlock Holmes. Is he ‘on the money’?  

Baker Street Babes on the Today Show…say what?! That’s correct: Kristina and Kafers of the Baker Street Babes along with venerable Holmesian Roger Johnson of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London all appeared in a short segment dedicated to Sherlock Holmes for the Today Show’s London Olympics coverage. It’s kind of surreal actually.

Sherlock Peoria provided commentary regarding the Today Show Sherlock segment starting rather appropriately (ominously?) with “Day four of Sherlock Holmes Week began with Matt Lauer on Today mispronouncing our hero’s name as “SherLICK Holmes.”“ 

Alistair Duncan not to be outdone by the TV appearances of two Baker Street Babes and Mr Johnson posted a segment from NBC: “I appear at about 4 minutes and 45 seconds.” 

The Baker Street Blog reviews a recently published, very unique sounding monograph which is all about “picture puzzles in which Sherlock Holmes invited the reader to make sense of a number of clues (or, “clews”) found in the picture. He appeared in a variety of situations, and all of the puzzles rely on the double meaning of words. The Musgraves Sherlock Holmes Society in the UK has now compiled twelve of these puzzles, along with answers and explanatory notes, into a 26-page monograph by John Addy.” Check out the full article to try one yourself!

Barefoot on Baker Street ranks her three favorite BBC Sherlock episodes - gold, silver and bronze, of course!

Smithsonian Magazine continues their very excellent series on Sherlock Holmes with an article entitled “The Deerstalker: Where Sherlock Holmes’ Popular Image Came From”, a topic partially inspired by the current exhibition of Glen S. Miranker’s Sherlockiana collection at the Book Club of California in San Francisco (mentioned previously on Always1895) and is liberally peppered with some of the best examples of Sherlock Holmes art and illustrations. Though the article doesn’t contain anything terribly groundbreaking, it’s a well-written and lively piece which has me looking forward to more Smithsonian articles on the Great Detective in the coming weeks.

My Little Bazaar posted my favorite Sherlock Holmes-themed, totally awesome and over-the-top painting of the week. Can you tell which story is being depicted by the artist Robert Fawcett? 

[Click for much larger version which is the only way to do this illustration justice. Very nice work from Robert Fawcett.]

Buzzfeed - to conclude this set of links that started with a note about ACD as the ‘inventor’ of the modern marathon - has a classic video that’s worth re-watching right about now: the ultimate convergence of ‘running’ and ‘Sherlock Holmes’….if you’re thinking the most obvious thought, “A Basset Hound Dressed As Sherlock Holmes Running In Slow Motion,” then sit back, click on this video and feel the Glory!

[A true canonical athlete!]

Friday Sherlock Links Compendium (June 30 - July 6, 2012)

always1895:

Markings in ‘The Great Hiatus - Stranded Holmesless’ reflects on ACD’s decision to kill off Sherlock Holmes in 1893, The Strand and others’ reaction to this decision and the immediate attempts to ‘fill’ the hole that a moribund Holmes left in the page of the Strand with other Victorian detectives. A fact that always blows my mind: after the death of Holmes, “The Strand lost 20,000 subscriptions. Seven and a half years (or 91 issues) issues later, 30,000 new subscriptions were taken out as a result of the serialization of The Hound of the Baskervilles.” So what came immediately after Holmes’ purported demise at the Reichenbach? “Arthur Morrison, who had the unenviable honour of launching his new detective, Martin Hewitt, but three months after “The Final Problem”” was the answer: “Morrison’s detective was ordinary, short, good-tempered and got on well with the police. His novel characteristic was to operate in a grey area where he sometimes bordered on the criminal himself. Three volumes of Hewitt stories were published. The first (The Lenton Croft Robberies) may be read on-line with Sidney Paget’s illustrations.” I always find it comforting that Mr Paget, having rose to illustration prominence (by accident) thanks to ACD and Holmes, still had a job post-Reichenbach. A great article from the up-and-coming Markings blog. 

[Sydney Paget illustrated Arthur Morrison’s Martin Hewitt stories - many of which are available in facsimile format in Alan K. Russell’s edited volumes The Rivals of Sherlock Holmes Vol. 1 & 2, available in hardcover from Castle Press.]

