May Birthdays of Three Legendary Actors Associated with Sherlock Holmes

<h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b>"great reverence at the famous" [HOUN] </b></h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2KlYFlxeKGEp95pUMAWYfxx5zSTUsICnxtGLSNWbyRMRdofVwdkEImP46w5cs-9ATZIy_gJSs-jRL5JPJ7ztGmZsdsar5r32wdh-yjzfwRalY7AWzW8_NtwBfGpBXjtGr6upt5VIY41b/s1600/cushing-price-lee.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjs2KlYFlxeKGEp95pUMAWYfxx5zSTUsICnxtGLSNWbyRMRdofVwdkEImP46w5cs-9ATZIy_gJSs-jRL5JPJ7ztGmZsdsar5r32wdh-yjzfwRalY7AWzW8_NtwBfGpBXjtGr6upt5VIY41b/s1600/cushing-price-lee.jpg" /></a></div> <br /> The last two days mark birthdays of three legendary actors associated with Sherlock Holmes. Each is known beyond his Sherlock Holmes work, but together their collective Sherlockian CVs are impressive.<br /> <br /> <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peter_Cushing" target="_blank">Peter Cushing</a>, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_Price" target="_blank">Vincent Price</a> and <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christopher_Lee" target="_blank">Christopher Lee</a> are icons of the screen spanning the majority of the 20th century and into the 21st. They all had a significant impact on the noir, horror and sci-fi realms and had cheekbones that could cut glass.<br /> <br /> So let's take a look at these three gentlemen on the anniversaries of their birth and on how they touched the world particularly through their Sherlock Holmes-related roles.<br /> <h3> <br /> "Lee a gentleman" [TWIS]</h3> We'll start with Sir Christopher Lee, as his association with the great detective is the most impressive. On May 27, 2013 Christopher Lee turned 91. He appeared in the 1959 Hammer version of <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/3z2o4ui" target="_blank">The Hound of the Baskervilles</a></i></b> as Sir Henry Baskerville, alongside Peter Cushing's Sherlock Holmes.  Then, in 1962, Lee took a turn as Sherlock Holmes himself in the 1962 film <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/3MMnsNo" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace</a></i></b>.<br /> <br /> <table align="center" 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/AVvXsEi7VO1lB1Vfq6U3g2PiN1i7iDiETgHG2h5BefleWclqfGdEm1CEAhyphenhyphens8Pws9J8zVtxDlkM3Jg1Y5AxhWHoFG8l35Pq-tdBe57LQXNfmr__LyDMRgkGVMc1GHfaxyLLRaaxeU3SVPEK8jrff/s1600/christopher+lee+sherlock.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7VO1lB1Vfq6U3g2PiN1i7iDiETgHG2h5BefleWclqfGdEm1CEAhyphenhyphens8Pws9J8zVtxDlkM3Jg1Y5AxhWHoFG8l35Pq-tdBe57LQXNfmr__LyDMRgkGVMc1GHfaxyLLRaaxeU3SVPEK8jrff/w453-h640/christopher+lee+sherlock.jpg" width="453" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">The only mystery I can't solve is why I'm forced <br /> to wear this ridiculous windowpane check.</span></i></td></tr> </tbody></table><br /><div> Then eight years later, Lee was to do what no other actor had done until then or has done since: he went from playing Sherlock Holmes to playing Mycroft Holmes. He lost the deerstalker (and his toupee) and joined Robert Stephens in Billy Wilder's <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3yXaUi3" target="_blank">The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes</a></b></i> in 1970, in a fantastical plot that involved Loch Ness, a submarine and <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eRuUnXjMxZ0" target="_blank">a visit from Queen Victoria</a> herself.<br /> <br /> <center> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/eRuUnXjMxZ0" width="640"></iframe></center> <br /> Then, in the early 1990s, Lee teamed up with Patrick Macnee as his Watson and made two films: <i><a href="https://amzn.to/3NDSLtI" target="_blank"><b>Incident at Victoria Falls</b></a></i> and <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/3wSTwIC" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady</a></b></i> that took a look at Holmes in his retirement years.<br /> <br /> Finally, Lee took on the job of host in <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/39TkUP0" target="_blank">The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes</a></i></b>, in which he took us through the legion of actors who have portrayed the master detective throughout the years on stage, television and film. It's a fun overview, and while incomplete by today's standards, as we've had two decades of Holmeses since then, it helps to ground viewers in some of the popular manifestations of Sherlock Holmes throughout the years. We highly recommend picking up a copy of the DVD (available in the above link).<br /> <h3> <br /> "Cushing was horrified" [CARD]</h3> May 26, 2013 marks the centenary of Peter Cushing's birth. Born in 1913, Cushing graced the large and small screen as Sherlock Holmes over the course of a number of decades. As we mentioned above, Cushing had a turn in <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i> (1959), with Andre Morrell as his Watson. Then, it was to return to him in the mid-1960s when Douglas Wilmer gave up the role on <b><a href="https://amzn.to/38KFuRC" target="_blank">the BBC television series for 16 episodes</a></b>.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwEmRi2gdkDGbTtVQmb-rnkO4QokIl9UkQhQ-WQvRSquxpR7Mk9AK6mavwgJ4izqWqY-5fw_cRKwHUgaWqxiZg3Olj6vrTrb870J2xQq_Nqae6r1ck6I80WOb4VJQnaNlL46L50Tw4mSz/s1600/Peter+Cushing+-+221B.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="851" data-original-width="891" height="610" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitwEmRi2gdkDGbTtVQmb-rnkO4QokIl9UkQhQ-WQvRSquxpR7Mk9AK6mavwgJ4izqWqY-5fw_cRKwHUgaWqxiZg3Olj6vrTrb870J2xQq_Nqae6r1ck6I80WOb4VJQnaNlL46L50Tw4mSz/s640/Peter+Cushing+-+221B.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <br /> The series was well received and is critically acclaimed now despite the hectic production schedules that put the actor on timetables of less than two weeks for each episode. The final episode was "The Blue Carbuncle," and by that time, viewers could see the close and amiable relationship Cushing had developed with his Watson, Nigel Stock. We commented on the very same thing during <b><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2012/12/episode-49-ill-have-blue-christmas.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 49 of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</a></b>.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbuhd14oQCyHlN0GAb-yt1V39EaPjNTZkEtkS8hY1osSuPj60heEanYTIVs3NkKqBpIA2EGQm6D2lok-csZK6IDKfw0ujci5qoi6hllJQAugiOm879pQ72zPQzo3ZOK8wXjYlRKXPvqfT/s1600/gamesafoot+Cushing.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="800" data-original-width="385" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVbuhd14oQCyHlN0GAb-yt1V39EaPjNTZkEtkS8hY1osSuPj60heEanYTIVs3NkKqBpIA2EGQm6D2lok-csZK6IDKfw0ujci5qoi6hllJQAugiOm879pQ72zPQzo3ZOK8wXjYlRKXPvqfT/s400/gamesafoot+Cushing.jpg" width="192" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Cushing returned to the screen in the 1984 film <i>Sherlock Holmes and the Masks of Death</i> looking quite elderly, with an equally aged John Mills by his side. But his relationship with Holmes was not merely through his career; Cushing was genuinely interested in the Canon. In fact, he was an active member of the Sherlock Holmes society <b>The Northern Musgraves</b>, and the group even adopted his freehand sketch of Holmes as their official logo (second image below). Those interested in the more private, tender and humorous side of the actor would do well to pick up a copy of the biography <b><a href="https://amzn.to/3aqv363" target="_blank"><i>Peter Cushing: A Life in Film</i></a></b> as well.<br /> <br /> <table align="center" 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/AVvXsEgL48dz5MqAgkhCVy7RQEiNnzfmRnfS8E2dfEcNQdPNSgMQccmIG73ZaaBeS8tiSXnYte7gNzggH6WyTLpoHu-htXdnwT0ME6Rm5BPxem3T2wlm_n2BQy2yLoLPDWeqZu3rX7YyEC8ja2JN/s1600/Peter+Cushing+-+Dr.+Watson+sketch.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="255" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgL48dz5MqAgkhCVy7RQEiNnzfmRnfS8E2dfEcNQdPNSgMQccmIG73ZaaBeS8tiSXnYte7gNzggH6WyTLpoHu-htXdnwT0ME6Rm5BPxem3T2wlm_n2BQy2yLoLPDWeqZu3rX7YyEC8ja2JN/s1600/Peter+Cushing+-+Dr.+Watson+sketch.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Dr. Watson by Peter Cushing</span></i></td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <table align="center" 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/AVvXsEjITsRJ5z2ifwPRvSWcbm53plj4Od3iE12FYXgCTl0dLiia_JFhyphenhyphenwgO6TfthtMRy22puAIwlyJCULSmY9VEB99aVc_CT244LaMgqilgTHC8kJnd5Lpv0xSFZwNvP3lQrJZ5RGy6-OD1KnJf/s1600/Peter+Cushing+-+Sherlock+Holmes+sketch.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" data-original-height="253" data-original-width="300" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjITsRJ5z2ifwPRvSWcbm53plj4Od3iE12FYXgCTl0dLiia_JFhyphenhyphenwgO6TfthtMRy22puAIwlyJCULSmY9VEB99aVc_CT244LaMgqilgTHC8kJnd5Lpv0xSFZwNvP3lQrJZ5RGy6-OD1KnJf/s1600/Peter+Cushing+-+Sherlock+Holmes+sketch.jpg" /></a></td></tr> <tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Sherlock Holmes by Peter Cushing - the official logo of the Northern Musgraves</span></i></td></tr> </tbody></table> <br /> <h3> "And you, Mr. Price?" [STOC]</h3> Our final entrant in this triumvirate of Sherlockian birthdays is none other than Vincent Price, who would have been 102 years old on May 27, 2013. Price made his debut in the horror genre in the 1939 film <i>Tower of London</i> with Boris Karloff, and was seemingly typecast from then on. His career spanned over five decades, and Price had two very significant associations with Sherlock Holmes along the way.<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhETROISKn-ID7x9dEU1s8SobbnOqcangsPQTQVe_ok_aOR4qBN4iiZzzQcxwT6aAsrI1qWRpj0oAj5NCXk40XKrWLOJzgeNi8yihfGBgjCAKm6i9jb3VDXt7732R1I526sVZ4S0hQShyphenhyphenkF/s1600/vincent+price+ratigan.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhETROISKn-ID7x9dEU1s8SobbnOqcangsPQTQVe_ok_aOR4qBN4iiZzzQcxwT6aAsrI1qWRpj0oAj5NCXk40XKrWLOJzgeNi8yihfGBgjCAKm6i9jb3VDXt7732R1I526sVZ4S0hQShyphenhyphenkF/s1600/vincent+price+ratigan.jpg" /></a></div> <br /> One was his portrayal of the evil Moriarty-inspired Professor Ratigan in <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/3PV9MBQ" target="_blank">The Great Mouse Detective</a></i></b> (1986). Price had always wanted to portray the voice of a Disney character, and this film allowed him to do just that. His portrayal is classic Vincent Price, moving from charming dark humor to pure evil with a seeming blink of an eye.<br /> <br /> Also during that time (from 1981-1989, to be exact), Vincent Price was the host for the PBS production of <b><i>Mystery!</i></b> which featured such detectives as Hercule Poirot, Miss Marple, Albert Campion, Adam Dalgliesh, Father Brown, Inspector Morse, Lord Peter Wimsey, Horace Rumpole and of course, Sherlock Holmes. <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/05/one-of-best-features-of-jeremy-brett.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Price's introductions for the Granada series</a> starring Jeremy Brett were as rich in setting as the episodes themselves. Friends of ours in the Baker Street Irregulars and The Speckled Band of Boston contributed to the writing of these, as well as to the set decoration.<br /> <br /> Sadly, these introductions are not part of the DVD collections of the Granada series that one may purchase,  but some are still available on YouTube today. Here is <b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g9g-AluIe5g&list=PLO6tqafE6tLQB_u1dFBU3s1eq3NRY9kp8">a playlist that contains many of them</a></b>.<br /> <br /> <center> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/g9g-AluIe5g?list=PLO6tqafE6tLQB_u1dFBU3s1eq3NRY9kp8" width="640"></iframe></center> <br /> <br /> We hope you've enjoyed this ramble through the connections of three greats of the stage and screen. And if you're interested in more, please take a look at some of the affiliate links we've provided to Amazon.<br /> <br /> <i>Image credit: top image is a publicity shot from <a href="http://cinefantastiqueonline.com/2010/05/birthday-greetings-to-vincent-price-and-christopher-lee/" target="_blank">The House of Long Shadows</a>, 1983.</i><br /> <br /> --</div>

