I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

Sherlockian ALS #IceBucketChallenge

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"the ice-cold reasoning of Holmes" [WIST]</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJiC966qc22wCPiJ19D-ZLJjFPjZaf7koY-6GVcRnGUmTYCkKLlsXddpIuy38C8tScDz87vpoE-BSR8uNNGLtduY4bwJVhfpIePZsXfYh0AEhov_2sF3kE6M6E_UJOhaCE6yU-Q-CUOh3E/s1600/Sherlockian+ALS+Ice+Bucket+Challenge.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Tim Greer with a unique approach to the #IceBucketChallege" border="0" height="350" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJiC966qc22wCPiJ19D-ZLJjFPjZaf7koY-6GVcRnGUmTYCkKLlsXddpIuy38C8tScDz87vpoE-BSR8uNNGLtduY4bwJVhfpIePZsXfYh0AEhov_2sF3kE6M6E_UJOhaCE6yU-Q-CUOh3E/s1600/Sherlockian+ALS+Ice+Bucket+Challenge.PNG" title="A Sherlockian's take on the ALS #IceBucketChallenge" width="640" /></a></div>
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By now you should be familiar with the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. If not, please come out from under your rock so someone can douse you with a bucket of ice water.<br />
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We (that is our executive editor, Scott) were challenged and produced <a href="http://youtu.be/BhrA3PBVf9c" target="_blank">a rather unusual response</a> a couple of weeks ago. So unusual that it prompted <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ty6-Ug1wk-0" target="_blank">a me-too video from none other than Sir Patrick Stewart</a>.<br />
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In the meantime we've seen other Sherlockians such as Baker Street Babes <a href="https://www.facebook.com/lyndsay.faye/posts/10152414598553073" target="_blank">Lyndsay</a>, <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_6w0S332mCw&feature=youtu.be" target="_blank">Kristina</a>, <a href="https://www.facebook.com/ashley.polasek.1?fref=ts" target="_blank">Ashley</a> and <a href="https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10101653795767151" target="_blank">Heather</a> (among others) have stepped up to take the challenge.<br />
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Now here's where it gets interesting. Heather nominated one of our correspondents, <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/Tim%20Greer#.U_zyxfldWAU" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tim Greer</a>. And here's Tim's cool response as he channels Sherlock Holmes:<br />
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So there you have it! We hope we'll be lucky enough to see 13 participants at <a href="http://wessexpress.com/html/g2b4main.html" target="_blank">From Gillette to Brett IV</a> (click for more information) band together for a group dousing. Perhaps the hotel pool can accommodate the Baker's (Street) dozen that's required. Pack your swimsuits!<br />
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Sherlockian ALS #IceBucketChallenge

"the ice-cold reasoning of Holmes" [WIST] By now you should be familiar with the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. If not, please com...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Sherlock Takes Home 7 Emmys

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"It is to him that this trophy belongs." [BLUE]</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMpRlgtZNXiP945MvHseWxW5LzjZI2p3ss6VKtusm5gyHPkKmLZTU8y2O0_70f1sjLLlOVnj1D5qaTHwLmbirZDXQawSO8Cbw-KzrtQgKPSrlQnNWmX9EaTS2SeNwSsAyCEovXcH4Y-4X/s1600/Emmy+Cumberbatch+Moffat+Freeman.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Emmy winners all: Cumberbatch, Moffat and Freeman for Sherlock" border="0" height="330" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiMpRlgtZNXiP945MvHseWxW5LzjZI2p3ss6VKtusm5gyHPkKmLZTU8y2O0_70f1sjLLlOVnj1D5qaTHwLmbirZDXQawSO8Cbw-KzrtQgKPSrlQnNWmX9EaTS2SeNwSsAyCEovXcH4Y-4X/s1600/Emmy+Cumberbatch+Moffat+Freeman.png" title="Benedict Cumberbatch, Steven Moffat and Martin Freeman from Sherlock" width="640" /></a></div>
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In its third series, the BBC / PBS drama <i>Sherlock</i> has won seven Emmy Awards. Actors Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as well as writer and co-creator Steven Moffat each picked up an award during <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/66th_Primetime_Emmy_Awards" target="_blank">the 66th Annual Primetime Emmy Awards</a> that aired on NBC on August 25.<br />
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Each of the two seasons had received Emmy nominations: Series 1 netted four nominations in 2011 and Series 2 brought in 13 nominations in 2012. This year Series 3 was nominated in 12 categories. But this was the year that nominations turned into wins for the show.<br />
