I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

In Defense of Dr. Watson

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"my friend and colleague, Dr. Watson" [NOBL] </h4>
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 Editor's note: Recently, <a href="http://www.kansan.com/news/2012/apr/02/schumaker-troubles-modernizing-holmes/" target="_blank">an opinion piece on The University Daily Kansan by Lou Schumaker</a> took great issue with the narrator and individual responsible for bringing Sherlock Holmes to our collective attention: Dr. Watson. He referred to Watson as "underdeveloped," going so far as to say, "the only thing he's really good for is to compliment Sherlock Holmes and propose wildly inaccurate theories at crime scenes. He's boring and slow and lifeless and famous." So we asked one of our contributors to craft a response. 
 
If one wants a biographer, one strives to find the best one. It is the better if he is also your dearest friend. The Great Detective of No. 221B, Baker Street, was that lucky. Without John H. Watson, M.D., the world would know nothing of Mr. Sherlock Holmes. 
 
Opinions run rampant within the arts, and this is a good and wonderful thing. For me the fun of it all is the conjecture itself. But I also love “playing the game,” as Sherlockians love to do. Within that realm, Holmes would be the first to stand up and defend his best pal’s good name. And as an admirer of them both, I shall do no less. 
 
But there is more to this than simply believing in the reality of Holmes, Watson and their adventures. The process goes much deeper. As for me, I adore looking between the lines of the text or the images on the large or small screen. Painting a complete picture of the characters makes me appreciate Conan Doyle’s work all the more, as well as its current incarnations. 
 
Indeed it could be argued that Watson (or John as he is now called) is uninteresting or even downright dull. Well, if a wounded Veteran come home from service in Afghanistan (yeah, no relevancy to our times there!) to a glum future who by fate moves in with a wacky genius who fills his life with enough adrenaline-packed adventure to sustain ten lifetimes isn’t interesting, then I guess it isn’t interesting. 
 
As for Watson being ordinary? Yes, that is true. However, that is precisely the point. He is not a superhero, nor does he have the lightning mental reflexes of his best friend. He is normal, just like the viewers/readers. As the lens through which the audience sees Sherlock Holmes (or just plain Sherlock), the late <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCYzvzp9Z_Q" target="_blank">Edward Harwicke said it best when he remarked</a> that Watson “is the audience…Watson really is everyman.” 
 
Compared to a genius like Sherlock Holmes, most people would look dull. The differences between these two characters make them all the more intriguing. Yes, scenes without Holmes can tend to be less than stellar at times. In those circumstances, I remember the old phrase about absence making the heart grow fonder. 
 
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With the flatmates of 221B Baker Street, it’s all about balance (yes, even when they’re arguing). As ying is to yang, the two men complement each other. Particularly in the <a href="https://amzn.to/31ynNvl" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">BBC’s Sherlock</a>, their weaknesses are largely balanced by their strengths. It serves as both a point of conflict and as a plot carrier. They are so vastly different in all the obvious ways while being strikingly similar just underneath the surface. Like we all are. 
 
And who doesn’t love seeing them tell each other off? The witty banter between Sherlock and John is genius script writing, and pays homage to some of the conversations that surely their Victorian counterparts must have engaged in. 
 
Upon a further look beneath the surface of both the text and screen versions, questions arise (at least for me): When Holmes had an injury, who dressed his wounds? When he craved the cocaine bottle, who took him out for a walk or some other nonsense to get his mind off of it? When Mrs. Hudson had an ache, who helped her to soothe it? When one of the Irregulars had a sprained ankle or an infected foot (from not wearing shoes), who tended them and asked for no money? When Sherlock says something a little too snarky for polite conversation, who is there to jerk him up short? Holmes himself might have said that such contemplations are “of course, a trifle, but there is nothing so important as trifles” [<a href="http://ignisart.com/camdenhouse/canon/twis.htm">TWIS</a>]. 
 
If I had to select one enduring quality about John Watson, it would be this: he doesn’t give a rip about the spotlight. The man knows himself and is comfortable in his own skin. True, his blood pumps at the thrill of the chase, but that is true for many people. Watson’s observation (and participation) in Holmes’s cases gives us that bird’s eye view of the Great Detective. 
 
As for doing nothing, he was a writer. This meant that he was prone to observation. While he did not possess the ability as adeptly as his associate, it still paid off. After all hanging in the background and later committing what he saw to paper (or to his laptop) made Holmes’s name a household word. I would hardly consider that a fault. 
 