May Birthdays of Three Legendary Actors Associated with Sherlock Holmes

"great reverence at the famous" [HOUN]  The last two days mark birthdays of three legendary actors associated with Sherlock H...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Episode 52: Sherlockian Mythbusters

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEq5boB135u3RNdajDw7imRmSxZ4YUUnAfurSdi-2Fm42334maiHKyBStWkMIuo97zS02uvI190xz9hh80sb8mWA5ZSoCRpSkJdvhQt2w76ObLmZ8GPaUl4K_qRWbTeo-hm2oKNGsH-8C_/s1600/thor.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEq5boB135u3RNdajDw7imRmSxZ4YUUnAfurSdi-2Fm42334maiHKyBStWkMIuo97zS02uvI190xz9hh80sb8mWA5ZSoCRpSkJdvhQt2w76ObLmZ8GPaUl4K_qRWbTeo-hm2oKNGsH-8C_/s320/thor.jpg" width="272" /></a></div> <br /> <center> <iframe allowfullscreen="" height="90" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/2319121/height/90/width/600/theme/custom/autoplay/yes/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/no-cache/true/render-playlist/no/custom-color/6c6c6c/" style="border: none;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe></center> <br /> When a figure like Sherlock Holmes has been around for over a century, there are bound to be misconceptions that creep into public thinking. We blame this not on carelessness or laziness but rather on the overwhelming popularity of the great detective.<br /> <br /> The image of Holmes clad in deerstalker and Inverness cape, clenching a Meerschaum pipe in his teeth is the universal, if cliched, image of a detective. But was it true?<br /> <br /> We were recently reminded of a number of classic myths about Sherlock Holmes, thanks to <a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/armbands.html">a contest being sponsored by <b><i>The Baker Street Journal</i></b></a> (also a sponsor of our program): it has long been rumored that men wore black armbands throughout the city of London after reading "The Final Problem" in the <i>Strand Magazine</i>. And only anecdotal evidence has been referenced whenever this supposed fact is brought up. The BSJ is offering a free year's subscription to anyone who can definitively prove that such mourning attire was worn in response to the death of Sherlock Holmes.<br /> <br /> <br /> That got us to thinking: what other Sherlockian myths are there? And are we guilty of propagating any of them ourselves? Join us for a quick game show-style question and answer session on the topic, as well as a reading of your comments from our last show and some recent news from the world of Sherlock Holmes.<br /> <br /> <br /> <b>The Editor's Gas-Lamp:</b> Rather than the traditional gas-lamp, which began under Edgar Smith's editorship of the Baker Street Journal, we thought we would mark May 5 as the 123rd anniversary of Christopher Morley's birth by reading two of his poems: the very short "The Secret" and the quite remarkable "Toulemonde."<br /> <br /> <b>Links:</b><br /> <div> <ul> <li><b><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/bsihistoryseries.html">BSI Archival History Series available for sale</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/armbands.html">The <i>Baker Street Journal</i> contest</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/05/remind-me-of-edgar-stud_2.html">Sherlock Holmes-related 2013 Edgar Award winners and nominees</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/05/monsieur-oscar-meunier-of-grenoble-empt.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">"Stand with me here upon the terrace" for Irving Kamil</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/dealtable.html">The Deal Table from the BSJ</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Christopher-Morley-Literary-Estate/287552511355101?ref=br_tf">The Christopher Morley Literary Estate on Facebook</a></b></li> <li>Sherlockian Mythbusters: "<b><a href="http://youtu.be/m0etbZuM2yw">Thor Bridge</a></b>" and "<b><a href="http://youtu.be/UTBOH86H7as">The Engineer's Thumb</a></b>"</li> </ul> </div> <center> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/m0etbZuM2yw" width="420"></iframe> <br /> <br /> <iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="http://www.youtube.com/embed/UTBOH86H7as" width="420"></iframe></center> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/134354581&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe><br /></div> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock052.mp3"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TL5jgdrUh_nM_zlDgxql-jKOFGUVFqhoV6A2JtYklXOu4qmVDyRVbwGV6XrwXZgnG9awSwJ7td-txL1_4KGrpSf4igJLILOim4yJmX5pGTPIdMhCBYLyImSI5gs1MOMUZPAlpAgvtPdb/s1600/podcastIcon.gif" /></a></span></div> <div style="margin: 0px;">  Download this episode by right-clicking the icon and selecting "Save As..." or simply click on the file to listen, or on the player above. (File size: 60.2 MB, 1:05:42)</div> <div style="margin: 0px;"> <br /> <br /> You do <a href="http://bit.ly/ihearofsherlock"><b>subscribe to us on iTunes</b></a>, don't you?<br /> <br /></div> Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email, call us at (774) 221-READ (7323). Connect with us on <b><a href="https://plus.google.com/communities/114565123495685504221">The Sherlock Holmes Community</a></b> on Google+, <b><a href="http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock">Facebook</a></b>, <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock"><b>Twitter</b></a> and <a href="http://ihearofsherlock.tumblr.com/"><b>Tumblr</b></a>.<br /> <br /> And above all, please let our sponsors know that you heard us mumble their hallowed names on the show: <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/"><b>Wessex Press</b></a> and <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/" style="font-style: italic;"><b>The Baker Street Journal</b></a>.