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Benedict Cumberbatch won for Outstanding Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie and Martin Freeman won for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or Movie. Freeman had been nominated in the same category in 2012 and received a BAFTA for Best Supporting Actor in 2011. Cumberbatch won a Critics Choice Award in 2012 for Best Movie/Miniseries Actor and had been nominated for an Emmy in 2012. Interestingly, he was up against Freeman in this category this year.<br />
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This also marked Steven Moffat's first Emmy win for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or Dramatic Special, an award he received for the <i>Sherlock</i> episode "His Last Vow." In his speech, he called out Mark Gatiss, whom he said deserved to be up there with him, as Sherlock was just as much a product of his work as it was Moffat's.<br />
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Here is a playlist of <a href="http://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PL6m8pknf2xi_w_S3N7Zq2sr-vglTU_Hzv" target="_blank">the three nominations and/or speeches</a>.<br />
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The awards not televised last night were part of a separate ceremony, the <b>66th Annual Creative Arts Emmy Awards</b>, held last weekend. That event brought home an additional four Emmy Awards for <i>Sherlock</i>: Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or a Movie, Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special, Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or a Movie, and Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score). <br />
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The full array of nominations and wins can be seen below:<br />
<table class="wikitable" style="background-color: #f9f9f9; border-collapse: collapse; border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); color: black; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.399999618530273px; margin: 1em 0px;"><tbody>
<tr><td rowspan="5" style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">2014</td><td rowspan="5" style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/66th_Primetime_Emmy_Awards" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="66th Primetime Emmy Awards">66th Primetime Emmy Awards</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primetime_Emmy_Award_for_Outstanding_Television_Movie" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Television Movie">Outstanding Television Movie</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">"His Last Vow"</td><td class="no table-no2" style="background: rgb(255, 221, 221); border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;">Nominated</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primetime_Emmy_Award_for_Outstanding_Lead_Actor_in_a_Miniseries_or_a_Movie" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Lead Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie">Outstanding Lead Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Benedict_Cumberbatch" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Benedict Cumberbatch">Benedict Cumberbatch</a></td><td class="yes table-yes2" style="background: rgb(153, 255, 153); border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;">Won</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primetime_Emmy_Award_for_Outstanding_Supporting_Actor_in_a_Miniseries_or_a_Movie" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Supporting Actor in a Miniseries or a Movie">Outstanding Supporting Actor In A Miniseries Or A Movie</a></td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Martin_Freeman" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Martin Freeman">Martin Freeman</a></td><td class="yes table-yes2" style="background: rgb(153, 255, 153); border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;">Won</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primetime_Emmy_Award_for_Outstanding_Directing_for_a_Miniseries,_Movie_or_a_Dramatic_Special" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Directing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special">Outstanding Directing For A Miniseries, Movie Or A Dramatic Special</a></td><td rowspan="2" style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">"His Last Vow"</td><td class="no table-no2" style="background: rgb(255, 221, 221); border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;">Nominated</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;"><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Primetime_Emmy_Award_for_Outstanding_Writing_for_a_Miniseries,_Movie_or_a_Dramatic_Special" style="background: none; color: #0b0080; text-decoration: none;" title="Primetime Emmy Award for Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special">Outstanding Writing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Dramatic Special</a></td><td class="yes table-yes2" style="background: rgb(153, 255, 153); border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;">Won</td></tr>
