I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

"Where All Gossip is Welcome" [VALL]

This is the latest issue of Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press, Peter Blau's ("Black Peter") monthly newsletter of Sherlockian or Doylean gossip, published in print form since 1971 and as <a href="http://members.cox.net/sherlock1/scuttle.htm">a text-only digital archive on Sherlocktron</a> since 1985. In agreement with Peter Blau, we've arranged to publish facsimiles of the print newsletter here, so online readers can see what the newsletter looks like. Below the scan you can find links to the sites mentioned in the text - in most cases, directly to the article, video or publication, to save you from having to search for the terms.<br /><br />The following is the April 2011 issue; please feel free to share it via email, social network, or embed it on your own site.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/54252053/Scuttlebutt-from-the-Spermaceti-Press-April-2011?secret_password=atlc6qedngs9utsy9ku" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press April 2011 on Scribd">Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press April 2011</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_38001" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/54252053/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-1sxa14j9bpb9bl8uxuu3&secret_password=atlc6qedngs9utsy9ku" width="100%"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })(); </script><br /><br /><b>Links</b> (in order of mention):<br /><ul><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/5671167489/" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;" title="The Sherlock Holmes Stories, summed up by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="The Sherlock Holmes Stories, summed up" height="240" src="http://farm6.static.flickr.com/5186/5671167489_3bcac8975e_m.jpg" width="202" /></a><li><a href="http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/masterpiece/silkstocking/retro.html">Masterpiece Theatre's Sherlock Holmes: A Retrospective</a></li><li><a href="http://shop.ebay.co.uk/?_from=R40&_trksid=p5197.m570.l1313&_nkw=undershaw&_sacat=See-All-Categories">Undershaw items on eBay</a></li><li><a href="http://audio-sales1.amazonwebstore.com/search.htm?keyword=conan+doyle">L.A Theatre Works recordings of "Fake" and "The Lost World"</a></li><li><a href="http://zavvi.com/">The Muppet Show: Season One (Special Edition) at Zavvi.com</a> (you can also <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LU27gd34R-I">view the Muppet Sherlock Holmes skit by clicking here</a> or embedded below).</li><li><a href="http://www.youngsherlock.com/">Young Sherlock Holmes: Red Leech</a></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxqN3tfdIp8&feature=player_embedded">Sherlock Holmes and the Shadow Watchers (YouTube)</a> and <a href="http://www.anthonydpmann.com/">Anthony Mann's website</a></li><li><a href="http://www.bakerstreetrecordings.com/">Baker Street Recordings</a></li><li><a href="http://www.bbc.co.uk/h2g2/entry/A83345132">The Lost World - 1925 film</a></li><li><a href="http://prairiehome.publicradio.org/programs/2010/10/16/scripts/ruth.shtml">Prairie Home Companion - Ruth Harrison, reference librarian meets Sir Arthur Conan Doyle</a></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=65QVyEfR2uI">Hallmark Interactive Buddy Demo - Watson (YouTube)</a></li><li><a href="http://www.amazon.com/House-Silk-Sherlock-Holmes-Novel/dp/0316196991?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The House of Silk (Amazon.com)</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0316196991" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></li><li><a href="http://www.henryzecher.com/">William Gillette: America's Sherlock Holmes by Henry Zecher</a></li><li><a href="http://www.buzzerbeater.com/team/28544/overview.aspx">The Baker Street Irregulars on BuzzerBeater.com</a></li><li>The alternative title for <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/New-Annotated-Sherlock-Holmes-Complete/dp/0393059162?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0393059162" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i> at <a href="http://betterbooktitles.com/post/2581529122/sherlock">Better Book Titles: Drugs Make You Smarter</a></li><li><a href="http://www.lileks.com/institute/100mysteries/">James Lileks 100 Mysteries</a> </li><li><a href="http://www.halglatzer.com/holmes/index.html">Sherlock Holmes and the Volcano Horror</a></li><li><a href="http://sherlockian.net/">Sherlockian.net</a></li><li><a href="http://theinspirationroom.com/daily/2009/penguin-books-unputdownable/">Penguin's "unputdownable" <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i></a></li><li><a href="http://www.fancythatoflondon.co.uk/SherlockHolmesGifts">Sherlock Holmes gifts at Fancy That of London</a></li><li><a href="http://www.sherlock-holmes.org.uk/">The Sherlock Holmes Society of London</a></li><li><a href="http://www.leicester.gov.uk/your-council-services/lc/growth-and-history/blueplaques/blueplaquespeople/francistankysmith/">Francis "Tanky" Smith's plaque in Leicester</a></li><li><a href="http://www.sherlock-holmes.com/e_times11-3.htm">The Sherlockian e-Times</a></li><li><a href="http://www.miracletheatre.co.uk/tourdates/The%20Death%20of%20Sherlock%20Holmes">The Miracle Theatre Company - "The Death of Sherlock Holmes"</a></li><li><a href="http://www.theatreaquarius.org/">Theatre Aquarius</a></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/baftaonline">BAFTA on YouTube (only for UK residents)</a></li></ul><br /><b>The Muppet Show: Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Disappearing Clue</b><br /><br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/LU27gd34R-I" width="480"></iframe></center><br /><br />Sherlock Holmes...and the Shadow Watchers<br /><br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/vxqN3tfdIp8" width="480"></iframe></center><br /><br /><b>Hallmark Interative Buddy Demo - Watson</b><br /><br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/65QVyEfR2uI" width="640"></iframe></center><br /><br /><i>Please consider visiting our sponsors (in the right column and footer of the site) from time to time. It helps defray the costs associated with running this site.</i><br /><i>--</i><br /><i><br /></i>

"Where All Gossip is Welcome" [VALL]

This is the latest issue of Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press, Peter Blau's ("Black Peter") monthly newsletter of Sherlock...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