Episode 52: Sherlockian Mythbusters

When a figure like Sherlock Holmes has been around for over a century, there are bound to be misconceptions that creep into public thi...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Remembering Irving Kamil, BSI

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "Monsieur Oscar Meunier, of Grenoble" [EMPT] </h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpoRoe_-wM_mor3PtZzadIKk1-uFzqaL2wMQqL178Ayx5sW-Ibj_nGvimJaPZIL3WTYtfYF8X7xHY598nWokMdhiTuI3om9sXa6Cjb1hbcmsYU6aGYI49kUYuHGO_Fg4L5xWke6CtPuA/s1600/Irving+Kamil+Obit.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFpoRoe_-wM_mor3PtZzadIKk1-uFzqaL2wMQqL178Ayx5sW-Ibj_nGvimJaPZIL3WTYtfYF8X7xHY598nWokMdhiTuI3om9sXa6Cjb1hbcmsYU6aGYI49kUYuHGO_Fg4L5xWke6CtPuA/s640/Irving+Kamil+Obit.JPG" width="424" /></a></div> <br /> Occasionally we remember members of the BSI who have gone to the other side of the Reichenbach. This one was a particularly difficult one for us.<br /> <br /> Irving Kamil, BSI ("Monsieur Oscar Meunier, of Grenoble") died on April 26, 2013 at the age of 86. He was a chemistry teacher, assistant principal and principal in the New York City school system for 41 years, retiring in 1990. Irv graduated from Central Methodist College and received a Master's Degree from Columbia University Teachers College.<br /> <br /> Irv was a WWII U.S. Navy veteran, a former member and president of the Cliffside Park Board of Education and president of Temple Israel in Cliffside Park. He wrote over 40 articles that were published in The New York Times and other papers, taught a mystery course at The New School, was a member of The Wolfe Pack, and was an avid three-times-a-week bridge player.<br /> <br /> In 1976 Irv, Norm Schatell, and Harlan Umansky founded Mrs. Hudson's Cliffdwellers's of Cliffside Park, NJ after they attended an off-Broadway Sherlock Holmes play. They went to Molly Malone's Pub and as Irv tells the story, they came up with a song for the group, sang it with all their hearts -- and nobody paid the slightest bit of attention to them.<br /> <br /> For many years at the BSI Dinner, Irv had the honor of Standing on the Terrace for members of the BSI who had crossed over the Reichenbach. It was his eloquent and sensitive delivery honoring the lives of the members that prompted us to take up a similar effort on this site. He also wrote essays and poems that were published in <i><a href="http://ihose.co/BSJ" target="_blank">The Baker Street Journal </a></i>and other Sherlockian publications, and ran the Cliffdwellers for 21 years.<br /> <br /> Irv and his wife of over 60 years, Selma, traveled extensively and during their travels created what he called "non-meeting" Sherlockian societies in places such as the Great Wall of China, on the Amazon, in Sicily, Thailand, New Zealand, Vietnam, Jordan, Antarctica, and the Galapagos, among others.<br /> <br /> Irving Kamil was invested into The Baker Street Irregulars in 1981 as "Monsieur Oscar Meunier, of Grenoble."<br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.questia.com/newspaper/1P2-36216041/irving-kamil-86-sherlock-holmes-society-founder" target="_blank">Another remembrance of his life</a> and <a href="https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/northjersey/obituary.aspx?n=irving-kamil&pid=164475230&fhid=12213" target="_blank">his obituary</a> can be read here.<br /> <br /> <i>Image credit: (c) 2013 Amy Newman /<a href="http://northjersey.com/"> northjersey.com</a></i><br /> --<br /> <br />

Remembering Irving Kamil, BSI

"Monsieur Oscar Meunier, of Grenoble" [EMPT]  Occasionally we remember members of the BSI who have gone to the other side of ...

+ Read more »

by Francine Kitts

Review: The Lost Stories of Sherlock Holmes

<h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> "dealt with any public print" [RESI]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4043/4181741201_bb2856b9fd_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://farm5.staticflickr.com/4043/4181741201_bb2856b9fd_o.jpg" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Although many Sherlock Holmes pastiches are published, very few often have the sparkle of Conan Doyle's writing. This is not a complaint - after all, attempting to document the great detective's further adventures often mean focusing more on the story and less on the style. However, <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/38B4DYW" target="_blank">The Lost Stories of Sherlock Holmes</a></i></b>, edited by Tony Reynolds and available via <a href="http://www.mxpublishing.co.uk/engine/shop/search?ssv=lost+sherlock+holmes" target="_blank">MX Publishing</a>, is the best of both worlds, containing some well-written stories that reflect the "house style" at its best.<br /> <br /> Thankfully, Reynolds does a very admirable job in writing a series of tales that could easily fit into the Canon, but that have an imagination and creativity all of their own. Even the first story - "The Giant Rat of Sumatra" - takes its cue from the Canon, but spins a decidedly distinctive tale. But page after page contains some wonderful, well-written adventures which (thankfully) contain a brief statement within as to why the tale was "omitted" (usually for reasons of either national security or personal embarrassment). <br /> <br /> Sometimes, imitation <i>is</i> the sincerest form of flattery, and for Sherlockians, finding the perfect Conan Doyle-esque copy can be a valiant quest. Thankfully, Tony Reynold's <b><i>Lost Stories of Sherlock Holmes</i></b> makes the quest a little easier. It's a near-perfect gem of a book, and worth reading - and owning.<br /> <br /> <span style="color: red;"> <br /> </span>--<br /> <br /> <script type="text/javascript"> amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "scottmonty-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_design = "enhanced_links"; amzn_assoc_asins = "1780924135"; amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "fd229a91d26aeca8f9f52fa01bff9fde"; </script><br /> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script><br /> <br /> Disclosure: we receive a small commission from Amazon when you buy books through our links.

Review: The Lost Stories of Sherlock Holmes

"dealt with any public print" [RESI] Although many Sherlock Holmes pastiches are published, very few often have the sparkle ...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

The Edgar Awards 2013 Show Sherlock Holmes's Staying Power

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <h4 style="text-align: center;"> "You remind me of Edgar" [STUD]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSV8LhUnOloXtieNg8og3HpoqOpOpMiONwWOIohrRxiFVK1ZlD575Hdlf1rrUVaune-wIBfIw-s6z8iPjQ7011kbWte0Rj4vRdU3hnlqRg9c5IP5nMsQ-7fpsH9kL5_kW4Vx1GeHtiag60/s1600/Poe.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1067" data-original-width="1600" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiSV8LhUnOloXtieNg8og3HpoqOpOpMiONwWOIohrRxiFVK1ZlD575Hdlf1rrUVaune-wIBfIw-s6z8iPjQ7011kbWte0Rj4vRdU3hnlqRg9c5IP5nMsQ-7fpsH9kL5_kW4Vx1GeHtiag60/s640/Poe.jpeg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> The evening of May 2 marked the 2013 <b><a href="http://theedgars.com/" target="_blank">Edgar<em style="background-color: white; color: #3f656e; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 13px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"><span style="margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">®</span></em> Awards</a></b> banquet, during which the winners of the <b><a href="http://www.mysterywriters.org/" target="_blank">Mystery Writers of America</a></b> grant the most prestigious award in the mystery genre to the authors and creators who gave us such treasures over the previous year.<br /> <br /> As usual, Sherlock Holmes-related and -inspired work was present across a number of categories of both nominees and winners, and we'd like to share the results that may be of interest to those of you who are either completists on your collecting habits or who simply like to know relevant news about works of Sherlock Holmes.<br /> <br /> <h3> <b>Best Critical/Biographical</b></h3> <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/2Rkj1Pz" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Scientific Sherlock Holmes: Cracking the Case with Science and Forensics</a></i></b> by James O'Brien (winner)<br /> <br /> <b><a href="https://amzn.to/2RkXaYo" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>In Pursuit of Spenser: Mystery Writers on Robert B. Parker and the Creation of an American Hero</i></a></b> edited by Otto Penzler (nominee). Otto of course is a Baker Street Irregular ("The King of Bohemia") and was interviewed on <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2008/01/episode-17-collectors-corner-otto.html" target="_blank">Episode 17 of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</a>.<br /> <br /> <h3> <b>Best TV Episode / Teleplay</b></h3> "<b><a href="https://amzn.to/2GguB84" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Scandal in Belgravia</a></b>" - Sherlock, teleplay by Stephen Moffat (BBC/Masterpiece) (winner)<br /> <br /> "<b><a href="https://amzn.to/36pVbGq" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Child Predator</a></b>" - elemeNtarY, teleplay by Peter Black (CBS Productions) (nominee)<br /> <br /> And while not exactly Sherlockian, we can't help but mention <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/2upMXkm" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Gods of Gotham</a></i></b> by Lyndsay Faye, BSI, ASH ("Kitty Winter"), which was a nominee for Best Novel. Set in New York in 1845, this widely acclaimed novel followed her barnburner <b><a href="https://amzn.to/2tKfC3u" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Dust and Shadow</i></a></b>, in which she imagined the intersection of Sherlock Holmes and Jack the Ripper, as told by Dr. Watson. The award for this category went to Dennis Lehane, but we're extremely proud of our friend and colleague for keeping company with such a superstar - and deservedly so!<br /> <br /> Congratulations to all of the winners and nominees and thank you for all that you do.<br /> <br /> <i>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><br /> <i><br /> </i> --<br /> <br /> <script type="text/javascript"> amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "scottmonty-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_design = "enhanced_links"; amzn_assoc_asins = "0199794960"; amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "a24bd7eb9c39023a59e20b74f5cbb97a"; </script><br /> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script><br /> <script type="text/javascript"> amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "scottmonty-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_design = "enhanced_links"; amzn_assoc_asins = "B007WSNMW6"; amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "a08e248b07124afb6408d3861f507106"; </script><br /> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script><br /> <script type="text/javascript"> amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "scottmonty-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_design = "enhanced_links"; amzn_assoc_asins = "B0081336FO"; amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "eccac986070ef4044d193255bca3d964"; </script><br /> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script><br /> <script type="text/javascript"> amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "scottmonty-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_design = "enhanced_links"; amzn_assoc_asins = "B009IJJ5B4"; amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "780004c2e233233694045bcc5737a944"; </script><br /> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script><br />