<tr><td rowspan="7" style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">2014</td><td rowspan="7" style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">66th Creative Arts Emmy Awards</td><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">Outstanding Single-Camera Picture Editing for a Miniseries or a Movie</td><td rowspan="7" style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">"His Last Vow"</td><td class="yes table-yes2" style="background: rgb(153, 255, 153); border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;">Won</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">Outstanding Sound Editing for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special</td><td class="yes table-yes2" style="background: rgb(153, 255, 153); border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;">Won</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">Outstanding Sound Mixing for a Miniseries or a Movie</td><td class="no table-no2" style="background: rgb(255, 221, 221); border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;">Nominated</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">Outstanding Costumes for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special</td><td class="no table-no2" style="background: rgb(255, 221, 221); border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;">Nominated</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">Outstanding Casting for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special</td><td class="no table-no2" style="background: rgb(255, 221, 221); border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;">Nominated</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">Outstanding Cinematography for a Miniseries or a Movie</td><td class="yes table-yes2" style="background: rgb(153, 255, 153); border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;">Won</td></tr>
<tr><td style="border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em;">Outstanding Music Composition for a Miniseries, Movie or a Special (Original Dramatic Score)</td><td class="yes table-yes2" style="background: rgb(153, 255, 153); border: 1px solid rgb(170, 170, 170); padding: 0.2em; text-align: center; vertical-align: middle;">Won</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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<i>Image credit: Wikimedia and <a href="https://flic.kr/p/fgmgVp" target="_blank">Gage Skidmore (Flickr)</a></i><br />
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Sherlock Takes Home 7 Emmys

"It is to him that this trophy belongs." [BLUE] In its third series, the BBC / PBS drama Sherlock has won seven Emmy Awards...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Episode 67: The Sherlock Holmes Collections

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Well, we've done it. We've finally produced a mega-episode. And what better topic to go all epic on you than the outsized <a href="https://www.lib.umn.edu/scrbm/holmes" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes Collections</a> at the University of Minnesota Libraries? Our guest this episode is Tim Johnson, Curator of Special Collections and Rare Books and E. W. McDiarmid Curator of the Sherlock Holmes Collections at the University of Minnesota Libraries.<br />
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Tim gives us a nice history of the <a href="http://www.norwegianexplorers.org/" target="_blank">Norwegian Explorers of Minnesota</a> and the beginnings of the Sherlock Holmes Collections at the university, which was made possible through a number of personal relationships. It includes the additions from the collections of James Iraldi, Philip Hench, Edith Meiser, John Bennett Shaw and Allen Mackler that have contributed to the basis of the vast and varied items that number more than 60,000.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08rPtJDH0DytPsdB_GzE8LVc9Q7OGLXgfqU0_1Tw4KnthqixCzNTd7LUVlkS_8Jr4dd5tuEgMwgZcHIbJ8Sja1eZuxI5gUsZs-BamZYarO5D4tLmHHuM5lu_0DIOLisWOBEvSDWlswcxH/s1600/John+Bennett+Shaw.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img alt="The giant Sherlockian, John Bennett Shaw" border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh08rPtJDH0DytPsdB_GzE8LVc9Q7OGLXgfqU0_1Tw4KnthqixCzNTd7LUVlkS_8Jr4dd5tuEgMwgZcHIbJ8Sja1eZuxI5gUsZs-BamZYarO5D4tLmHHuM5lu_0DIOLisWOBEvSDWlswcxH/s1600/John+Bennett+Shaw.jpg" title="John Bennett Shaw" width="220" /></a>We discuss much about the collections, including the challenge for a curator of books / librarian when it comes to looking after objects that go far beyond the printed page, as well as the changing nature of donor relations with respect to special collections.<br />