A Look at Weddings and Marriages in the Sherlock Holmes Stories

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"a fashionable wedding" [NOBL]</h4>
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<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/4181738871/" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="nobl-04 by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="nobl-04" height="400" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2702/4181738871_b87b40c86e_m.jpg" width="288" /></a></div>
It's wedding fever as William and Kate enter into holy matrimony today at Westminster Abbey. And while the British, for the most part, are yawning their way through this one, there's always some intrigue around a well known couple that ties the knot in a very public way.<br />
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While not every wedding in the Sherlock Holmes stories was public, there are a few mentions of weddings and marriages in the Canon that are worth noting here. Let's take a look at some wedding-related items, shall we?<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Engagements</span></b></h4>
"<a href="http://www.ignisart.com/camdenhouse/canon/iden.htm">A Case of Identity</a>" involved the courtship and engagement of Mary Sutherland and Hosmer Angel, leading to the subsequent disappearance of the groom on the morning of the wedding. The relationship didn't have a happy ending, but Holmes managed to use a hunting crop to threaten justice.<br />
<br />
Sherlock Holmes himself (under the guise of Escott) became engaged to <a href="http://www.ignisart.com/camdenhouse/canon/chas.htm">Charles Augustus Milverton's</a> housemaid in an effort to stop Milverton from blackmailing Lady Eva Blackwell, who was engaged to the Earl of Dovercourt. Their wedding, a fortnight away, was in jeopardy if the stolen documents came to light.<br />
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a><br />
Other engagements include Percy Phelps and Annie Harrison (NAVA); Richard Brunton and Rachel Howells (MUSG); the Hon. Ronald Adair and Miss Edith Woodley (EMPT); Mrs. McFarlane and Jonas Oldacre (NORW); Elsie Patrick and Abe Slaney (DANC); Trevor Bennett and Edith Presbury (CREE); and Maud Bellamy and Fitzroy McPherson (LION).<br />
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Marriages, forced</span></b></h4>
Probably one of the most famous marriage situations in the Canon was the polygamous relationship that Lucy Ferrier was forced into the Enoch Drebber and Joseph Stangerson in <i><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Study-Scarlet-Illustrated-Classics-Sherlock/dp/1402770820?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">A Study in Scarlet</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1402770820" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></b></i>. The two used their authority in the Mormon church to abduct her from her father's house and away from Jefferson Hope. It was a transcontinental trip ending in London that made Sherlock Holmes famous in his first public appearance.<br />
<br />
Oh, the things they'll do for...money. Violet Smith's rich uncle passed away in South Africa and two money-seeking colleagues wanted to marry her for the inheritance in "<a href="http://www.ignisart.com/camdenhouse/canon/soli.htm">The Solitary Cyclist</a>." They played cards to determine who would be the suitor, and then she was abducted and held at gunpoint through a ceremony in the woods. "But in any case, a forced marriage is no marriage," determined Holmes, and Miss Smith was free to see her fiancé Cyril Morton once again.<br />
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<h4>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Marriages, prevented</span></b></h4>
In "<a href="http://www.ignisart.com/camdenhouse/canon/copp.htm">The Copper Beeches</a>," Jephro Rucastle had good reason to want keep Mr. Fowler away from his daughter Alice. So he found a stand-in and prevented the courtship from continuing. Or so he thought.<br />
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The Stoner sisters didn't have much luck when it came to weddings. First, after Julia announced her engagement and pending wedding, she died mysteriously in the night amid the sounds of clanking metal and a whistle, shrieking about "<a href="http://www.ignisart.com/camdenhouse/canon/spec.htm">The Speckled Band</a>." Then, two years later, the same scenario presented itself to her sister Helen, who heard the same ominous noises.</div>
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Sherlock Holmes himself was hired to stop the wedding of Baron Gruner and Violet DeMerville in "<a href="http://www.ignisart.com/camdenhouse/canon/illu.htm">The Illustrious Client</a>." Having been met with "calm aloofness and supreme self-complacence of the woman [he was] trying to save," Holmes had to resort to more devious methods.</div>
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<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Weddings</span></b></h4>
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In "<a href="http://www.ignisart.com/camdenhouse/canon/scan.htm">A Scandal in Bohemia</a>," we come across not one, not two, but three marriages. We first find that Watson has married Mary Morstan, the damsel in distress in <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sign-Four-Illustrated-Classics-Sherlock/dp/1402780036?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Sign of Four</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1402780036" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i></b>, as Holmes remarks, "Wedlock suits you." Then we discover that the King of Bohemia is about to be married to Clotilde Lothman von Saxe-Meningen, second daughter of the King of Scandinavia. A threat to this marriage is a certain photograph that Irene Adler has in her possession. It is her marriage to Godfrey Norton that sets things right.</div>
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The spoiler "The Lord St. Simon marriage, and its curious termination," opens "<a href="http://www.ignisart.com/camdenhouse/canon/nobl.htm">The Noble Bachelor</a>." We learn of a down-on-his-luck nobleman who marries the daughter of an American millionaire. Only the marriage is not to be. The young lady disappears, her wedding gown left floating in the Serpentine. If there were one story you read today regarding weddings in the Canon, this should be the one.</div>
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And when weddings actually do occur, it's customary to have gifts. Dr. Mortimer received his walking stick (the one he left behind at 221B Baker Street) "From one or two friends on the occasion of my marriage," in <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Hound-Baskervilles-Illustrated-Classics-Sherlock/dp/1402770006?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Hound of the Baskervilles</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1402770006" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i></b>.<br />
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<h4>
<b><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: medium;">Separation/Divorce</span></b></h4>
We'd be remiss if we didn't mention the downside of marriage. In the area of divorce, we know that Laura Lyons was trying to get a divorce from her husband so she could marry Stapleton [HOUN]. And also that in "<a href="http://www.ignisart.com/camdenhouse/canon/devi.htm">The Devil's Foot</a>," Dr. Leon Sterndale and Brenda Tregennis were in love, but were in a tough situation: "I could not marry her, for I have a wife who has left me for years and yet whom, by the deplorable laws of England, I could not divorce."<br />
<br />
Finally, we can think of no better example of a couple at odds with each other than the one that Holmes used in "A Case of Identity."<br />
Watson relates:<br />
<blockquote>
"Here is the first heading upon which I come. 'A husband's cruelty to his wife.' There is half a column of print, but I know without reading it that it is all perfectly familiar to me. There is, of course, the other woman, the drink, the push, the blow, the bruise, the sympathetic sister or landlady. The crudest of writers could invent nothing more crude."</blockquote>
And Holmes replies:<br />
<blockquote>
"Indeed, your example is an unfortunate one for your argument," said Holmes, taking the paper and glancing his eye down it. "This is the Dundas separation case, and, as it happens, I was engaged in clearing up some small points in connection with it. The husband was a teetotaler, there was no other woman, and the conduct complained of was that he had drifted into the habit of winding up every meal by taking out his false teeth and hurling them at his wife, which, you will allow, is not an action likely to occur to the imagination of the average story-teller. Take a pinch of snuff, Doctor, and acknowledge that I have scored over you in your example."</blockquote>
Ah, marriage. Sometimes the mundane is exciting enough.<br />
<blockquote>
The man who never in his life<br />
Has washed the dishes with his wife<br />
Or polished up the silver plate -<br />
He still is largely celibate.</blockquote>
<blockquote style="text-align: center;">
~Christopher Morley, Washing the Dishes</blockquote>
Are there other favorite wedding, marriage or engagement connections in the Canon you think we should have covered? Leave us a comment below.<br />
<br />
<i>--</i><br />
<br />

A Look at Weddings and Marriages in the Sherlock Holmes Stories

"a fashionable wedding" [NOBL] It's wedding fever as William and Kate enter into holy matrimony today at Westminster Abbey...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Muppet Sherlock Holmes — A Review