The Edgar Awards 2013 Show Sherlock Holmes's Staying Power

"You remind me of Edgar" [STUD] The evening of May 2 marked the 2013 Edgar ®  Awards banquet, during which the winners of...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Tonga Was One of the Most Isolated People in the World

<h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> "an isolated phenomenon" [GREE]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJJQDLpNdUSrNgNHjWiJ-QsFbGrKYlGw-spZQ8BJBww6bX_ibxglrhXgMIPypXmDYnh13Bs7lO3FMoalMFah7h9FyF3QW8Gqbwc-2XRF4jwV6AKLBDR4Rsn44bHr9ggWx9MgQyBNasS0FV/s1600/sign+of+four.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJJQDLpNdUSrNgNHjWiJ-QsFbGrKYlGw-spZQ8BJBww6bX_ibxglrhXgMIPypXmDYnh13Bs7lO3FMoalMFah7h9FyF3QW8Gqbwc-2XRF4jwV6AKLBDR4Rsn44bHr9ggWx9MgQyBNasS0FV/s1600/sign+of+four.jpg" /></a></div> When we recently came across an entry from <b><a href="http://nowiknow.com/">Now I Know</a></b>, a free daily newsletter that promises "you'll learn something new every day," (click through to subscribe) it was almost as if it had been written for us. So we did what was only natural: we reached out to the editor and asked if we might share the original post here. He gracefully agreed.<br /> <br /> But before we delve into the details behind this rather interesting bit of trivia, let's explore the Canonical mention (<b>CAUTION</b>: there may be <b>spoilers </b>ahead if you haven't yet read <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/2RL8ls9" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Sign of Four</a></b></i>).<br /> <br /> The mystery begins with Holmes and Watson being visited by Mary Morstan, whose father served in the army in India at Fort Agra. Major Morstan disappeared 10 years prior, leaving behind his luggage and some curiosities from the Andaman Islands. Since that time, Ms. Mortan received pearls annually and has been invited to discover the origin of the same by Thaddeus Sholto, son of Maj. John Sholto, who served with Morstan.<br /> <br /> Upon arrival at Pondicherry Lodge, the group learned that Bartholomew Sholto is dead, having himself been hit with a poisoned thorn. All that remained were child-like footprints and a stick with a stone head tied to it like a hammer.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a>Holmes pieced the elements together: small footprints, strange weapons, individuals who have been in India for some time. He concluded that the perpetrator must have come from the Andaman Islands:<br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> This is the first volume of a gazetteer which is now being published. It may be looked upon as the very latest authority. What have we here? `Andaman Islands, situated 340 miles to the north of Sumatra, in the Bay of Bengal.' Hum! hum! What's all this? Moist climate, coral reefs, sharks, Port Blair, convict barracks, Rutland Island, cottonwoods - Ah, here we are! `The aborigines of the Andaman Islands may perhaps claim the distinction of being the smallest race upon this earth, though some anthropologists prefer the Bushmen of Africa, the Digger Indians of America, and the Terra del Fuegians. The average height is rather below four feet, although many full-grown adults may be found who are very much smaller than this. They are a fierce, morose, and intractable people, though capable of forming most devoted friendships when their confidence has once been gained.' Mark that, Watson. Now, then, listen to this. `They are naturally hideous, having large, misshapen heads, small, fierce eyes, and distorted features. Their feet and hands, however, are remarkably small. So intractable and fierce are they that all the efforts of the British officials have failed to win them over in any degree. They have always been a terror to shipwrecked crews, braining the survivors with their stone-headed clubs, or shooting them with their poisoned arrows. These massacres are invariably concluded by a cannibal feast.' Nice, amiable people, Watson! If this fellow had been left to his own unaided devices this affair might have taken an even more ghastly turn. I fancy that, even as it is, Jonathan Small would give a good deal not to have employed him. </blockquote> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2D1kG2XA9E9Tz3yV0atSn-w8v7BnQbVf9XPcpU_9g_meo21cF7S4FR7WkS0h5kcY-uDwMQH5hF_0OUbarFt6EhlZTG6W8KnAdAcfncs8mjUKYGdsq11n_08P9llCHx4Vf5Xt42Mmq4Z28/s1600/Tonga.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2D1kG2XA9E9Tz3yV0atSn-w8v7BnQbVf9XPcpU_9g_meo21cF7S4FR7WkS0h5kcY-uDwMQH5hF_0OUbarFt6EhlZTG6W8KnAdAcfncs8mjUKYGdsq11n_08P9llCHx4Vf5Xt42Mmq4Z28/s640/Tonga.png" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> There we have the setup. Now without further ado, here's "<a href="http://nowiknow.com/the-most-isolated-people-in-the-world/">The Most Isolated People in the World</a>" from Now I Know:<br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjluzf2EVD9Ptt732OtI6LqChe1bh3WOIATFq7SMYR8EF283tZXsedU6ZeA-JDDTYkBv3rw4pn3Yy2eOMK4XjL4pkE7Cg0NN8BLGDwCfUXRR2zk9kWQJcCp6uLn64v8CUpt2gmnFy2xl-DR/s1600/North-Sentinel-Island.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/AVvXsEjluzf2EVD9Ptt732OtI6LqChe1bh3WOIATFq7SMYR8EF283tZXsedU6ZeA-JDDTYkBv3rw4pn3Yy2eOMK4XjL4pkE7Cg0NN8BLGDwCfUXRR2zk9kWQJcCp6uLn64v8CUpt2gmnFy2xl-DR/s320/North-Sentinel-Island.png" width="190" /></a></div> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> The part of the Indian Ocean encapsulated by the eastern shore of India and the shores of Bangladesh and Myanmar (Burma) is called the Bay of Bengal (map). The eastern edge of the Bay of Bengal is defined as a set of islands called the Andaman Islands, an archipelago, most of which are under control of India. North Sentinel Island, a small dot of land, is part of the Andaman Islands. North Sentinel Island is set just west of the larger islands in the group, as seen as the red area in the map at the top. (For further context, the island is flagged <b><a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=11.55,92.233333&ll=12.039321,94.570313&spn=24.782025,36.386719&t=p&z=5">on the map here</a></b> – be sure to zoom in.)<br /> <br /> Between 50 and 400 people are estimated to live on North Sentinel Island. These people, known as the Sentinelese, are perhaps the most isolated people in the world and are believed to be pre-Neolithic — literally, technologically in the Stone Age. By and large, the Sentinelese have gone uncontacted by outsiders for centuries if not millennia — in part because the Sentinelese do not take kindly to visitors.<br /> <br /> In 1967, Indian authorities began their first meaningful attempt to engage the Sentinelese by leaving coconuts as gifts on the island’s shores. While some progress was made over the course of a few decades, the quality and quantity of contact was minimal at best. Seven years later, anthropologist Trilokinath Pandit and a film crew attempted to woo the Sentinelese into friendly contact with gifts, such as fruit, a pig, some toys, and pots and pans. The result was not positive: a film director was shot in the thigh with an arrow. In the 1990s, India cut off its permission for these anthropological endeavors, citing risks seen in contacting other uncontacted tribes as well as the fear of introducing diseases from mainland India to the Sentinelese people, whose physiologies almost certainly would be ill prepared to recover from.<br /> <br /> More recent events strongly buttresses that this decision to cut off hopes of contact is just fine with the Sentinelese. In 2006, a pair of fishermen were plying their trade, illegally, off North Sentinel Island’s shore. <b><a href="http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/india/1509987/Stone-Age-tribe-kills-fishermen-who-strayed-on-to-island.html">Sentinelese archers killed the fishermen</a></b>. When a helicopter came to recover the bodies, the helicopter too was met with a hail of arrows, and retreated before fulfilling its mission.<br /> <br /> What do we know about the Sentinelese? Understandably, very little. They live in huts and are hunter-gatherers, employing the use of javelins, bows and arrows, and harpoons. They speak a language unique to them (also called, by outsiders, “Sentinelese”) which we have no way of translating. The Sentinelese appear to use pig skulls as ornaments of some sort, and have employed the use of red dye in both clothing and what is best guessed to be decoration.<br /> <br /> And that, unfortunately, is all we may ever learn. As India has given up almost all hope of making further contact with the Sentinelese, these people are considered autonomous and, in a very real sense, the most isolated people on the planet. It seems like a matter of time before they and their culture die off, becoming a historical footnote. On the other hand, the Sentinelese are resilient — some estimate that they have lived on North Sentinel Island for 60,000 years, and in any event, the Sentinelese somehow survived the Indian Ocean tsunami of 2004 (which <b><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:2004_Indonesia_Tsunami_Complete.gif">probably hit the island</a></b>). </blockquote> <br /> Could Tonga have been part of the Sentinelese people? Given his rather irascible personality, it doesn't sound like a stretch. The blowpipe would seem to equate with the archers and the hammer-like weapon is clearly Neolithic in nature.<br /> <br /> And when one considers that he was "a fine boatman" according to Johnathan Small, it's not unlikely that he left Sentinel Island and made his way to some of the other Andaman Islands where he took ill. It was there that Small nursed him back to health and was able to attain a degree of loyalty from the islander, whom Small said was "as venomous as a young snake."<br /> <br /> While we may never know with certainty which of the Andaman Islands Tonga called home, our preference is for Sentinel Island, home of the most isolated people in the world.<br /> <br /> <i>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><br /> <br /> --<br /> <br /> <script type="text/javascript"> amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "scottmonty-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_design = "enhanced_links"; amzn_assoc_asins = "1949460835"; amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "85b374a13f934136cfe2f4e4eaa6b269"; </script><br /> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script><br /> <script type="text/javascript"> amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "scottmonty-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_design = "enhanced_links"; amzn_assoc_asins = "B079Y9111X"; amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "739561e3585b753a28a5431149e53143"; </script><br /> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script><br />