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But we would have been remiss if we didn't spend time on John Bennett Shaw, BSI ("The Hans Sloane of My Age"), who was affectionately known as The Grand Acquisitor and who had all of the collecting discernment of a vacuum cleaner.<br />
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Tim opines on what's next for collectors and the Collections alike, and gives us a hint as to what to expect as far out as 2016. If you're a researcher or just a curious Sherlockian, there is much available to you, either on a visit to the library or to their site online.<br />
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Scott shares a tale of collecting woe - a long sought-after treasure disappears in the blink of an eye. What's a collector to do?<br />
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We head way back to an early edition of the <i>Baker Street Journal</i> - 1946, to be exact - to find our inspiration in "<i>De Jure Inter Gentes</i>" (Vol. 1, No. 3).<br />
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Links:</h4>
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<li><u><a href="http://youtu.be/BhrA3PBVf9c" target="_blank">Scott's ice bucket challenge</a></u></li>
<li>The 7th Circuit Court of Appeals <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/08/7th-circuit-orders-conan-doyle-estate.html" target="_blank">orders legal fees paid in #FreeSherlock case</a></li>
<li><a href="http://blog.museumoflondon.org.uk/case-missing-sherlock-holmes-film/" target="_blank">The case of the missing Sherlock Holmes film</a></li>
<li>Christies and the Museum of London team up to produce <a href="http://www.licensing.biz/news/read/museum-of-london-to-launch-sherlock-holmes-inspired-tweed/040600" target="_blank">a Sherlock Holmes tweed</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/michael-a-hoey-dead-producer-726417" target="_blank">Michael Hoey has passed away</a> at 79. Hear our interview with him on <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/10/episode-36-michael-hoey-and-fabulous.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 36</a>.</li>
<li><a href="https://www.lib.umn.edu/scrbm/holmes" target="_blank">The Sherlock Holmes Collections</a> at the University of Minnesota Libraries</li>
<li><a href="http://umedia.lib.umn.edu/dasearch/%2522john%2520bennett%2520shaw%2522%2520talks?mode=basic" target="_blank">The John Bennett Shaw Talks</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.lib.umn.edu/pdf/holmes/Shaw100.pdf" target="_blank">The Shaw 100 - the Basic Holmesian Library</a></li>
<li>Tim's blog: <a href="http://umbookworm.blogspot.com/" target="_blank">Special and Rare on a Stick</a></li>
<li>On Twitter: <a href="https://twitter.com/UMBookworm" target="_blank">@UMBookworm</a> (Tim), <a href="https://twitter.com/NEofMN" target="_blank">@NEofMN</a> (Norwegian Explorers)</li>
<li>On Facebook: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/groups/572794092812100/" target="_blank">The Norwegian Explorers of Minnesota</a></li>
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More links available on <a href="https://plus.google.com/communities/114565123495685504221">The Sherlock Holmes Community</a> on Google+, as well as through our accounts on <a href="http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://ihearofsherlock.tumblr.com/">Tumblr</a>. And of course, our <a href="http://flip.it/oxPOZ">web- and app-based Flipboard magazine</a> and our <a href="http://www.scoop.it/t/sherlock-holmes" target="_blank">Scoop.it page</a> are nice collections of links, articles and images.<br />
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Episode 67: The Sherlock Holmes Collections

Well, we've done it. We've finally produced a mega-episode. And what better topic to go all epic on you than the o...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Langham Hotel Incorrectly Claims to Be Sherlock Holmes' Birthplace

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"the Langham called for news" [LADY]</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxe57KxuQqId4nyrYbV8l1iHuTfMiSvzDijJ4tA_S3Tzr99bJOd80ZIUxZod165wwcUfiRQ3NkkjyHH0nl9r2RueEfOV0780es_xaokAuLF58Vh5i4ml4b9iSRRUxeqdvtWofLk7hVbVt/s1600/Langham+Hotel.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The "birthplace" of Sherlock Holmes?" border="0" height="472" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgpxe57KxuQqId4nyrYbV8l1iHuTfMiSvzDijJ4tA_S3Tzr99bJOd80ZIUxZod165wwcUfiRQ3NkkjyHH0nl9r2RueEfOV0780es_xaokAuLF58Vh5i4ml4b9iSRRUxeqdvtWofLk7hVbVt/s1600/Langham+Hotel.jpg" title="The Langham Hotel, London (courtesy of Langham Hotels)" width="640" /></a></div>