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<h4 style="text-align: center;">"all the fearlessness of youth" [STUD]</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2zz_eBCIYD67XFI8-HAb-ezSES2OKS74m-ji3NSKvpaF7HfobcVy0hXyN7Y-Q2OQ4JWb3zQ_yMyMFn4oNlISIcQJvMFXaJADzLZh3U96IzFxknO1Y89hSN2hhQZRL3XFvYWFqw993-Js/s1600/Rootie+Kazootie.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="586" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhx2zz_eBCIYD67XFI8-HAb-ezSES2OKS74m-ji3NSKvpaF7HfobcVy0hXyN7Y-Q2OQ4JWb3zQ_yMyMFn4oNlISIcQJvMFXaJADzLZh3U96IzFxknO1Y89hSN2hhQZRL3XFvYWFqw993-Js/s640/Rootie+Kazootie.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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My introduction to Sherlock Holmes came...well, via two sources. One was the well-worn copy of <i><b><a href="https://affiliates.abebooks.com/c/2670720/77416/2029?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.abebooks.com%2Fservlet%2FSearchResults%3Fan%3DDoyle%26bi%3D0%26bx%3Doff%26cm_sp%3DSearchF-_-Advs-_-Result%26ds%3D30%26prc%3DUSD%26recentlyadded%3Dall%26rgn%3Dww%26rollup%3Don%26sortby%3D17%26tn%3DBoys%2527%2520Sherlock%2520Holmes%26xdesc%3Doff%26xpod%3Doff" target="_blank">Boys' Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0060217359" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="1" /></b></i> at a library near my grandmother's; the other was through constant repeats of the Basil Rathbone/Nigel Bruce films on Sunday afternoons. In short, perhaps like many people my age, my introduction to Sherlock Holmes was rather age-appropriate, and the heady atmosphere of Doyle's stories captivated me because I was exposed to adaptations which mixed that atmosphere with other, more contemporary elements.<br />
<br />
Almost one year Ago, <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2010/05/were-equally-puppets-in-his-hands-soli_4.html">Boom Studios announced that it was releasing a four issue mini-series entitled <b>Muppet Sherlock Holmes</b></a>. Fortunately, that four-issue series has been released as a trade paperback, and quite frankly, it is not only a great introduction for future Sherlockians, but a great addition to any current Sherlockian library.<br />
<br />
Or in other words, there is no age limit to the readership of this book.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_x8qLxCvfMigmYEPJ6-PF48D5Ieg1Ak5dtMjwOd_jYWPLTxfC3AxvmX0xxPXSkuU93dNPk8cSOmYZOUtV8mX2vjJmzrfuHoIp2l9jfSIaqotDFlp94VGjpAs4b69G30m0bVFQQZpEkFP/s1600/Muppet+Sherlock+Holmes.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF_x8qLxCvfMigmYEPJ6-PF48D5Ieg1Ak5dtMjwOd_jYWPLTxfC3AxvmX0xxPXSkuU93dNPk8cSOmYZOUtV8mX2vjJmzrfuHoIp2l9jfSIaqotDFlp94VGjpAs4b69G30m0bVFQQZpEkFP/s320/Muppet+Sherlock+Holmes.jpg" width="211" /></a></div>
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Patrick Storck deftly adapts four stories from the canon - "Speckled Band", "A Scandal in Bohemia", "Red Headed League" and "Musgrave Ritual" - but provides them with the kind of humor that is noted with the Muppets. It also strikes a tender balance, finding the humor in the characters without making them parody or cliche. In addition, there are some deft contemporary references (including what I believe to be a punk rock reference) that manage to avoid the trap of taking the reader out of the story. These are simply entertaining for readers of all ages.<br />
<br />
<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1608866130" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="1" />But quite frankly, it's Amy Mebberson's artwork that really gives the series a lift. It would have been easy to make the art look overtly like a cartoon (after all, we are talking about the Muppets), but Mebberson manages to give it a slight Victorian sheen - not enough to take away form the humor, but plenty to give it a lift. This is as much a comic that is enjoyable to look at as it is to read.<br />
<br />
Reading the <span style="font-weight: bold;"><a href="https://amzn.to/3ZpQUC8" target="_blank">Muppet Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1608866130" style="border: none; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;" width="1" /></span> trade has made me more than eager to revisit the canon - although I've been making my way through, this is a must read not just for present scholars of the Great Detective...but for their descendants.<br />
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[<i>Gordon posts on the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry, and also writes about comics and popular culture for <a href="http://www.blogthispal.com/">Blog THIS, Pal!</a> and <a href="http://www.comicrelated.com/">Comic Related</a></i>]</div>
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<br /></div>
--<br />
<br />

Muppet Sherlock Holmes — A Review

"all the fearlessness of youth" [STUD] My introduction to Sherlock Holmes came...well, via two sources. One was the well-wor...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Episode 32: Untitled Les Klinger Sequel

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In our <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/03/episode-31-chat-with-les-klinger.html">previous episode</a>, we spent time with author Les Klinger discussing his evolution as a Sherlockian, author and editor, covering a wide variety of topics and publications.<br />
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In this episode, we continue the conversation, but we turn towards Hollywood instead. Les was an official consultant for the initial Robert Downey, Jr. "<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Robert-Downey-Jr/dp/B001OQCV6A?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B001OQCV6A" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />," and he now returns to Warner Bros. to consult on the second installment, which until just prior to the recording of this episode was called "Untitled Sherlock Holmes Sequel." Of course, now we know it's called "<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1515091/">Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows</a>."<br />
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Les gives a great background on what it takes to become an advisor to a major Hollywood franchise, as well as what an advisor of this sort actually does. It's a fascinating look behind the scenes of the making of "Sherlock Holmes" that only I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere brings you.<br />
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This edition of the Editor's Gas-Lamp comes to you from the Autumn 2010 issue (Vol. 60 No. 3)  of the <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/"><i>Baker Street Journal</i></a>.<br />
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<b>Links:</b><br />
<a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/03/episode-31-chat-with-les-klinger.html">Episode 31: A Chat with Les Klinger</a><br />
<a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1515091/">Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (IMDb)</a><br />
<i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Aaron-Campbell-Cover/dp/B004PLSNHM?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes: Year 1</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004PLSNHM" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i> (Dynamite Publishing)<img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B004PLSNHM" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /><br />
Ian Edgington's <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Crime-Classics-Valley-Sherlock-Graphic/dp/1906838054?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Valley of Fear</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=1906838054" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i><br />
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Image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/4283914782/">Scott Monty (Flickr)</a><br />
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Episode 32: Untitled Les Klinger Sequel

In our previous episode , we spent time with author Les Klinger discussing his evolution as a Sherlockian, author and editor, covering a w...