Tonga Was One of the Most Isolated People in the World

"an isolated phenomenon" [GREE] When we recently came across an entry from Now I Know , a free daily newsletter that promises ...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Remembering Ted Schulz, BSI

<h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> "I'm sorry councillor, but it's Ted" [VALL]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_Xf_u1ACcGI_UMY1LQSFGEL_tTOHiZL06ASSOZxVST_i7YNP_wUJQBamm-8CpfiApvwGw9dhPAdPpgOSFOaKNZntfuoYWNkbHalMfkAFpRcEC7e9AzWoVuqCjYe8TnDZxtuulf5awfo/s1600/Ted+&+Mary+Schulz.jpeg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj1_Xf_u1ACcGI_UMY1LQSFGEL_tTOHiZL06ASSOZxVST_i7YNP_wUJQBamm-8CpfiApvwGw9dhPAdPpgOSFOaKNZntfuoYWNkbHalMfkAFpRcEC7e9AzWoVuqCjYe8TnDZxtuulf5awfo/s1600/Ted+&+Mary+Schulz.jpeg" /></a></div> <br /> [<b><i>Editor's note</i></b>: The following is a guest post by C. Paul Martin, BSI ("Dr. Leslie Armstrong"), who knew Ted Schulz quite well.]<br /> <br /> Theodore G. Schulz, BSI ("The Amateur Mendicant Society") passed beyond the Reichenbach on January 24, 2013. Knowing Ted was to appreciate a true champion and an active practitioner of the art of Sherlockiana and its environs.<br /> <br /> Ted was the genuine template for the formation of the optimal Baker Street Irregular, Sherlockian, Holmesian, Praedian, etc. while imparting his caring and enthusiastic personality to all his associates and acquaintances in many societies.<br /> <br /> Ted had the opportunity to give us his own story before he left us: it's a rich mix of text and videos and can be found at <b><a href="http://tedschulz.com/" target="_blank">TedSchulz.com</a></b>, which has been recently updated by Barry Brilliant (who himself <b><a href="http://bbrilliant.com/Tedschulz/LetterfromBarry.html" target="_blank">penned a letter to Ted</a></b> that summed up their friendship).<br /> <br /> Other adventures with Ted can be viewed via <b><a href="http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=ted+schulz+sherlock" target="_blank">a number of YouTube videos</a></b> that he made, such as the one below. Yet, in knowing him these past 44 years, I believe he would also like you to know some unique facts.<br /> <br /> <center> <iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/7dwmX0ULHLs" width="560"></iframe></center> <br /> Ted was born at Mt. Zion Hospital in San Francisco in 1923, the same night that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was presenting a lecture on spiritualism and photography at Dreamland Auditorium just a few blocks away from the hospital. Could Doyle’s ethereal spirits have migrated to Ted upon his birth with resultant influence?<br /> <br /> Ted’s only son was named William Sherlock Schulz, a fitting testament to his devotion to his avocation and his wife Mary’s love of him and acceptance of his enthusiasm for the world of Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle.<br /> <br /> The many honors bestowed upon Ted, including his Two Shilling Award and his 50 year BSI Membership Recognition only validate the conclusion of the many people who were privileged to meet him that “Ted is the nicest man I have ever met!” Ted received his investiture "The Amateur Mendicant Society" in the BSI in 1961.<br /> <br /> If you'd like to watch the memorial that Ted's local Sherlockian group held, it can be viewed <b><a href="http://bbrilliant.com/Tedschulz/TedMemorial.html">by clicking here</a></b>.<br /> <br /> --<br /> <br />

Remembering Ted Schulz, BSI

"I'm sorry councillor, but it's Ted" [VALL] [ Editor's note : The following is a guest post by C. Paul Martin, BS...

+ Read more »

by Francine Kitts

Review: Sherlock Holmes and the BTK Killer, Son of Sam and Unabomber

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "A very workmanlike bit of analysis" [VALL]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/content/site300/productimages/sku-000560409.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/content/site300/productimages/sku-000560409.gif" width="426" /></a></div> <div> <br /></div> The somewhat unwieldy-titled book <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/147593226X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=147593226X&linkCode=as2&tag=thebakerstree-20"><i>How Sherlock Holmes Deduced “Break The Case Clues” On The BTK Killer, The Son of Sam, Unabomber and Anthrax Cases - With Analysis on The Mad Bomber and the Unsolved L.I. Gilgo Beach Murders</i></a> (disclosure: <a href="http://cmp.ly/5">cmp.ly/5</a>) is an examination of the cases mentioned in the title, made up of actual reports made to the FBI or other agency involved in the case. The author, Tom Walker, is a retired police captain of the NYPD and a Sherlockian. As he says in his Introduction:<br /> <br /> “What follows is true, it is not fiction. However, I readily acknowledge that none of these deductive successes would have been possible without Sherlock Holmes walking behind me and occasionally whispering in my ear.”<br /> <br /> It is interesting to see the inner workings of a mind that directly applies lessons from Sherlock Holmes to detective work. Mr. Walker provides just enough detail of each crime to express the horror of the scenes, but does not delve into unnecessary gore. The “break the case clues” he arrives at unfortunately never do break a case, but they very well might have if his conclusions had been heeded by the agency in charge.<br /> <br /> The book, for the most part, maintains an academic atmosphere fitting for a ‘course of lectures,’ as Holmes himself would have liked. The exception comes in moments of Sherlock Holmes quite literally whispering in Mr. Walker’s ear, moments which are either supposed to add a touch of levity, or are a very serious Sherlockian taking the influence of Sherlock Holmes very seriously. Either way, Playing The Game is an unexpected quirk within a nonfiction setting.<br /> <br /> Of course, this is a book written by a long-time Sherlockian, for Sherlockians, but there are moments where The Game is just too pronounced for a relative newcomer like me. For example, during what is otherwise a convincing defense of Bruce Ivins, the top suspect for the Anthrax Killer case, Walker details a clandestine consultation with the BSI that anyone unfamiliar with the organization would find unintentionally campy at best. His appeal to whomever knows the identity of the Gilgo Beach murderer(s) at the end of the book to step forward at Holmes’s insistence is off-putting.<br /> <br /> Apart from that, the author is confident in his ability and clearly guides the reader through his methods in each case. He does have a little trouble narratively, the best example of which is the first half of his description of the Son of Sam case. He attempts to frame the case within what was going on in his life at the time, with the result that we get an interesting account of the power structure of NYC law enforcement and a fun game-show story, but this is ultimately a diversion that doesn't seem to contribute anything to the overall theme of the book or the analysis of the case itself. Another occasion of a case not quite fitting within the Sherlockian theme is his examination of the police response to the Mad Bomber. It is a fascinating analysis of effective (and ineffective) procedure, but it lacks the direct references to Canon and Holmes’s methodology that ties the other cases to the Great Detective.<br /> <br /> Overall, anyone interested in seeing Sherlock Holmes’s methods applied to real-life detective work would find this an enjoyable and interesting light read. It should also appeal to anyone who wants to see a new perspective on high profile cases and the inner workings of law enforcement. Mr. Walker’s language is clear and his process easy to follow. He knows what he is doing, and it would be nice to see him get some recognition for it.<br /> <br /> <b><i>How Sherlock Holmes Deduced “Break The Case Clues” On The BTK Killer, The Son of Sam, Unabomber and Anthrax Cases - With Analysis on the Mad Bomber and The Unsolved L.I. Gilgo Beach Murders</i></b> is available in paperback and ebook formats directly from the publisher,<a href="http://bookstore.iuniverse.com/Products/SKU-000560409/How-Sherlock-Holmes-Deduced-Break-The-Case-Clues-On-The-BTK-Killer-The-Son-of-Sam-Unabomber-and-Anthrax-Cases.aspx"> iUniverse</a>, or <a href="http://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/how-sherlock-holmes-deduced-break-the-case-clues-on-the-btk-killer-the-son-of-sam-unabomber-and-anthrax-cases-tom-walker/1111725659?ean=9781475932263">Barnes and Noble</a>. It is also available on <a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/147593226X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=147593226X&linkCode=as2&tag=thebakerstree-20">Amazon</a>, but if I understood the iUniverse royalty policy correctly, you’ll do better by the author if you purchase it from iUniverse or Barnes and Noble.<br /> <br /> <i>Katie writes about Sherlock Holmes in science fiction (among other things) on her <a href="http://kaelma.tumblr.com/">tumblr.</a> </i><br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: inherit;">--</span>

Review: Sherlock Holmes and the BTK Killer, Son of Sam and Unabomber

"A very workmanlike bit of analysis" [VALL] The somewhat unwieldy-titled book How Sherlock Holmes Deduced “Break The Case Cl...