Sherlock Holmes Week, put together by many of the individuals and groups that sponsored the extremely successful Great Sherlock Holmes Debates, begins on July 30th at various locations around the globe. From the latest press release: “Millions of Sherlock Holmes fans worldwide will take part in a week of celebration of the world’s most famous detective in the first annual Sherlock Holmes Week from 30th July - 5th August. Holmes has had a resurgence in the last two years with two major Hollywood motion pictures and the success of BBC Sherlock. The week is backed by the main societies and organisations in the world. www.sherlockholmesweek.com is the website where fans can register their local events and take part in competitions. The motto of the week is “By the fans, for the fans,” and local groups are being encouraged to celebrate the week in their own way - from special screenings to picnics. Events have been confirmed across the USA, UK and as far afield as Thailand and Canada. The theme of this year’s week is to promote the Save Undershaw campaign - a trust striving to save the former home of the creator of Sherlock Holmes - Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The campaign was recently captured in the book Sherlock’s Home: The Empty House, which featured contributions from Holmes legends Stephen Fry and Mark Gatiss. Source: PR Newswire.” As I hear of interesting sounding related SH Week events I will pass them on to Always1895 readers. To get a sense of the caliber of Sherlockians involved: “Supporters of the week include the top fan sites Sherlockology, The Baker Street Babes and I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. Special guest will be leading mentalist Joe Riggs aka The Real Sherlock Holmes.” I’ll be keeping an eye on how this develops!

[Sherlock’s Home: The Empty House is just one of the related aspects of the first annual Sherlock Holmes Week.]

Luke Benjamen Kuhns looks at the “various incarnations of Irene” and asks a few related questions: Who is Irene Adler, What was Doyle’s point in the character? “But perhaps most, and importantly, what was his message. Here I briefly look over four versions of Irene to try and reach an answer to those questions.” Though Mr Kuhns’ conclusions are not radically novel in themselves: “Irene Adler will forever be The Woman. She is Sherlock’s equal and she is the prototype for the modern woman. Guy Ritchie’s film, though pushing Adler into a more criminal light, still kept her within the frame of the original version. I enjoy McAdam’s portrayal The BBC Sherlock dumped the original idea tossing away Irene’s origins and went down a less respectable route for the character. Though Pulver was brilliant her Irene is not the Irene we should have got,” is analysis of a few recent incarnations of Ms Adler is very much worth reading and pondering. Healthy questioning of recent interpretations in various adaptation of characters besides just Holmes and Watson is I think an extremely important act which can only help enrich our enjoyment and understanding of the Canon, both for newcomers as well as experts of the canon. (Thanks to Howard for the tip!)

[Irene Adler as portrayed by Gayle Hunnicutt in the Granada adaptation of SCAN.]

The Three Garridebs of Westchester County, NY are running a very unique fundraiser: “throughout most of 2012, we will be selling raffle tickets for the 1981 commemorative medal shown above. (See DeWaal number C16494 for further description). This coin is numbered 193 on the edge. The raffle drawing for the coin will be held at the 2012 Blue Carbuncle Luncheon in December [30th]. There will be only 100 tickets sold at $5.00 each (with a limit of 10 tickets per person). Only 221 of these coins were minted and they are rarely available for sale.” Even though I prefer collecting Sherlock Holmes-themed books to pretty much anything else, now and then I see Sherlockian artifact (print, figure, clothing, etc.) that is interesting/unique enough to covet for it’s own sake. Ben & Sue Vizoskie displayed this one of a kind (well, one out of 221 kinds) object at the most recent Priory Scholars of NYC meeting and it is a fine looking piece that would look great sitting on one of my Holmesian shelves. For information on future Three Garridebs events (as well as other major and minor Sherlock happenings) please visit and bookmark The Sherlockian Calendar, supported in part by the work of Ben & Sue Vizoskie of the 3GARs of Westchester.

[“Raffle tickets will also be available at all meetings of The Three Garridebs this year.]

Quick Sherlock Links:

Sherlockian Connoisseur re-posted (originally by A Stranger Here) one “of [their] favorite Disney and Holmes-inspired films of [their] childhood: The Great Mouse Detective. 

[I encourage you to click on the above image to see this original The Great Mouse Detective promo poster in a gloriously larger size.]

Dan Andriacco in the aptly titled ‘A Study in Procrastination’ wonders what took him so long to read King and Klinger’s delightful A Study in Sherlock book. Mr Andriacco says one “never know what you’re getting into when you start reading each tale” but assures us that the suspense is worth it - and I couldn’t agree more.