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by Scott Monty

"As Cool as Ice" [ABBE]

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/4181728021/" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;" title="bery-03 by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="bery-03" height="157" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2501/4181728021_1510809246_m.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">This is tea, correct? </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
Hello thirsty friends-- and welcome to the latest entry in the Sherlock Holmes Drinking Game! I am excited to be bringing this intensely researched treatise (i.e., enormously fun drinking game) to you this week at our new home on the internet!<br />
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As the Sherlock Holmes Drinking Game is new to The Baker Street Blog, let me take a moment and run down the rules so all of you who are of age can play along. They are as follows:<br />
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<ol>
<li>Take one drink every time Holmes makes an amazing deduction</li>
<li>Take one drink every time Holmes speaks badly about the police</li>
<li>Take one drink every time Holmes lets a perpetrator go free</li>
<li>Take one drink every time Holmes chastises Watson for not 'observing'</li>
<li>Take one drink every time someone rushes into the rooms at 221B</li>
<li>Take one drink every time Holmes and/or Watson dash off in a hansom cab</li>
</ol>
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You can also check out the beginning of the Game and my first nine entries to The Sherlock Holmes Drinking Game <a href="http://www.examiner.com/sherlock-holmes-in-national/sherlck-holmes-fans-21-up-the-sherlock-holmes-drinking-game-has-arrived">by clicking here</a>.<br />
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We're so excited to be sipping a cocktail in our new home here at the Baker Street Blog, so get ready for an epic and delicious time! This week's tale is "<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Adventure-Coronet-Sherlock-Mystery-ebook/dp/B003IHVZV0?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=B003IHVZV0" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></b>," a work of love, deception, jewels, and royal heads of state. In honor of the snowy location of the story, assemble the following:<br />
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<u>Beryl Coronet Cocktail</u><br />
2 parts vodka<br />
1 clementine slice<br />
2 cranberries<br />
Ginger ale <br />
Shaved ice<br />
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Muddle the fruit and shake with the vodka. Pour over shaved ice (the snow!) and add a splash of ginger ale. Top with three cranberries (one for each of the missing beryls). You are now ready to enjoy your Beryl Coronet cocktail!<br />
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We'll be following The <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/03/the-sherlock-holmes-drinking-game.html">Sherlock Holmes Drinking Game rules</a> as always, but this tale needs a little added extra. For "The Beryl Coronet," take a drink every time the word 'beryl' or 'coronet' is mentioned. Ready? Off we go!<br />
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<b>Number of Drinks Taken: 32</b><br />
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<ul>
<li>Take one drink for Alexander Holder dashing in to 221B.</li>
<li>Take one drink for Holmes and his amazing deduction ("And he is a man with a wooden leg?")</li>
<li>Take one drink for the attempted thief getting away from Holmes in the end.</li>
<li>Take 29 drinks for the word beryl or coronet being used in this short story.</li>
</ul>
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Sober up from that and plan to meet me back here next time as I continue to drink my way through the Canon. After all, it's no fun to be drinking alone!<br />
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<i style="font-style: normal;">Editor's note: </i><i>This is Jill Brumer's first post for the site. Jill Brumer is a small business owner, college drama professor, and all around creative type who has lived all over the States. She has her father to thank for purchasing her first Sherlock Holmes story when she was twelve years old- the fascination has never stopped!</i><br />
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<span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #262626; font-family: Trebuchet, 'Trebuchet MS', Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; line-height: 16px;"><i><b>NB: the Baker Street Blog does not advocate the consumption of alcohol. Please behave responsibly and take heed of all local laws and ordinances. Know your limits and don't overimbibe.</b></i></span><br />
--

"As Cool as Ice" [ABBE]

This is tea, correct? Hello thirsty friends-- and welcome to the latest entry in the Sherlock Holmes Drinking Game! I am excited to be ...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

"A Tinge of Colour" [VALL]

<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: left; margin-right: 1em; text-align: left;"><tbody><tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNVtfPkI6AM5wAbzeH-tS2adq_2nO4qT1ytETT27u_1x8qXjdmFTezyiAONiWfN6knHITn4gn8nPddDKH28ouabRhojD8-rsOMCpH5rbEfZ8N-Z5vkWQ_9TGqV7rAgrbmWN8qxUvO09wsx/s1600/BSJ+1Q11+Front+Cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjNVtfPkI6AM5wAbzeH-tS2adq_2nO4qT1ytETT27u_1x8qXjdmFTezyiAONiWfN6knHITn4gn8nPddDKH28ouabRhojD8-rsOMCpH5rbEfZ8N-Z5vkWQ_9TGqV7rAgrbmWN8qxUvO09wsx/s200/BSJ+1Q11+Front+Cover.jpg" width="133" /></a></td></tr><tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The new <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/">BSJ</a> </td></tr></tbody></table>The Spring 2011 issue of the <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/"><i>Baker Street Journal</i></a> has arrived on our doorstep. This is Vol. 61 No. 1 and it's a significant one. If you're a regular subscriber (if you're not, you need to <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/subscriptions.html">get thee to the subscription page now</a> - this is The. Definitive. Publication.), you may have noticed that over the last couple of years, there have been some changes afoot. We announced the arrival of the perfect binding last May with <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2010/05/perfectly-fresh-spec.html">"Perfectly Fresh" [SPEC]</a>.<br /><br />The more noticeable change over this same time period has been the rotating images on the cover. Previously, the BSJ simply had <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/4181742139/">the profile of Sherlock Holmes as drawn by Frederick Dorr Steele</a>. But each new piece of cover art has been selected to support the content of each issue. And with the current issue, we can see a very marked difference in the cover of the Journal.<br /><br />This is the first time a color image has been used on the <i>Baker Street Journal</i>.<br /><br />The image is the famous struggle between Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty, who battled each other over the <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2007/09/falls-of-reichenbach-fina.html">Reichenbach Falls</a>. For those of us who are accustomed to seeing Sidney Paget's work in black and white, this color version is quite arresting: Holmes's charcoal grey suit against the black of Moriarty's; the tufts of green grass on the edge of the narrow path; and the blue backdrop of the falls behind them as they struggle.<br /><br />The reason this particular image was chose for the Spring 2011 issue is that Jim Zych's winning entry in the BSI's 2010 Essay Contest ("How Moriarty Survived the Reichenbach Falls") appears, along with a plethora of coverage from the <a href="http://www.bsiweekend.com/">Baker Street Irregulars weekend</a>. In addition, you can take a look at Nicholas Utechin's recounting of the first reading of Ronald Knox's seminal paper "Studies in the Literature of Sherlock Holmes" - did it take place at the Gryphon Club, as we long believed? Paul Singleton takes a look at the curious lot of Americans that made their way into the Canon.<br /><br />All this and more are in the current issue of the BSJ, which you can read if you <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/subscriptions.html"><b>subscribe now</b></a>. It's only $37.50 a year in the U.S.; $47.50 elsewhere. If you do subscribe, please encourage at least one other person to do so as well. It's a fine publication that deserves more readers.<br /><br /><i>Please consider visiting our sponsors (in the right column and footer of the site) from time to time. It helps defray the costs associated with running this site.</i> <br />--

"A Tinge of Colour" [VALL]

The new BSJ The Spring 2011 issue of the Baker Street Journal has arrived on our doorstep. This is Vol. 61 No. 1 and it's a significa...