+ Read more »

by Katie Magnusson

A Look at the Cases of Sherlock Holmes by Renegade Press

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "Striking illustration" [ILLU]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ytirRyI2SXqWfKCqdf3Fl9L3Vfd8w4s9Bp62rScHP7BqID-D7ROcADXh0azWOGeoEXg23pmbP8HI6AoxrwgH0pIlU4bjgZXY1UmLAoWjGFgnqZbVxzljw-xTsThJQB0ggeBYodY6SLEw/s1600/holmescomic005.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh3ytirRyI2SXqWfKCqdf3Fl9L3Vfd8w4s9Bp62rScHP7BqID-D7ROcADXh0azWOGeoEXg23pmbP8HI6AoxrwgH0pIlU4bjgZXY1UmLAoWjGFgnqZbVxzljw-xTsThJQB0ggeBYodY6SLEw/s640/holmescomic005.jpg" width="414" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> One of my friends gave me a collection of comic books they found at a used-books store: the “<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B001HXLURQ/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B001HXLURQ&linkCode=as2&tag=thebakerstree-20"><i>Cases of Sherlock Holmes</i></a></b>” series by Dan Day. It was run by Renegade Press from 1986 til ‘88 and then by Northstar Publishing from ‘89 til 1990. I expected these to be a set of original tales featuring the Great Detective, based solely on the cover images. Open up the first issue, and the first page looks like the image seen on the right.<br /> <br /> <span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: inherit;">The illustrations were rich in detail and very evocative of a Victorian setting. Particularly pleasing is the amount of detail given to the characters - more than even the best Sidney Paget drawings could hope to give us, as we view them in reprints. The only drawback to the early issues of the Cases of Sherlock Holmes series is that the text was in ALL CAPS. No need to shout at me while I'm reading a graphic novel.</span><br /> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"><br /><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 15px; font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></b> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> <br /></div> Some of you probably know about these already - for those of you who don’t, they’re worth looking for. They are, simply, the stories from the Canon put to illustration. The illustrations themselves are wonderfully detailed, and the layout is generally easy to follow. Most of the time the illustrations simply decorate the columns of text, but every now and then the reader comes across a dynamic spread - <br /> <br /> <br /> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJvPiLOKI78-XCN6AeDcRufb7mDhjmRV7S7CW7PZWVxhHLJsGf9GnKQtQdBpVyI72LNjsPp7V2i3OraKxTwKvD9nieLtncLJCoxMHZ71UxH0p1KpC3C3PAq39hNTMHYEsgFVt8U5EC_8q/s1600/holmescomic001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="464" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjJvPiLOKI78-XCN6AeDcRufb7mDhjmRV7S7CW7PZWVxhHLJsGf9GnKQtQdBpVyI72LNjsPp7V2i3OraKxTwKvD9nieLtncLJCoxMHZ71UxH0p1KpC3C3PAq39hNTMHYEsgFVt8U5EC_8q/s640/holmescomic001.jpg" width="640" /></a><br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <br /> This is also from the first issue, “The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet”, and shows the confrontation between Holmes and the thief. Granted, there is some artistic license taken with the scene, such as Holmes wrestling over a knife, but it is stunning nonetheless. <br /> <br /> While I’m on the subject of ‘artistic license,’ I should mention an aspect of these comics I find particularly entertaining: the covers. My initial supposition that these comics would be original stories was wrong, but I think I can be forgiven. The title of the story is not printed on the cover, and the illustrations tend towards pulp.<br /> <div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <br /></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"></b></div> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"></b><br /> <div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; text-align: center;"> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMmJElCvP7wBCrZpXjUJxok3ofpHqK06UY1h3mxbR4XHQvmrRZuRVD75I-nuf0swsJBuMirRW05j35JGG2QtDkAZCVbK1HofBmJOT_INgz1RZJavzlS5VBZSAQ0USQja0gdbILbhU_Cad/s1600/holmescomic002.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjMmJElCvP7wBCrZpXjUJxok3ofpHqK06UY1h3mxbR4XHQvmrRZuRVD75I-nuf0swsJBuMirRW05j35JGG2QtDkAZCVbK1HofBmJOT_INgz1RZJavzlS5VBZSAQ0USQja0gdbILbhU_Cad/s640/holmescomic002.jpg" width="427" /></a></b></div> <br /> This one isn’t too bad, as “The Adventure of the Six Napoleons” does feature small statues of Napoleon, who is dead, hence the skeletal figure on the horse with the funny hat. <br /> <br /> But what story could possibly have this cover image?</div> <div dir="ltr" style="margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <br /></div> <div dir="ltr" style="line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9KTpJ5XOhNF0Cr22YEvi9P9Vz583ct7tfxPSyk_LX6oG5RVA1vLecNZtSpZIA6VVbkBbbyhp9hpgGKJOcWrVOheMkUOhbQBqWrQOgzvMHXdeJy6ejoA2qU1t0T-HiX55Sfg1ygeuNxQh/s1600/holmescomic004.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgV9KTpJ5XOhNF0Cr22YEvi9P9Vz583ct7tfxPSyk_LX6oG5RVA1vLecNZtSpZIA6VVbkBbbyhp9hpgGKJOcWrVOheMkUOhbQBqWrQOgzvMHXdeJy6ejoA2qU1t0T-HiX55Sfg1ygeuNxQh/s640/holmescomic004.jpg" width="419" /></a></b></div> <div style="font-weight: normal;"> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b></div> </div> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"></span></span></b><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; font-weight: normal; text-align: center;"> </div> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"> </b> <br /> <div dir="ltr" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">“Silver Blaze.” The story about a horse.</span></span></b></div> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"> </b> <div dir="ltr" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"><span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></b></div> <b id="internal-source-marker_0.7820025125984102"> <div dir="ltr" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">Oddly, of the 20 issues, one is an original pastiche. “The Strange Adventure of the Vourdalak” was written by Gordon Derry and is an interesting, thought-out tale that keeps the feel of the Canon while adding a little more action (and cocaine) in a neat setting - a traveling fair of gypsies, Turks and Cossacks in France. It is the only pastiche in the series.</span></span></div> <div dir="ltr" style="font-weight: normal; line-height: 1.15; margin-bottom: 0pt; margin-top: 0pt;"> <span style="vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /></span></span></div> <span style="font-weight: normal; vertical-align: baseline; white-space: pre-wrap;"><span style="font-family: inherit;">These are a fun, quirky addition to my collection, and could be enjoyed by any Sherlockian who is a fan of comics or illustrated editions of the stories. They’re certainly worth keeping an eye out for at your local used books or comics store, or online.</span></span></b><br /> <i><br /></i><i>Katie writes about Sherlock Holmes in science fiction (among other things) on her <a href="http://www.kaelma.tumblr.com/">tumblr.</a></i><br /> <i><br /></i><i>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><br /> --<br /> <br /> <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001HXLURQ&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>  <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001HXZVQM&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>  <iframe frameborder="0" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" scrolling="no" src="http://rcm.amazon.com/e/cm?t=thebakerstree-20&o=1&p=8&l=as1&asins=B001EMV2PK&ref=qf_sp_asin_til&fc1=000000&IS2=1&lt1=_blank&m=amazon&lc1=0000FF&bc1=000000&bg1=FFFFFF&f=ifr" style="height: 240px; width: 120px;"></iframe>

A Look at the Cases of Sherlock Holmes by Renegade Press

"Striking illustration" [ILLU] One of my friends gave me a collection of comic books they found at a used-books store: the “...

+ Read more »

by Katie Magnusson

Episode 51: Who Is a Sherlockian?