Furthermore, Watson makes up half the crime-sleuthing duo that inspired countless others ever since. Sherlock Holmes and John Watson have one of the most enduring friendships in the history of English Literature. Without that, the stories mean very little. 
 
If my closest friend, the greatest detective who ever lived, regarded me as, “the one fixed point in a changing age” [<a href="http://ignisart.com/camdenhouse/canon/last.htm">LAST</a>], let me just say I wouldn’t be worried about what anyone else thought. Enjoy the stories, the films and the episodes for what they are, and take from them what you will. Holmes and his Boswell will continue to be reincarnated in countless adaptations. 
 
There will always be those, as Holmes would say who turn what “should have been a course of lectures into a series of tales” [<a href="http://ignisart.com/camdenhouse/canon/copp.htm">COPP</a>]. Some directors and actors will get it right for our personal tastes, and some will not. Some adaptations will find favor, some will not. But this is immaterial. For as the penultimate lines of <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/10/celebrate-national-poetry-day.html" target="_blank">Vincent Starrett's poem</a> declare, “though the world explode, these two survive...” 
 
And that is all that matters. 
 
 
Editor's note: 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 <a href="http://api.viglink.com/api/click?format=go&key=63709c1ff5d9d35a61c4186a878d6a7d&loc=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bakerstreetblog.com%2F2011%2F06%2Fhis-eyes-kindled-croo.html&v=1&libid=1333500089465&out=http%3A%2F%2Fbozwellmd.livejournal.com%2F&ref=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.bakerstreetblog.com%2F&title=%22His%20Eyes%20Kindled%22%20%5BCROO%5D%20%7C%20The%20Baker%20Street%20Blog&txt=sharing%20little%20tidbits%20and%20musings%20on%20her%20blog&jsonp=vglnk_jsonp_13335002105541">sharing little tidbits and musings on her blog</a>. 
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In Defense of Dr. Watson

"my friend and colleague, Dr. Watson" [NOBL] Editor's note: Recently, an opinion piece on The University Daily Kansa...

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by Scott Monty

"The Artist Had Brought Out the Full Effect" [NOBL]