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by Scott Monty

"Heard of It First By That Strange Wireless" [LION]

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Exactly 99 years ago today - 11:40 p.m. on April 14, 1912 - the <i>Titanic</i> struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage and took 1,517 souls with her by the time she sank at 2:20 a.m.<br />
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The reason we bring it up on our site is because there are some loose connections worthy of mention. The first is that there were two Marconi wireless radios aboard, staffed by Jack Phillips and Harold Bride. As you observed, the title of the post noted that there was a wireless mentioned in "The Adventure of the Lion's Mane," in which Holmes recounted,<br />
<blockquote>
"<i>It was my old housekeeper who heard of it first by that strange wireless by which such people collect the news of the countryside</i>."</blockquote>
Contrary to popular belief the Titanic was not the first time the SOS signal was used (it came into use in 1908), but Bride mentioned to Phillips, who had been using the more popular British CQD signal, that he should use SOS as it might be the last time he would have the opportunity to do so.<br />
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To ensure there was a connection, about 14 years ago, William Seil wrote <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Titanic-Tragedy-Adventures/dp/0947533354?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" style="font-style: italic; font-weight: bold;" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes and the Titanic Tragedy: A Case to Remember</a>, which was also a nod to Walter Lord's famous recounting of the tragedy in <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Night-Remember-Walter-Lord/dp/0805077642?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">A Night to Remember</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="https://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0805077642" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i></b>. In the Sherlock Holmes pastiche, we find the great detective and his faithful colleague on board the doomed liner following an agent on his way to the U.S. with secret submarine plans. While we don't normally do the whole pastiche thing, this was a quick and fun read.<br />
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For those of you who may be interested in this sort of thing, the <a href="http://titanichistoricalsociety.net/">Titanic Historical Society</a> (THS) has been in existence since 1963. Founder Ed Kamuda owns a jewelry store in western Massachusetts, where he also keeps the <a href="http://www.titanic1.org/museum/index.asp">Titanic Museum</a>, Membership in THS will get you complimentary admission to the museum and also includes a subscription to their quarterly publication, <i>The Commutator.</i><br />
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<b>UPDATE</b>: We've just been made aware of the <b><a href="http://www.titanicattraction.com/">Titanic Museum Attraction</a></b> in Branson, MO and Pigeon Forge, TN. They actually work with the Titanic Historical Society, and from their website, they seem to be very impressive.<br />
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As the fateful anniversary is upon us, please take some time to remember the souls of all of those brave men, women and children who perished aboard the Titanic and the icy waters of the North Atlantic 99 years ago. While the tragedy may have been avoidable, it will stand as one of the greatest lessons of all time of man's hubris in the face of nature, and will forever remind us that we need to plan for the worst possible contingencies despite our confidence in our own technological advances. They did not die in vain.<br />
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--<br />
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"Heard of It First By That Strange Wireless" [LION]

Exactly 99 years ago today - 11:40 p.m. on April 14, 1912 - the Titanic struck an iceberg on her maiden voyage and took 1,517 souls wi...

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by Scott Monty

"This Great And Somber Stage" [BRUC]

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Stage-Chronological-Encyclopedia/dp/0810861259?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" target="_blank"><img alt="Sherlock Holmes on the Stage: A Chronological Encyclopedia of Plays Featuring the Great Detective" src="http://ws.amazon.com/widgets/q?MarketPlace=US&ServiceVersion=20070822&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0810861259&tag=thebakerstree-20" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=bil&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0810861259" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" />Sherlock Holmes has a very pervasive presence in our popular culture...but it seems as if he is having something of a renaissance when it comes to staged versions of his adventures.<br /><br />For example, a <a href="http://www.mercurynews.com/top-stories/ci_17675771?nclick_check=1">California-based theatrical company is putting on a production</a> based on two of the stories from the canon - "A Scandal in Bohemia" and "The Final Problem".  (In actual fact, it is the William Gilette/Sir Arthur Conan Doyle play from 1899). Putting on a 19th century play in the 21st century might seem a little unusual, but for Holmes, it makes perfect sense.<br /><br />However, modern playwrights have also taken to creating their own non-canon works - another theatrical company has put on an <a href="http://carmichael.patch.com/articles/case-closed-at-chautauqua-playhouse">original play based on Holmes</a>. Of course, like many modern takes on Holmes, it does contain other historical figures as part of the plot...but that does not take away from telling another grand tale of the detective.<br /><br />Finally, we find that there is one aspect of a <a href="http://www.pnj.com/article/20110325/ENTERTAINMENT/103250301/0/LIFE/-Cabaret-Gets-Lit-support-Pensacola-Little-Theatre?odyssey=nav%7Chead">"Cabaret Goes Lit"</a> review that features Holmes...which only proves that "this great and somber stage" is anything <span style="font-weight: bold;">but.</span><br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;"><br /></span><br /><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i>Editor's note: Gordon regularly covers the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and the entertainment industry. You can also find him at <a href="http://www.blogthispal.com/">Blog THIS, Pal!</a> and <a href="http://www.comicrelated.com/">Comic Related</a>.</i></span></i><br />--<br /><iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=0810861259&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>  <iframe align="left" frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=bpl&asins=B0033H0TMG&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="align: left; height: 245px; padding-right: 10px; padding-top: 5px; width: 131px;"></iframe>

"This Great And Somber Stage" [BRUC]

Sherlock Holmes has a very pervasive presence in our popular culture...but it seems as if he is having something of a renaissance when it co...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