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The <a href="http://london.langhamhotels.co.uk/" target="_blank">Langham Hotel</a> in London is a legendary establishment - one that has been part of the London scene since 1865. The grand hotel was constantly the part of the literary, royal and celebrity scene since the day that the Prince of Wales performed the opening ceremony.<br />
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But there's some controversy swirling around the hotel at present.<br />
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Before we get to that, let's make sure we're all up to speed with the facts. Sherlockians are well aware of the famed hotel for at least two reasons:<br />
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<li>It was mentioned in no less than three Sherlock Holmes stories (Captain Morstan - Mary's father - was staying there in <i>The Sign of Four</i>; the King of Bohemia holed up there whilst in London in "A Scandal in Bohemia"; and the Hon. Philip Green gave the Langham as his London address in "The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax").</li>
<li>The Lippincott Dinner was held by J.M. Stoddart, editor of <i>Lippincott's Monthly</i>, on August 30, 1889 and it marked the first meeting between Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde. The dinner eventually resulted in <i>The Sign of Four</i> and <i>The Picture of Dorian Gray</i>, both published in <i>Lippincott's</i>.</li>
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It is the latter point on which we wish to dwell.</div>
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In <a href="http://www.sherlock-holmes.org.uk/event_info.php?id=210" target="_blank">March 2010, in a joint event</a> between the management of the Langham, the Sherlock Holmes Society of London, the Oscar Wilde Society and the City of Westminster, the occasion was marked by the presentation of a Green Plaque:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCQsY-aEvrL-KH2u6KojR387YylqcxZVP7XRHPeQ3G5b0RsqAk_g9x3u-mVLFnHgTDkqZqDeWPGq9U29FR7aOqWu6uZlkmyqfb_qF04oj9yOMzC9YbsjdxK3gA4xQy37kk93lALV_SLTm/s1600/Langham+Green+Plaque.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=""You have been to the Lippincott's dinner, I perceive."" border="0" height="365" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTCQsY-aEvrL-KH2u6KojR387YylqcxZVP7XRHPeQ3G5b0RsqAk_g9x3u-mVLFnHgTDkqZqDeWPGq9U29FR7aOqWu6uZlkmyqfb_qF04oj9yOMzC9YbsjdxK3gA4xQy37kk93lALV_SLTm/s1600/Langham+Green+Plaque.jpg" title="Arthur Conan Doyle met Oscar Wilde at the Langham Hotel - Green Plaque" width="400" /></a></div>
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As we know, <i>The Sign of Four</i> was the second installment in what would become the canon of some 60 Sherlock Holmes stories - four novels and 56 short stories. It was written, as indicated above, after the commission from Lippincott's, and eventually made its complete appearance by October 1890.</div>
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And now that we've reached 2014, the Langham Hotel announced via its media centre an <a href="http://london.langhamhotels.co.uk/media/exclusive_sherlock_holmes_package.htm" target="_blank">Exclusive Sherlock Holmes Package</a> for Sherlock Holmes aficionados to mark the 125th anniversary of that fateful dinner between the editor and the two literary greats - a package that will be available in conjunction with the Museum of London's special exhibition <a href="http://www.museumoflondon.org.uk/london-wall/whats-on/exhibitions-displays/sherlock-holmes/" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes, The Man Who Never Lived And Will Never Die</a>. But in doing so, the hotel overstated its role:</div>
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This summer, The Langham celebrates its claim to be <b><i>the authentic birthplace of Sherlock Holmes</i></b> by marking a milestone 125th anniversary with a special package. [<i>Emphasis ours - ed.</i>]</blockquote>
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"Now just a moment," we hear you saying, "that can't be. Sherlock Holmes first appeared in <i>A Study in Scarlet</i>, published in <i>Beeton's Christmas Annual</i> in 1887." And you would be correct.</div>