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9waWCTIBh0uA6cVnANfdjbGcNwFLb7KOf4pLdC6GyBHXmYgjDeEXsX2YAwfi4vUOdcFvpOONmZ3DVl29wEgWjGTi6imLxY8VUi_ceJGkQd9KsTVaPoKc4_9IHQOt-urYZnUnpsBTPRVmu/s1600/NisJessenCover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9waWCTIBh0uA6cVnANfdjbGcNwFLb7KOf4pLdC6GyBHXmYgjDeEXsX2YAwfi4vUOdcFvpOONmZ3DVl29wEgWjGTi6imLxY8VUi_ceJGkQd9KsTVaPoKc4_9IHQOt-urYZnUnpsBTPRVmu/s320/NisJessenCover.jpg" width="241" /></a></div>Do you appreciate Sherlockian art? Or perhaps you know <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/12/episode-16-collectors-corner-jerry.html">someone who does</a>. In either case, you should most definitely take a look at what <a href="http://www.mr-holmes.com/Default.asp?ID=289">Nis Jessen</a> has created. Jessen, an artist native to Denmark, has <a href="http://www.mr-holmes.com/Default.asp?ID=290">lavishly illustrated A Study in Scarlet</a> in two editions: a regular and a deluxe edition. This new edition of A Study in Scarlet is fully illustrated by the Danish artist. The more than 600 striking illustrations bring new life to the original text from Beeton's Christmas Annual. This beautiful volume (in oversize: 25 x 35 cm - 10" x 14") consisting of 160 pages of text and illustrations printed on quality paper and bound in fullcolor laminated hardcover, and with dust cover.The deluxe editions are produced in a run of 1,000, come with a slipcase and are personally signed by the artist. It's clear that Nis enjoys his work, but there must be something else to it as well. We discovered, that like Holmes, he has "art in the blood," and in Jessen's case it was not likely to take the strangest of forms, but to follow in the tradition of his ancestors who were artists and writers. If you take a look at some <a href="http://medit-consult.icatalog.dk/files/default.aspx?i=2C433Cc317">examples from the book</a>, you can see what we mean: <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1epnFOE1B3sNWpuwNCFReid4VsZS8itQe3HMcxWlN5bs6_0tBQWCCdB10woTgEj0bE2fZuq9LwMX8U-Hau_jlkJ-MpjqOubL6vNV9tvcGRQ2irXKStW5XrchxhooWZc6Qq_-t5CB7jdwa/s1600/NisJessenInside4.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh1epnFOE1B3sNWpuwNCFReid4VsZS8itQe3HMcxWlN5bs6_0tBQWCCdB10woTgEj0bE2fZuq9LwMX8U-Hau_jlkJ-MpjqOubL6vNV9tvcGRQ2irXKStW5XrchxhooWZc6Qq_-t5CB7jdwa/s320/NisJessenInside4.PNG" width="229" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQtAZiMdVNONUPOy5anRudRHH4uWuuz6BFFVpbfqmFJIZSeAN4WRD27YQWELXXRS9tH_Xy-4oQgtoWfZwUpuuSxDfGm4a4-7ACMv-hq-WfVrVBZ0jBgj1MMrEy6WTeUBulPYUvakRmWvZt/s1600/NisJessenInside2.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhQtAZiMdVNONUPOy5anRudRHH4uWuuz6BFFVpbfqmFJIZSeAN4WRD27YQWELXXRS9tH_Xy-4oQgtoWfZwUpuuSxDfGm4a4-7ACMv-hq-WfVrVBZ0jBgj1MMrEy6WTeUBulPYUvakRmWvZt/s320/NisJessenInside2.PNG" width="320" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvkfxsFWeqFY6O3sS536XrkITGEf9EvgOegIxECnWMmIVXtkXYhF_zWTq_S3NusShcKxgRK2daN4XI5DqpM5aNca5gELwt_S8h5aEe94hCcFm0ZxvtVpzrqumSjV0HAi1YEok8qOQODdY/s1600/NisJessenInside1.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="222" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLvkfxsFWeqFY6O3sS536XrkITGEf9EvgOegIxECnWMmIVXtkXYhF_zWTq_S3NusShcKxgRK2daN4XI5DqpM5aNca5gELwt_S8h5aEe94hCcFm0ZxvtVpzrqumSjV0HAi1YEok8qOQODdY/s320/NisJessenInside1.PNG" width="320" /></a></div> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9tvgPzE-ajQwHJHSJjas7ZqmwI_4LZ6uT3wdSVbyfE4Ke0uMRIBUuA8msSBZigbrJ1B0NSXuD8VbRf7123FOqe7Pj9oKXbtpBThZ9zNRCqkWgpYOa67065VFs5XC_-3rQk75nzdNC-tgY/s1600/NisJessenInside3.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg9tvgPzE-ajQwHJHSJjas7ZqmwI_4LZ6uT3wdSVbyfE4Ke0uMRIBUuA8msSBZigbrJ1B0NSXuD8VbRf7123FOqe7Pj9oKXbtpBThZ9zNRCqkWgpYOa67065VFs5XC_-3rQk75nzdNC-tgY/s200/NisJessenInside3.PNG" width="142" /></a> The <a href="http://www.mr-holmes.com/Default.asp?ID=617">Foreword was written</a> by the late Edward Hardwicke, who muses, "the drawings of the characters and Victorian London convince totally, and the action and energy of the American scenes are wonderfully conveyed." Also, if you're interested, you can purchase <a href="http://www.mr-holmes.com/Default.asp?ID=226&M=Shop&PID=2503&ProductID=192">posters from two full-page spreads</a> featured in the book, as well as <a href="http://www.mr-holmes.com/Default.asp?ID=226&M=Shop&PID=2503&ProductID=240">postcards</a> and <a href="http://www.mr-holmes.com/Default.asp?ID=381&M=Shop&PID=1479&ProductID=276">stickers</a> with Jessen's images on them. UPDATE: If you do wish to make a purchase, please do so through <a href="http://www.jessen-gallery.dk/">http://www.jessen-gallery.dk</a> and contact Nis' wife Flerida. Reader Al Gregory has let us know that Jessen also offers many original pieces of artwork for sale for those who are so inclined. Those art collectors among you should take note and contact Nis Jessen to inquire about such opportunities. We hope that you can find some inspiring artwork here that is suitable for owning - whether it's the book, some prints for framing and hanging in your Sherlockian sanctum - or as a gift for the rabid Sherlock Holmes fan in your life. It's most unusual and striking artwork that must be seen to be appreciated. And if you do make a purchase from Nis, please tell him that the Baker Street Blog sent you. --

"The Artist Had Brought Out the Full Effect" [NOBL]

Do you appreciate Sherlockian art? Or perhaps you know someone who does . In either case, you should most definitely take a look at what Nis...