The Unsung Hero of The Sign of Four

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"I would rather have Toby's help" [SIGN] </h4>
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One of the endearing and distinguishing characteristics of Sherlock Holmes was his penchant for thinking outside the box. Free of the constraints of police regulations, Holmes’s methods often extended beyond the realm of the traditional. Thank goodness.<br />
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According to William Baring-Gould's <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Annotated-Sherlock-Holmes-Fifty-Six-Illustrated/dp/0517502917?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>The Annotated Sherlock Holmes</i></a><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEiGYms0Td4z6sk7iVROzIG5eiGQ-iASY8D49R1EkMQPFVjbDHrQEPHQLZ1VcSpyJUnt-8CUaym0gYwJBrFcskuEBLf-zCWIqoyqj3tV0mP0AqkgRjRs2kV1WZwkZLQNkpVe5d2cOhO0WJQTpu5FSluwlbZc0ZsJU1hv3ttuDLD50vh1O-GzF341Ax6N6u1t5JckepUt2Ag-eaf5hd9jrJIwN6h4fWtM=" /> (1992 edition), the case of <i>The Sign of Four</i> (published by <i>Lippincott's Monthly Magazine</i> in <a href="http://holmes.crispen.org/Canon.php">February of 1890</a>), lasted from Tuesday 18 September to Friday 21 September, 1888. Thus, the mystery of the Agra Treasure, a case unlike any other, was solved in only four days time. But how? <br />
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Fortunately, Holmes knew that an unlikely case calls for unlikely tactics. And the master would not have cracked the case without the help of a very special individual. A four-legged individual by the unlikely name of Toby, of No.3 Pinchin Lane, Lambeth. <br />
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This got me thinking. And when that happens, like any good Holmesian (or Sherlockian, whichever you prefer), I mounted a search for facts. My findings are as follows:<br />
<br />
By the late 19th Century, dogs had been used by mankind for <a href="http://www.k9gta.com/History-of-Police-Dogs.html">over a millenium</a> in war, domination of new lands, and hunting. Bloodhounds had been used for the aforementioned reasons for the past three hundred years. In addition, some policemen had taken to bringing their own dogs with them on their beats. <a href="http://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/CityPolice/Departments/SpecialistSupport/dogsandmountedunit/">T</a><a href="http://www.cityoflondon.police.uk/CityPolice/Departments/SpecialistSupport/dogsandmountedunit/">he London Police Force</a> incorporated bloodhounds during the Jack the Ripper murders, which occurred in August-November of 1888 – the very same time that a certain consulting detective who had recently come into public prominence was employing a "long-haired, lop-eared creature, half spaniel and half lurcher, brown and white in colour" to assist him [SIGN]. In fact, Holmes's case began just <a href="http://jack-the-ripper.org/">ten days</a> after the murder of Annie Chapman! As Brett's Holmes remarked in Granada's 'The Dying Detective': "Coincidence bordering upon the unbelievable!" <br />
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Anyway, back to the dogs. Due to primitive methods, those police canines were not afforded the chance to prove as useful as they could have been. But in his own case, Holmes gave the scrappy Toby the opportunity to use his “most amazing power of scent” unhampered by police regulations or botched test sites. In his account of the case, Dr. Watson tells us just what the master did: <br />
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“He pushed the creosote handkerchief under the dog’s nose…The creature broke into a succession of high, tremulous yelps, and, with his nose on the ground, and his tail in the air, pattered off upon the trail at a pace which strained his leash and kept us at the top of our speed.”</blockquote>
It was simple, yet highly effective. Dr. Watson may have described Toby as having “a very clumsy, waddling gait”, but this furry ally proved his worth in short order. And in so doing, he vindicated his colleagues and brought literary glory to his species. As Holmes said, Toby “acted according to his own lights”. Holmes could just as well have been explaining himself here, and makes an excellent point about his beloved powers of deduction: that one must trust one’s instinct in order to ‘sniff out’ the true scent from the false ones. <br />
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And while the contributions of the Baker Street Irregulars should not be overlooked, it was Toby who turned the chase in the right direction. Without Toby’s help, the boys would have had no Aurora to find, Small would never have been caught, readers would have been deprived of one of the most memorable boat chases in all of literature…and most importantly, Dr. John H. Watson would not have won the heart of Miss Mary Morstan. <br />
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If Toby wasn’t the guest of honor at their wedding, he should have been!<br />
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[<b>Editor's note:</b><i> Our guest author Jennifer has had a life-long interest in English and American literature (particularly of the 19th century), and grew up watching both the Rathbone/Bruce & the Granada incarnations of Holmes and his Boswell. Some of her favorite authors are Charles Dickens, George Gordon Lord Byron, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Washington Irving and Edgar Allan Poe. One of her two current efforts include research into the Holmes Canon for a collection of short stories centered around Dr. Watson. The other is a historic fiction novel-in-progress dealing with reform methods for London prostitutes in the Victorian Era. She has a decade of experience in the field of 19th century living history, and enjoys sharing little tidbits and musings on her </i><a href="http://bozwellmd.livejournal.com/" style="font-style: italic;">blog</a><i>.</i>]<br />
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The Unsung Hero of The Sign of Four

"I would rather have Toby's help" [SIGN] One of the endearing and distinguishing characteristics of Sherlock Holmes wa...

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by Scott Monty

"Let Me Bring Sir Jasper Meek" [DYIN]

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuub0ngkF36d9OXe12lb8gO4MoyI-zMF928LNzc42OLFVDVaWUbv5wQYnhH9JGVGfkcizAMCg1R_n9_F8_VDwaDf1AqnPIWja8jfPZvD4MVUDyzBEpI3JIwNKXLh9ExAT-owKrfySWEjU/s1600/01bc63ba-4ad7-444c-b7b7-97891de1aef7.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjuub0ngkF36d9OXe12lb8gO4MoyI-zMF928LNzc42OLFVDVaWUbv5wQYnhH9JGVGfkcizAMCg1R_n9_F8_VDwaDf1AqnPIWja8jfPZvD4MVUDyzBEpI3JIwNKXLh9ExAT-owKrfySWEjU/s1600/01bc63ba-4ad7-444c-b7b7-97891de1aef7.jpg" /></a></div>
Dr. George L. John, BSI ("Sir Jasper Meek") died on February 6, 2011 at the age of 90. During World War II he served as an engineer in the U.S. Army, was captured by the Germans in 1944 and released in 1945. When the war ended, he furthered his education utilizing the GI bill. After witnessing the carnage of war, Dr. John decided to embark on a career helping his fellow man. He graduated from Southwestern Medical School in Dallas, Texas in 1950 and established a private practice in Nebraska. He was the quintessential country doctor, often paid in sides of beef, chickens and general produce. He later returned to Texas and was a staff physician for 16 years for the University of Texas.<br />
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Dr. John was involved in many civic organizations and was a patron of the arts. He loved opera and at one point had concurrent season tickets to every major and minor opera company in Texas. He was a cellist, an avid chess player, ham radio operator, and dabbled in astronomy by hand grinding the mirrors for, and building, his own telescope. For a fuller recounting of his life and interests, please <a href="http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/statesman/obituary.aspx?page=lifestory&pid=148486267">see his official obituary</a>.<br />
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Dr. John was a member of The Maiwand Jezails and in 1965 attended the Basil Rathbone lecture at Wayne State College. He was invested into The Baker Street Irregulars in 1969 as "Sir Jasper Meek."

"Let Me Bring Sir Jasper Meek" [DYIN]

Dr. George L. John, BSI ("Sir Jasper Meek") died on February 6, 2011 at the age of 90. During World War II he served as an engin...