Barefoot on Baker Street reports: “there is now a competition running on the Save Undershaw website in which people can vote for their favourite [Sherlock’s Home story]. “Charlie Milverton” is doing really well, but so far, “Distraction” by Ariane DeVere is way out in front. You can vote here. Ms Walters sums up the situation best though in her title: “The voting begins – but the real winner is Undershaw.” Pick up your copy today!

This is Sussex looks at the campaigning for a statue of Sherlock Holmes: “Arthur Conan Doyle enthusiast have launched a campaign to raise £50,000 for a statue of the world’s most famous fictional [sic] detective to be erected in Crowborough.” If you think this might be a worthy cause you “can make donations to the newly formed Sherlock Holmes Trust Fund at any branch of Lloyd’s Bank.”

NY Daily News alerts us to some rather exciting though strange news: “British actor Benedict Cumberbatch is making a cameo appearance in animated sitcom The Simpsons. By some people’s estimates, one has finally ‘made it’ when you’re asked to do a cameo on The Simpsons. Just read through this List of Simpson’s Guest Stars if you don’t believe me!

The World of Joe Riggs announced that Mr Riggs’ hotly anticipated book The Real Sherlock Holmes was released this week. A giant congratulations to Joe Riggs from Always 1895!

Girls Meets Sherlock is “for the month of July, offering a giveaway of The Detective and The Woman: A Novel of Sherlock Holmes through Goodreads.com. Click here to enter! It’s totally free.” While you’re on Goodreads, add me (Always1895) as a friend: http://www.goodreads.com/Always1895.

The Baker Street Blog reviews The Great Sherlock Holmes Exhibition 2012 which you should read all about and then view it online! Once you’ve perused the site, mosey on over to @GreatExhibition and vote for what you like best about the exhibition. Very cool!

[Virtually visit The Great Sherlock Holmes Exhibition 2012 today!]

Friday Sherlock Links Compendium (June 2 - June 8, 2012)

always1895:

Greetings readers new and old! I apologize for being a day late with Friday’s links but I just returned from Scintillation of Scions V in Maryland which was one of the best Sherlockian experiences of my life (so far). I’m working on my SoS review as we speak but I forgot my camera this weekend so if anyone has pictures from either Friday’s reception or the main event on Saturday please send them my way (I will give you full credit of course!). 

Also, tomorrow (Sunday) is Peter Crupe’s always excellent Montague Street Lodger’s of Brooklyn Spring Brunch so make sure to say hello if you are in attendance. Without further ado, here are Friday’s Links:

SF Weekly announced an event I really wish I could attend: ”You Know My Methods: A Collector’s Approach to the Sherlockian Canon” - Glen S. Miranker’s collection of Holmesiana hosted by the Book Club of California in celebration of their 100th anniversary. “The exhibition opens this evening [Monday, June 4, 2012] with Miranker discussing the evolution of his collection and the items on display: original manuscript pages and Sidney Paget illustrations [!!] from one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s best-known Holmes novels, The Hound of the Baskervilles. Also included in the exhibition are pieces of related ephemera, such as playbills and posters from the many stage and film adaptations of Baskervilles.” Exciting! According to BestOfSherlock.com, Mr Miranker owns the original manuscripts of “The Priory School” and “The Solitary Cyclist”. The Book Club of California has more information on Mr Miranker as well as the exhibit along with information on various places the exhibit will be appearing in 2012 (I hope against hope it makes a stop in NYC or at least to the easy coast - though that seems highly doubtful).

[Just one of the pieces on display from the BCC exhibit “You Know My Methods: A Collector’s Approach to the Sherlockian Canon” from BSI and Sherlockian collector legend Glen S. Miranker’s collection.]

Gaming Age posted about a new Holmes-themed video game (for Xbox 360 and PS3) called The Testament of Sherlock Holmes. From the game maker Atlus’ press release; “Scrutinized by Scotland Yard, doubted by his stalwart companion Dr. John Watson, and behaving more erratically than ever, Sherlock Holmes is in what might be his darkest hour yet.  His recent triumph in the case of a missing set of priceless jewels has turned to disaster; the necklace’s owner accuses Holmes of returning a forgery to him, and there seems to be no evidence at the ready to clear his name.  Has Sherlock Holmes become a criminal?  If he is indeed a thief, what else is he capable of?  As the questions and suspicions mount, will salvation be found or will there be nothing to stop the famous detective’s seeming descent into darkness…?” My guess is the Great Detective descends into total darkness and becomes an arch villan who ends the world. What do you think? It’s set to be released on September 12, 2012. No word yet on any #BelieveInSherlock tie-ins. Check out the trailer on YouTube as well - looks pretty cinematic. 