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by Scott Monty

"I Think That We May Get Started" [LAST]

<a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0915341069/ref=as_li_ss_il?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0915341069" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://ws.assoc-amazon.com/widgets/q?_encoding=UTF8&Format=_SL160_&ASIN=0915341069&MarketPlace=US&ID=AsinImage&WS=1&tag=thebakerstree-20&ServiceVersion=20070822" /></a><img alt="" border="0" height="1" src="http://www.assoc-amazon.com/e/ir?t=thebakerstree-20&l=as2&o=1&a=0915341069" style="border: none !important; margin: 0px !important;" width="1" />No doubt you're familiar with the board and video game <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/0915341069/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&tag=thebakerstree-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=0915341069">Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective</a>. Well, it's the digital era and that means there are all sorts of ways to enjoy the great detective and the various forms of media about him. Or at least, there should be. Until now, no one has thought to make it a priority to make this fun and interactive game available on multiple devices - such as PC, Mac and mobile devices. But <a href="http://zojoi.com/">Zojoi</a> has decided to take it on, and here's how they describe how the game will work: <blockquote class="tr_bq">The game is a storytelling/mystery/adventure based on an award-winning board game and revolves around using game "tools" where you choose who/what to investigate and where to direct Holmes and Watson to solve a mystery that appears to be stumping Scotland yard. Using many of these tools will costs you "clue points." Your goal is to solve the case in the fewest number of "clue points" as possible. </blockquote>The new version of Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective is being developed via <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1920171553/sherlock-holmes-consulting-detective-adventure-mys">a Kickstarter campaign</a>. What's that, you ask? You contribute to the cause (and get others to help as well), and get the satisfaction of collectively bringing a product to market. And in this case, you may get a credit in the game as well: levels of donation reap different accolades, such as London Constable ($9 or more), Hound of the Baskervilles ($20 or more) Moriarty's Henchman ($30 or more, targeted for the mobile app), Inspector of the Yard ($50 or more) and Reporter of the Times ($100 or more). Each level comes with some benefit, <a href="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1920171553/sherlock-holmes-consulting-detective-adventure-mys">described on the Kickstarter page</a>. Here's a video to describe the project (please click through to the article link if you're reading this on email or an RSS reader): <center><iframe frameborder="0" height="360px" src="http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1920171553/sherlock-holmes-consulting-detective-adventure-mys/widget/video.html" width="480px"></iframe></center><center style="text-align: left;"></center> And some screenshots of the game itself as it will appear on various devices. The full set is also available on Flickr. <div style="text-align: center;"><iframe align="center" frameborder="0" height="500" scrolling="no" src="http://www.flickr.com/slideShow/index.gne?group_id=&user_id=39297597@N00&set_id=72157629684219109/with/6876443326&text=" width="500"></iframe></div>Created with <a href="http://www.admarket.se/" title="Admarket.se">Admarket's</a> <a href="http://flickrslidr.com/" title="flickrSLiDR">flickrSLiDR</a>. But this vision will never come to life without your help. Will you join me in making a donation to this very worthy cause? It's a great way to help spread the word of Sherlock Holmes and another fun way to experience his world. When you make purchases from the links we share, it provides us with a stream of revenue to help keep this site running. Thank you for your generosity. --

"I Think That We May Get Started" [LAST]

No doubt you're familiar with the board and video game Sherlock Holmes, Consulting Detective . Well, it's the digital era and that m...

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by Scott Monty

Episode 40: One Voice of Sherlock Holmes

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While our listeners normally have to deal with the voices of Burt Wolder and Scott Monty, this episode is different. We're pleased to be able to bring you the smooth baritone of one Mr. David Ian Davies. 
 
A veteran actor for many decades, having been trained at the London Royal Academy of Dramatic Arts, David traces his heritage to England by way of California. But along the way (you may be surprised to hear just how young), he was bitten by the acting bug. Combine that with David's inherent love of Sherlock Holmes and a desire to be the first individual to record the entire Canon, and you'll find a passionate and talented voice of Sherlock Holmes. 
 
Through his production company <a href="http://www.onevoicerecordings.com/">One Voice Recordings</a>, David has managed to create a nine-volume series called The Consummate Holmes Canon (see below for links - Amazon affiliates), as well as a few other non-Canonical stories. 
 
We had a delightful chat with Mr. Davies that included hearing a few clips from his interpretation and a live reading. He helps the amateurs understand how he as a professional prepares for the roles - and just how many roles there are! 
 
We close this episode with a surprise archival recording from some radio stars from a bygone era who took on some rather unorthodox roles in a special appearance. And we offer an opportunity for our listeners to win one a very special prize.