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by Francine Kitts

A Papal Influence in the Sherlock Holmes Canon

<h4 style="text-align: center;">"in my anxiety to oblige the Pope" [HOUN]</h4><table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-align: center;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJWVLUbqvFxNbYt0aqaQC9FE3Tze_GCrKWGgXDA7O1u2KBBEyLy5hJ3FQfuqeDSRv8cywDkYuCh2VVSGVBd09IpmkoAtroItPr1b96fIrB7B1FXwuFRNnvLokDYdbTCOR79u-w1Rmf5RM/s1600/pope-leo-xiii.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSJWVLUbqvFxNbYt0aqaQC9FE3Tze_GCrKWGgXDA7O1u2KBBEyLy5hJ3FQfuqeDSRv8cywDkYuCh2VVSGVBd09IpmkoAtroItPr1b96fIrB7B1FXwuFRNnvLokDYdbTCOR79u-w1Rmf5RM/s320/pope-leo-xiii.jpg" width="464" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Pope Leo XIII</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
It seems like popes have always been an important part of world happenings. More often than not ruling pontiffs shape the world in which they live. There is no doubt, for instance, that the late Pope John Paul II (to be beatified May 1, 2011) played an important historical role on the world stage, regardless of how one views the man. And the same could be said of the pope of Holmes’ and Watson’s time, Pope Leo XIII. <br />
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Born Vincenzo Gioacchino Raffaele Luigi Pecci, Leo XIII is considered by many historians to be the first “modern” pope. The first to be born in the 19th Century, he was the first to die in the 20th. Liberal in the classical (rather than modern or political) sense, he opened the Vatican archives to scholars for research. He encouraged the study of science, and renovated and updated the Vatican Observatory to house the best equipment and astronomical scientists to be had at the time. He was the<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o9Pv-UuGUDM&feature=related"> first pope to be heard on a recording</a>  and <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZCIrT5g5g3g&feature=related">the first to be filmed</a>, thrilling at scientific and technological advances.<br />
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While he was trained at the Academia dei Nobili for diplomacy and law and the son of nobleman himself, Leo was the first pope in many centuries not to rule a kingdom. Under the reign of his predecessor, Pius IX, the Papal States were lost to the new Kingdom of Italy. Pius therefore shut himself up in a type of self-imposed house arrest as he demanded the independence of the Vatican from the surrounding country. Leo XIII continued the protest, also not leaving the Vatican for fear that he and the Church would placed under the power of the Kingdom of Italy (though after his election he sneaked out incognito to retrieve papers from his former residence). His imprisonment and that of succeeding popes would last until 1929, when Pius XI signed the Lateran Treaty bringing the present Vatican City State into existence. <br />
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Because he had no real temporal power, Pope Leo was immediately placed in a neutral role by the world at large and seen by many potentates as an ideal arbitrator. It was his diplomatic influence that prevented a likely war between Germany and Spain in the 1880s. He also was pivotal in encouraging France’s alliance with Russia, which offset the Triple Alliance. Of course, these alliances would lead to the coming Great War, but for their time they helped keep the world’s powers at peace.<br />
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<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqLmvY0LRwQdSUV1bPuUS8SvRypmE9vUs6tVAIKWfvZmdFYxap26Qp22IfV6ssO7NVmACen9amYUEgJwjz_LbGjXOl2J3J0-1B4q35XE0DPhChe0Yu7KAxBcRC2_NzyiglM93b6TTZ-WP/s1600/mariani.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYqLmvY0LRwQdSUV1bPuUS8SvRypmE9vUs6tVAIKWfvZmdFYxap26Qp22IfV6ssO7NVmACen9amYUEgJwjz_LbGjXOl2J3J0-1B4q35XE0DPhChe0Yu7KAxBcRC2_NzyiglM93b6TTZ-WP/s200/mariani.jpg" width="144" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Leo XIII endorsed a <br />
vintage spiked with cocaine.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Leo XIII also was instrumental in encouraging what would become the labor movement in the United States and other countries throughout the world. His encyclical Rerum Novarum clearly stated Christian principals in the relationship between capital and labor. In it he strongly condemned socialism and communism for restricting the right of an individual to own property as well as other personal freedoms, but he also held a critical eye  toward capitalism which did not allow workers a direct share in the fruits of their own labors.<br />
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As I researched Pope Leo for my book <a href="http://www.holmeschurchmysteries.com/">Murder in the Vatican: The Church Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes</a>, I discovered he held many characteristics in common with our beloved master detective. He was tall (for an Italian), painfully thin, and held to a more aesthetic lifestyle. He rarely slept, preferring his work to rest. He imbibed cocaine on occasion in a wine vintage known as Vin Mariani—and so enthusiastic was he about the wine he awarded it a gold medal and appeared on an advertisement poster for the product. He used tobacco in the form of snuff. And, I was amazed to find that Pope Leo greatly resembled Sydney Paget's illustration of Holmes in the guise of an Italian priest! Needless to say, I had a little bit of fun with that. ;)<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Holmes as "the venerable Italian priest" <br />
looking a lot like Pope Leo XIII.</td></tr>
</tbody></table>Leo's Vatican home was completely devoid of a feminine presence. This was not, however, because he was a misogynist. On the contrary, he asked all women (including servants and religious) to leave the Vatican when he became pope motivated by an unusual sense of chivalry. He desired to shield them from any victimization, temptation or scandal, and to protect his priests from the same. <br />
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He was, to sum up, a man of his time as well as a man of the future. He was the most prolific pope, writing 85 encyclicals during his reign, which was the third longest in history (1878-1903). A logician himself, he was an enthusiast of St. Thomas Aquinas, whose philosophical works led to what we now know as the scientific method. <br />
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<br />
There couldn’t have been a more perfect pope, then, for whom Holmes would solve not one, but two cases (see references in BLAC and HOUN). I had great joy telling untold tales about him and the Master and I believe Holmes and Watson had a great deal of fun with him as well. <br />
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<h4>More links:</h4><ul><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=33FPn7zbmHE">Rome Reports: Pope Leo XIII, a pope who changed the Church </a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.vatican.va/holy_father/leo_xiii/index.htm">Vatican: Pope Leo XIII</a></li>
</ul><a href="http://draft.blogger.com/goog_2129261812"></a><br />
<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/Oz_l9omykvk" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe></center><br />
<div class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;">  </span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><i>Ann Margaret Lewis is a member of the Illustrious Clients of Indianapolis. She began her writing career writing tie-in children’s books and short stories for DC Comics and Star Wars: The New Essential Guide to Alien Species, for Random House. Her book: Murder in the Vatican: The Church Mysteries of Sherlock Holmes, published by Gasogene Books, is available at <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/">Wessex Press</a>. You can reach her at <a href="http://www.holmeschurchmysteries.com/">http://www.holmeschurchmysteries.com</a>.</i><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: 'Trebuchet MS'; font-size: 10pt;"><br />
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A Papal Influence in the Sherlock Holmes Canon

"in my anxiety to oblige the Pope" [HOUN] Pope Leo XIII It seems like popes have always been an important part of world happen...

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by Scott Monty

"Linked In Friendly Fashion" [LION]