<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzY4Wq6qyrOw8_HKzQ4xQJQQ4A7P6XAYwdWeSd1q_K7ScuOLOsKJj6xXecHooGY2mtUXl5XRqpOwSBhPumUJX-kfpf4db3B_H33dUqITuIXtyTfj4GtmCS5G33gxqiq5oFP3Gd4PzJru7N/s1600/FDS-profile.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzY4Wq6qyrOw8_HKzQ4xQJQQ4A7P6XAYwdWeSd1q_K7ScuOLOsKJj6xXecHooGY2mtUXl5XRqpOwSBhPumUJX-kfpf4db3B_H33dUqITuIXtyTfj4GtmCS5G33gxqiq5oFP3Gd4PzJru7N/s640/FDS-profile.jpg" width="454" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <br /></div> <center> <iframe allowfullscreen="" height="90" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/2290373/height/90/width/600/theme/custom/autoplay/yes/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/no-cache/true/render-playlist/no/custom-color/6200a0/" style="border: none;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe></center> <br /> We thought we'd stir up the discussions a bit and try to get to the bottom of a couple of controversies that have been roiling the world of Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts (we're careful to say neither "fans" nor "devotees" at this juncture).<br /> <br /> The first item of interest that grabbed our attention in early 2013 was the so-called "Free Sherlock" movement. Summed up, this is basically an issue that is being brought to court via a case titled <b><a href="http://www.scribd.com/doc/125645482/KLINGER-vs-CONAN-DOYLE-ESTATE-LTD">Klinger vs. Conan Doyle Estate</a></b>, in which Leslie Klinger, BSI ("The Abbey Grange") is contesting the Conan Doyle Estate's claim that any new content that contains Sherlock Holmes must pay a royalty or license fee to the Estate. Burt and Scott parse through some of the non-technical/legal aspects of the case and discuss what's at stake.<br /> <br /> Speaking of being at stake, the other item on the docket is the debate as to what in fact constitutes a Sherlockian of good standing? That is, can one have arrived at the doorstep of 221B Baker Street via the BBC series (or Granada, or Universal, etc.) or must one have been schooled only in the printed literature and dress the part of a 1940s joiner? It's quite a debate - one that was taken up vehemently by The Baker Street Babes earlier this year, after the "Elite Devotee Redux" was published in recently resurrected  <i>Saturday Review of Literature</i>. We offer our own humble observations on the matter.<br /> <br /> For those who wish to subscribe to the publication and read all of the very interesting articles therein, you may procure a copy by sending $5 postpaid to Donald K. Pollock, 521 College Avenue, Niagara Falls, NY 14305. An image of the cover and inside cover can be seen below.<br /> <br /> <br /> <b>The Editor's Gas-Lamp:</b><span style="text-align: left;"> We purposefully revisited the same Gas-Lamp (Vol. 3, No. 2, OS) that we shared on <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/12/episode-15-michael-whelan-wiggins-of.html">Episode 15</a>, because Edgar Smith's "Who is a Baker Street Irregular?" seemed to strike the same chord some 65 years later</span><span style="text-align: left;">.</span><br /> <br /> <b>Links:</b><br /> <div style="text-align: left;"> <ul> <li>Les Klinger's <a href="http://free-sherlock.com/"><b>Free Sherlock</b></a> site</li> <li><b><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/07/books/suit-says-sherlock-belongs-to-the-ages.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&"><span id="goog_374484452"></span>The New York Times takes note of the lawsuit</a></b><a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2013/03/07/books/suit-says-sherlock-belongs-to-the-ages.html?pagewanted=all&_r=1&"><span id="goog_374484453"></span></a></li> <li><b><a href="http://www.mhpbooks.com/lawyer-set-to-challenge-the-sherlock-holmes-estate/">Sherlock Holmes Estate challenged with 'copyfraud'</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="http://bakerstreetbabes.tumblr.com/post/41481263409/the-elite-devotee-or-how-the-sherlock-fandom-is-a">The Baker Street Babes take umbrage with being dismissed by Philip Shreffler</a></b></li> <li><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/sherlockians.html"><b>The BSI's statement: A World of Sherlockians</b></a></li> </ul> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0fp05fG5RnCak4rnxPs_n2AhQBPANQR_JzWNrRwT9mM-gZHY81mbmyYRcgtSusTElbB5YDFeSMWrfDUz9AXR6t9UQVjvHu9Q8kqlSlUYdJNxX0f1xcWrRF-D_6OjnH5DzUYZVbkf_AOW/s1600/SRL_1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="282" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhG0fp05fG5RnCak4rnxPs_n2AhQBPANQR_JzWNrRwT9mM-gZHY81mbmyYRcgtSusTElbB5YDFeSMWrfDUz9AXR6t9UQVjvHu9Q8kqlSlUYdJNxX0f1xcWrRF-D_6OjnH5DzUYZVbkf_AOW/s400/SRL_1.jpg" width="400" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <span class="Apple-style-span" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock051.mp3"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg7TL5jgdrUh_nM_zlDgxql-jKOFGUVFqhoV6A2JtYklXOu4qmVDyRVbwGV6XrwXZgnG9awSwJ7td-txL1_4KGrpSf4igJLILOim4yJmX5pGTPIdMhCBYLyImSI5gs1MOMUZPAlpAgvtPdb/s1600/podcastIcon.gif" /></a></span></div> <div style="margin: 0px;">  Download this episode by right-clicking the icon and selecting "Save As..." or simply click on the file to listen, or on the nice box below. (File size: 50.71 MB, 55:13)</div> <div style="margin: 0px;"> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/134354500&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe><br /></div> <br /> You do <a href="http://bit.ly/ihearofsherlock"><b>subscribe to us on iTunes</b></a>, don't you?<br /> <br /></div> Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email, call us at (774) 221-READ (7323). Connect with us on <b><a href="https://plus.google.com/communities/114565123495685504221">The Sherlock Holmes Community</a></b> on Google+, <b><a href="http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock">Facebook</a></b>, <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock"><b>Twitter</b></a> and <a href="http://ihearofsherlock.tumblr.com/"><b>Tumblr</b></a>.<br /> <br /> And above all, please let our sponsors know that you heard us mumble their hallowed names on the show: <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/"><b>Wessex Press</b></a> and <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/" style="font-style: italic;"><b>The Baker Street Journal</b></a>.<br /> <br /> --<br /> <br />

Episode 51: Who Is a Sherlockian?

We thought we'd stir up the discussions a bit and try to get to the bottom of a couple of controversies that have been roiling th...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Using Vincent Starrett's "221B" in a Time of Crisis

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "upon these tragic events" [HOUN]</h4> <br /> All eyes have been on Boston in the last 36 hours. As with others, we extend our heartfelt sympathy for the victims, their families and loved ones. As we spent 20 years in Boston, it is particularly gut wrenching to observe the goings on from afar, powerless to do anything to help.<br /> <br /> Because we specialize in the written word, we thought that it might be helpful to reflect on a world that Vincent Starrett remembered and lived in some 70 years ago when he penned the sonnet "221B" that appeared in <i><b><a href="https://amzn.to/2usynIO" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Profile by Gaslight</a></b></i>. That sentiment is very much still in play in 2013 as we contemplate a world that explodes.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a><br /> <br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknFsEX4EfL1jGMCJ_b_AWn7-3Yf-LZTa1n9fzXCSl1E8nyprSD6mZlFfChfe3plcPXDTH5UxkwDIK2UpBzFvynNpPcFZxfCp_tSNq7nNMEtHhmzQDN2Axd_9IDReuSLv5vQ-5dKQLiI8-/s1600/221B+-+Starrett001.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjknFsEX4EfL1jGMCJ_b_AWn7-3Yf-LZTa1n9fzXCSl1E8nyprSD6mZlFfChfe3plcPXDTH5UxkwDIK2UpBzFvynNpPcFZxfCp_tSNq7nNMEtHhmzQDN2Axd_9IDReuSLv5vQ-5dKQLiI8-/s640/221B+-+Starrett001.jpg" width="580" /></a></div> <br /> <br /> Yes, we're fortunate to share an interest that keeps us grounded in what seemed like a more genteel and serene age. But the work of our Sherlockian forbears reminds us that every generation has its challenges - challenges that afford us the escapism that good storytelling can provide.<br /> <br /> May we remember that well.<br /> <br /> --<br /> <br />