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Arthur Conan Doyle, a young and struggling doctor practicing in Southsea, Portsmouth and it was in 1886 on "March 8 that he started work on <i>A Study in Scarlet</i>" (Lycett, Andrew. <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2HAGruP" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Man Who Created Sherlock Holmes</a></i>, pp. 126) and took his inspiration from Dr. Joseph Bell for the character. The original observation and deduction by Holmes of Watson when they were introduced in that story was "an early display of the 'science of deduction' [that] set a pattern for every subsequent Sherlock Holmes story." (Stashower, Daniel. <i><a href="https://amzn.to/2MMyYx3" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Teller of Tales: The Life of Arthur Conan Doyle</a></i>, pp. 77)</div>
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It should be clear that if any locale has the honor of claiming to be birthplace of Sherlock Holmes it is No. 1 Bush Villas, Southsea - not the Langham Hotel. It is there that Doyle conceived of and created the character, as he waited for patients in his sitting room.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnLYE21roRj8mtweO_CP84cofwcfgiv3-arBQuG8XRSm0W27a-sTeHKhUcTZ5DG51nUPpvJZhfSn6QV8CP-u54X4Zc_nfOBqW3924-wkD70I9_VjnrKHCmAKCNWprU7_ddIiu5xRPLRa7/s1600/Doyle+-+Southsea+plaque.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Southsea brown plaque commemorating Conan Doyle." border="0" height="192" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMnLYE21roRj8mtweO_CP84cofwcfgiv3-arBQuG8XRSm0W27a-sTeHKhUcTZ5DG51nUPpvJZhfSn6QV8CP-u54X4Zc_nfOBqW3924-wkD70I9_VjnrKHCmAKCNWprU7_ddIiu5xRPLRa7/s1600/Doyle+-+Southsea+plaque.jpg" title="Plaque commemorating Arthur Conan Doyle's relationship with Portsmouth" width="640" /></a></div>
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Perhaps you think we're being a little harsh in our judgment; after all, Lippincott's helped to serialize the stories. While that may be true, the <i>Strand Magazine</i> had far more to do with that beginning in 1891. Plus, we're a little taken aback at just how much credit Team Langham wants to claim with regard to the origins of Sherlock Holmes. Lest you be in any doubt, here's the second paragraph of their press announcement:</div>
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The Langham played an important part <b><i>in the creation of</i></b> Conan Doyle’s most famous character. A regular visitor to The Langham in the 1880’s, Conan Doyle selected The Langham as the venue for a meeting that was pivotal in the development of Sherlock Holmes 125 years ago. On 30 August 1889, a dinner was held at The Langham between Arthur Conan Doyle, Oscar Wilde and Joseph Marshall Stoddart, Managing Editor of <i>Lippincott’s Magazine</i>, a monthly title publishing original fiction. Conan Doyle described this meeting as ‘a golden evening for me’, adding that ‘The result of the evening was that both Wilde and I promised to write books for “Lippincott’s Magazine” – Wilde’s contribution was “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, while I wrote “The Sign of Four”, in which Holmes made his second appearance.’ And so the famous series of Sherlock Holmes mysteries <b><i>was born</i></b>. [<i>Emphasis ours</i>]</blockquote>
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In fact, we even took to Twitter to tell <a href="http://twitter.com/Langham_Hotel" target="_blank">@Langham_Hotel</a> that they had the facts wrong:</div>
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<a href="https://twitter.com/Langham_London">@Langham_London</a> We're aware of the meeting that led to SIGN, but to call it the birthplace of Holmes is completely incorrect.<br />
— I Hear of Sherlock (@IHearofSherlock) <a href="https://twitter.com/IHearofSherlock/statuses/502456497771913216">August 21, 2014</a></blockquote>
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While the <a href="http://london.langhamhotels.co.uk/rooms/sherlock_holmes_package.htm" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes Package</a> at the Langham looks delightful - a Grand Room, English breakfast and two tickets to the Exhibition; avid fans can upgrade to the Arthur Conan Doyle suite in the hotel's famed cupola tower with "a separate sitting room, a writer’s corner and features books, DVDs and eclectic memorabilia from the legendary sleuth" - we have yet to hear back from the hotel's press team or to see a correction on their media centre. </div>
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If you would like to learn more <u>facts</u> about the life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, a great place to start is <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/11/episode-13-arthur-conan-doyle-life-in.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 13 of our podcast</a>, in which we interviewed Jon Lellenberg and Daniel Stashower, editors of Arthur Conan Doyle: A Life in Letters.<br />
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