<a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/wsmonty/4181736387/" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;" title="illu-02 by Scott Monty, on Flickr"><img alt="illu-02" height="240" src="http://farm3.static.flickr.com/2531/4181736387_7b33f607b8_m.jpg" width="201" /></a>This year, April 1 came and went without a practical joke from us. You may recall <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2007/04/there-is-long-row-veil.html">the first time we attempted an April Fool's post</a> was in 2007, when we played off of rumors that Russell Crowe was being considered to play Sherlock Holmes in the upcoming Warner Brothers' film. We suggested that it was Nicholas Rowe who was being brought out of Holmesian retirement, and a number of entertainment blogs picked it up.<br />
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Last year, we went back to the entertainment world and surfaced a report that <a href="http://www.bakerstreetblog.com/2010/04/inconceivable-sequel-empt.html">Amy Adams was going to be playing Mary Russell</a> in a movie adaptation of <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Beekeepers-Apprentice-Segregation-Suspense-Featuring/dp/0312427360?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&link_code=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969" target="_blank">The Beekeeper's Apprentice</a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=btl&camp=213689&creative=392969&o=1&a=0312427360" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important; padding: 0px !important;" width="1" /></i></b>. Our audience must have learned a lesson, as this wasn't nearly as successful as the first one.<br />
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But Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson did manage to play a part in at least one April Fools' Day prank that we heard about.The social networking site <a href="http://www.linkedin.com/">LinkedIn</a> - a platform for professionals to connect and share work experience - used its helpful feature "People You May Know" and suggested a few familiar but unlikely suspects.<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fATB5huu930CVZCRSCNyffLBwjMOiO9cRPZwcU2uj-8RsnC8f91V61rOn0Mlam-FyFXRrqVSOW5QYRGrGtNvfwPtqsnfQvYjx9dCn6z3sU5D_UI4Sthe0JxSm9Md0JVSCDT6QV20PI2c/s1600/linkedin-celebrities.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg5fATB5huu930CVZCRSCNyffLBwjMOiO9cRPZwcU2uj-8RsnC8f91V61rOn0Mlam-FyFXRrqVSOW5QYRGrGtNvfwPtqsnfQvYjx9dCn6z3sU5D_UI4Sthe0JxSm9Md0JVSCDT6QV20PI2c/s1600/linkedin-celebrities.jpg" /></a></div><br />
What an amazing opportunity: a chance to connect directly with Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes! It's almost the digital equivalent of writing a letter to 221B Baker Street and getting a response from Sherlock Holmes's secretary, a role the Abbey National Bank filled for so many years.<br />
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In addition, YouTube got into the action by changing their logo for the day to what they used a century ago: <br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFK6Updi1lRPScAxPJ17W_vmtQijEFx6MSAa00YRG1goH3sWQP7cI7VALx7osckPdDtazB60Vmh8PeIjnAi8gxOEOXagMNuAA5zdxS_HTGtkJyosPC2uNlxbfGn4hrbDVNeinQi6uzyuH3/s1600/YT1911.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="195" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhFK6Updi1lRPScAxPJ17W_vmtQijEFx6MSAa00YRG1goH3sWQP7cI7VALx7osckPdDtazB60Vmh8PeIjnAi8gxOEOXagMNuAA5zdxS_HTGtkJyosPC2uNlxbfGn4hrbDVNeinQi6uzyuH3/s320/YT1911.PNG" width="320" /></a></div><br />
They created a video summary of the "<a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CNm8ZCJ7Fx8&feature=player_embedded">Top 5 Viral Pictures of 1911</a>" that even included a horse and buggy crash - watch closely for it:<br />
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<center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/CNm8ZCJ7Fx8" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe></center><br />
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Did you hear of any Sherlock Holmes-related April Fools' Day jokes? Let us know by leaving a comment.<br />
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"Linked In Friendly Fashion" [LION]

This year, April 1 came and went without a practical joke from us. You may recall the first time we attempted an April Fool's post was ...

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by Scott Monty

"Where All Gossip is Welcome" [VALL]

We're pleased to bring you the latest issue of Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press, Peter Blau's ("Black Peter") monthly newsletter of Sherlockian or Doylean gossip, published in print form since 1971 and as <a href="http://members.cox.net/sherlock1/scuttle.htm">a text-only digital archive on Sherlocktron</a> since 1985. In agreement with Peter Blau, we've arranged to publish facsimiles of the print newsletter here, so online readers can see what the newsletter looks like. Below the scan you can find links to the sites mentioned in the text - in most cases, directly to the article, video or publication, to save you from having to search for the terms.<br /><br />The following is the March 2011 issue; please feel free to share it via email, social network, or embed it on your own site.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/52034681/Scuttlebutt-from-the-Spermaceti-Press-March-2011?secret_password=lhnkpandc04cvpjjeh4" style="-x-system-font: none; display: block; font-family: Helvetica,Arial,Sans-serif; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px auto; text-decoration: underline;" title="View Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press March 2011 on Scribd">Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press March 2011</a><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.772727272727273" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="600" id="doc_97077" scrolling="no" src="http://www.scribd.com/embeds/52034681/content?start_page=1&view_mode=list&access_key=key-1odx8aaxbygb5bp34cfx" width="100%"></iframe><script type="text/javascript">(function() { var scribd = document.createElement("script"); scribd.type = "text/javascript"; scribd.async = true; scribd.src = "http://www.scribd.com/javascripts/embed_code/inject.js"; var s = document.getElementsByTagName("script")[0]; s.parentNode.insertBefore(scribd, s); })(); </script><br /><br /><b>Links</b> (in order of mention):<br /><br /><ul><li><a href="http://www.ppofl.net/">The Pleasant Places of Florida</a></li><li><a href="http://www.sherlockian.net/societies/index.html">Sherlockian.net Societies</a></li><li><a href="http://jamiewilsonproductions.com/current-productions/ha-ha-holmes/">Ha Ha Holmes! The Beast of the Blistervilles</a></li><li><a href="http://www.miniboox.de/product_info.php?info=p78_sir-arthur-connan-doyle--the-hound-of-the-baskervilles.html">Miniaturbuchverlag Leipzig - The Hound of the Baskervilles</a></li><li><a href="http://www.strandmag.com/">Strand Magazine</a></li><li><a href="http://www.grammardog.com/samples.php">GrammarDog.com</a></li><li><a href="http://www.greensboro-nc.gov/departments/Parks/programs/cityarts/drama/season.htm">City Arts Drama Center - "Sherlock Holmes and the Hound of the Baskervilles</a></li><li><a href="http://www.marshatosk-figuresinspeech.com/">Marsha Tosk - Peeking Duck</a></li><li><a href="http://spicysteweddemon.deviantart.com/gallery/23656984">Spicysteweddemon's Deviantart page of Holmesian art</a></li><li><a href="http://www.oregonlive.com/environment/index.ssf/2011/03/portland_birders_discover_new.html">Portland birders discover new species of storm-petrel during cruise to Chile [OregonLive.com]</a></li><li><a href="http://www.pacificaspindriftplayers.org/">Pacifica Spindrift Players - Sherlock Holmes: the Final Adventure</a></li><li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.astudyinsherlock.com">A Study in Sherlock</a></li><li><a href="http://www.blogger.com/www.clevelandplayhouse.com">Cleveland Playhouse</a></li><li><a href="http://www.etsy.com/listing/70668207/girls-with-slingshots-necklace-jamie">Girls with Slingshots Necklace [etsy.com]</a></li><li><a href="http://www.arizonatheatre.org/our-shows/2011-2012-season-preview">Arizona Theatre Company - Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure of the Suicide Club</a></li><li><a href="http://www.nevadatheatre.com/">Nevada Theatre Company</a></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uxm1zgZl6i0">BBC Interview with Margaret Newman Turner and Out of the Shadows</a></li><li><a href="http://www.derhamgroves.com/category/sherlock-holmes/">Derham Groves</a></li><li><a href="http://special.lib.umn.edu/rare/exhibit/holmesgardens.html">Better Holmes and Gardens</a></li><li><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ztkWKwBi2bQ">The Adventures of Sherlock Hounds</a></li><li><a href="http://www.byook.com/">Byooks</a></li><li><a href="http://www.anythinggoesonbroadway.com/">Anything Goes</a></li><li><a href="http://www.sherlocknews.com/2011/03/comic-moriarty-coming-in-may-2011-from.html">Moriarty Comic [Sherlock News]</a></li><li><a href="http://www.crackinthelens.com/">A Crack in the Lens</a></li></ul><br /><br />Margaret Newman Turner interview:<br /><br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/uxm1zgZl6i0" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe></center><br /><br />Sherlock Hounds<br /><br /><center><iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="390" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/ztkWKwBi2bQ" title="YouTube video player" width="480"></iframe></center><br /><br /><i>Please consider visiting our sponsors (in the right column and footer of the site) from time to time. 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