[Looks like the model for Sherlock is Jeremy Brett-inspired!]

Bookish Adventures re-posted (from the-visual) my favorite animated GIF of the week: a scene from “The Empty House” where we see Watson (Edward Hardwicke in his first Granada ep) faint: “I moved my head to look at the cabinet behind me. When I turned again Sherlock Holmes was standing smiling at me across my study table. I rose to my feet, stared at him for some seconds in utter amazement, and then it appears that I must have fainted for the first and the last time in my life. Certainly a grey mist swirled before my eyes, and when it cleared I found my collar-ends undone and the tingling after-taste of brandy upon my lips. Holmes was bending over my chair, his flask in his hand. “My dear Watson,” said the well-remembered voice, “I owe you a thousand apologies. I had no idea that you would be so affected.” I gripped him by the arm. “Holmes!” I cried. “Is it really you? Can it indeed be that you are alive? Is it possible that you succeeded in climbing out of that awful abyss?” (EMPT)”

[“I must have fainted for the first and the last time in my life.” (EMPT) Click the picture for the full set of images from this most excellent scene.]

Quick Sherlock Links:

Baker Street Babes posted this amusing yet stunning photo of BBC Sherlock’s Louise/Loo Brealey aka Molly Hooper along with their Sherlock duck Charles Augustus Milverton (‘CAM Duck’ I suppose!). Rumor (that’s mostly confirmed) has it that Ms Brealey will be appearing soon on a BSB podcast. I suggest clicking on the image to view it in it’s full sized magnificence! Also, if you would like your very own Sherlock Duck, check out Great British Souvenirs or Union Jack Shop.

[The Baker Street Babes’ CAM Duck and Molly Hooper hanging out.]

Dan Andriacco comments on Queen Elizabeth II’s diamond jubilee with just a slight tinge of respectful envy. God Save the Queen!

The Consulting Frogs Podcast are a French Sherlock Holmes (BBC Sherlock mostly I think): “Ce troisième épisode nous aura retourné dans tous les sens, ce podcast fait 2h20, en espérant que ça ne vous fasse pas fuir, on s’est bien éclaté comme d’habitude.” So look out IHoSE and BSB, the French are coming!!

Huffington Post on the ‘Holmes Obsession: Solving The Mystery Of The Sherlock Craze’. (Thanks to @BakerStreetBlog for the tip!)

Kieran McMullen, to celebrate his 50th (!) Watson in his “The Many Watsons” series, chose Vitaly Solomin from the Russian Sherlock Holmes adaptation.

Sherlyhawk posted my favorite image of the week: a rather candid photograph of Jeremy Brett opening a wrapped gift.

[If ever a man deserved a present, it’s the one and only Jeremy Brett!]

Vocabulary 41-43

sherlockianinformation:

Neat words plucked from the canon and defined for your enjoyment!

41) propitiate
verb /prəˈpiSHēˌāt/
1. Win or regain the favor of (a god, spirit, or person) by doing something that pleases them.

The true voodoo-worshipper attempts nothing of importance without certain sacrifices which are intended to propitiate his unclean gods. [WIST]

42) disjecta membra
noun
1. scattered fragments, esp. parts taken from a writing or writings 

“They might be useful to me as relics of my adventure,” said he, “but beyond that I can hardly see what use the disjecta membra of my late acquaintance are going to be to me.” [BLUE]

43) dissipation
noun /di-sə-ˈpā-shən/
1. The act of dissipating or the condition of having been dissipated.
2. Wasteful expenditure or consumption.
3. Dissolute indulgence in sensual pleasure; intemperance.
4. An amusement; a diversion.

Holmes’s quiet day in the country had a singular termination, for he arrived at Baker Street late in the evening, with a cut lip and a discoloured lump upon his forehead, besides a general air of dissipation which would have made his own person the fitting object of a Scotland Yard investigation. He was immensely tickled by his own adventures and laughed heartily as he recounted them. [SOLI]

Lara Pulver talks about Irene’s relationship to Sherlock

cumberqueen:

‘Read more’ if you want to know!

SPOILERS!

omgicanteven

Read More

(Source: Daily Mail)