Using Vincent Starrett's "221B" in a Time of Crisis

"upon these tragic events" [HOUN] All eyes have been on Boston in the last 36 hours. As with others, we extend our heartfelt sy...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Maria Konnikova's Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> "acquired by long and patient study" [STUD]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhne_SCpeFlW18GAajh2pf4-_b6pan2GWMWdYQ82INMmv2JHeXwJV6vp9x0s4m_Cxx-IqyBjl5FjENkO_SOd0MCtw3_ayr12c5xVuDdqYwG7_SZxbi7yeR9QEAATNkp_YDj2a9zb1qKCJcQ/s1600/mastermind_cover.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhne_SCpeFlW18GAajh2pf4-_b6pan2GWMWdYQ82INMmv2JHeXwJV6vp9x0s4m_Cxx-IqyBjl5FjENkO_SOd0MCtw3_ayr12c5xVuDdqYwG7_SZxbi7yeR9QEAATNkp_YDj2a9zb1qKCJcQ/s1600/mastermind_cover.jpg" /></a></div> <br /> Examining the "Science of Deduction and Analysis" is a singular activity - many Holmesian scholars have managed to find interesting nuances when focusing on the Great Detective's skills. With the plethora of Holmes-related media in recent years, it would seem that reconciling Holmes' unique talents to modern-day psychology might be a bit daunting.<br /> <br /> Thankfully, we now have Maria Konnikova's <b><a href="https://amzn.to/2GiE2Uy" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"><i>Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes</i></a></b> (available on Amazon) a fascinating book that not only marries Victorian detection to current-day thought, but manages to provide an illuminating, insightful work for both Sherlockians and casual fans alike. <b><i>Mastermind</i></b> focuses on how much of what we understand about learning, decision-making, and deductive ability can be derived from Holmesian thought (as expressed in the canon).<br /> <br /> Each discussion has an underpinning in the canon, from how "facts" can influence our first impressions (see Mary Morstan) to the proper care and maintenance of the "brain attic", <i><b>Mastermind</b> </i>takes much of its lead from key stories in the canon. (In fact, towards the end <i><b>Mastermind</b> </i>cleverly demonstrates how Holmes' cognitive abilities have developed over time, citing both early and later Conan Doyle stories).<br /> <br /> <script type="text/javascript"> amzn_assoc_tracking_id = "scottmonty-20"; amzn_assoc_ad_mode = "manual"; amzn_assoc_ad_type = "smart"; amzn_assoc_marketplace = "amazon"; amzn_assoc_region = "US"; amzn_assoc_design = "enhanced_links"; amzn_assoc_asins = "B00KXCWWDI"; amzn_assoc_placement = "adunit"; amzn_assoc_linkid = "fe5c90232373ba4dc37c79c26596c01d"; </script><br /> <script src="//z-na.amazon-adsystem.com/widgets/onejs?MarketPlace=US"></script><br /> <br /> For both Sherlockians and the casual reader, <i><b>Mastermind</b> </i>is relatively easy to comprehend, avoiding complicated language for an extremely simple approach. The final chapter - which outlines <i>precisely</i> how to attain Holmesian skills in deduction - is well worth the cost of the book. But it's the chapters leading up to it, mixing familiar (and some unusual) references to the canon, that provide the bulk of <i><b>Mastermind's</b> </i>value, placing Holmes' abilities in the realm of possibility.<br /> <br /> <i><b>Mastermind</b> </i>may not necessarily lead you to consider a career in being a consulting detective....but provides one of the best pieces of both Sherlockian and psychological scholarship. This is a must-read for the serious Holmes scholar. <br /> <br /> You can hear our interview with Maria on <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose54" target="_blank">Episode 54: How to Think Like Sherlock</a>:<br /> <br /> <iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/134354965&color=ff5500" width="100%"></iframe><br /> <br /> <i>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><br /> <br /> --<br /> <br /></div>

Maria Konnikova's Mastermind: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes

"acquired by long and patient study" [STUD] Examining the "Science of Deduction and Analysis" is a singular activi...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Sherlockian Lawyer Takes on Conan Doyle Estate

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <h4 style="text-align: center;"> <b>"Don't imagine that you can bully me" [CHAS]</b></h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVkxyLb54GSObrSUl9CiKCzwa1lJ5pDmr1BF-V6x0amv-YIJevs0ANBLfF6kYB-6T0JNiE1gGH70SLxS69waumjXZrZ_GxR6UWtp4ZDoLbokhbx8hE6xsAFKqWKH2tp5qnfV2eCKZqMZo/s1600/NAVA+surprise.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="811" data-original-width="1280" height="404" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEVkxyLb54GSObrSUl9CiKCzwa1lJ5pDmr1BF-V6x0amv-YIJevs0ANBLfF6kYB-6T0JNiE1gGH70SLxS69waumjXZrZ_GxR6UWtp4ZDoLbokhbx8hE6xsAFKqWKH2tp5qnfV2eCKZqMZo/s640/NAVA+surprise.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <br /> It isn't often one gets a ringside seat at a legal-literary battle royal, but it would seem that we're about to bear witness to some activity in that particular area.<br /> <br /> Of course, you'll recall that recent legal battles in England have revolved around Undershaw, Conan Doyle's home for about a decade that included when he wrote <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i>. We've covered that topic extensively here - <b><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/09/signature-is-typewritten-iden_11.html">click for more background on that topic</a></b>.<br /> <br /> But this is wholly different.<br /> <br /> The noted Sherlockian scholar, Baker Street Irregular and prominent attorney <b><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2011/03/episode-31-chat-with-les-klinger.html">Leslie Klinger</a></b>, editor of <b><i><a href="https://amzn.to/2tlhWNU" target="_blank">The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes</a></i></b>, <b><i><a href="http://wessexpress.com/html/shrl.html">The Sherlock Holmes Reference Library</a></i></b> and <b><i><a href="https://bakerstreetirregulars.com/?s=grand+game">The Grand Game: A Celebration of Sherlockian Scholarship</a></i></b>, to name a few, has filed a civil lawsuit against the <a href="http://www.conandoyleestate.co.uk/">Conan Doyle Estate</a> to determine that the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are in fact in the public domain.<br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=6321981775136876837" name="more"></a>Currently, the so-called estate undertakes high-handed legal action to levy royalties and other payments from authors who use the characters in their own works. This is despite the fact that there are only 10 stories in the entire Canon that are still under copyright protection (in the United States). Klinger, for one, will not stand for this bullying, and has formally filed suit and issued a press release.<br /> <br /> We'll allow you to read directly from the press release:<br /> <br /> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> A civil action was filed today in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Illinois against the Arthur Conan Doyle Estate by Sherlock Holmes scholar Leslie S. Klinger. Klinger seeks to have the Court determine that the characters of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John H. Watson are no longer protected by federal copyright laws and that writers, filmmakers, and others are free to create new stories about Holmes, Watson, and others of their circle without paying license fees to the current owners of the remaining copyrights. </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> Klinger says that the litigation came about because he and Laurie R. King, best-selling author of the "Mary Russell" series of mysteries that also feature Sherlock Holmes, were co-editing a new book called "In the Company of Sherlock Holmes." This collection of stories by major mystery/sci-fi/fantasy authors inspired by the Holmes tales, is to be published by Pegasus Books. "The Conan Doyle Estate contacted our publisher," says Klinger, "and implied that if the Estate wasn't paid a license fee, they'd convince the major distributors not to sell the book. Our publisher was, understandably, concerned, and told us that the book couldn't come out unless this was resolved. </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> “It is true that some of Conan Doyle's stories about Holmes are still protected by the U.S. copyright laws. However, the vast majority of the stories that Conan Doyle wrote are not. The characters of Holmes, Watson, and others are fully established in those fifty 'public-domain' stories. Under U.S. law, this should mean that anyone is free to create new stories about Holmes and Watson. </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> "This isn't the first time the Estate has put pressure on creators," Klinger adds. "It is the first time anyone has stood up to them. In the past, many simply couldn't afford to fight or to wait for approval, and have given in and paid off the Estate for 'permission.' I'm asking the Court to put a permanent stop to this kind of bullying. Holmes and Watson belong to the world, not to some distant relatives of Arthur Conan Doyle." </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> Klinger denies that he was trying to strip the Estate of its proper rights. "The Estate still owns copyrights in the U.S. on 10 of the stories about Holmes—some of the stories that appeared in The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes. As a lawyer myself, I respect those rights, and in fact I licensed them when I published my New Annotated Sherlock Holmes." </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> All of the remaining 10 stories will be in the public domain after 2022, 95 years after the last was published. </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> Klinger is represented by Scott M. Gilbert of Hinshaw & Culbertson LLC in Chicago, who serves as litigation counsel, and Jonathan Kirsch in Los Angeles, an intellectual property attorney specializing in publishing issues. </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> “Les Klinger is the ideal plaintiff to undertake this praiseworthy effort to confirm the public-domain status of the iconic characters and settings of the Sherlock Holmes Canon and remove the cloud of fear, uncertainty and doubt that the Estate has used to scare off others,” says Kirsch. “As a world-renowned expert and an acclaimed author, he is willing to champion a cause that others have been too timid to undertake. Authors, movie-makers and other creative people owe him a debt of gratitude.” </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> Klinger and Laurie R. King previously edited <b><i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B004LROX9C/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=B004LROX9C&linkCode=as2&tag=thebakerstree-20">A Study in Sherlock: Stories Inspired by the Sherlock Holmes Canon</a></i></b> (Random House, 2011), a collection of new stories written by Lee Child, Neil Gaiman, Margaret Maron, and other contemporary writers. Their second collection, In the Company of Sherlock Holmes, will feature new stories by Sara Paretsky, Michael Connelly, Lev Grossman, Larry Niven, Val McDermid, Denise Mina, Cornelia Funke, Jeffery Deaver, and other major writers. Some of the stories are new adventures of Holmes and Watson; others are about people inspired or influenced by the Holmes stories of Conan Doyle. </blockquote> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> For more information, see the web site <b><a href="http://free-sherlock.com/">Free-Sherlock.com</a></b> or write to Mr. Klinger at <a href="mailto:mail@lesliesklinger.com">mail@lesliesklinger.com</a>.</blockquote> <br /> The formal legal documents can be found here:<br /> <div style="display: block; font-variant-east-asian: normal; font-variant-numeric: normal; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px;"> <div style="display: block; font-family: "helvetica" , "arial" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; font: 14px helvetica, arial, sans-serif; line-height: normal; margin: 12px auto 6px;"> <a href="https://www.scribd.com/document/125645482/KLINGER-vs-CONAN-DOYLE-ESTATE-LTD#from_embed" style="text-decoration: underline;" title="View KLINGER vs. CONAN DOYLE ESTATE LTD on Scribd">KLINGER vs. CONAN DOYLE ESTATE</a> </div> <span style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 14px;"><iframe class="scribd_iframe_embed" data-aspect-ratio="0.7729220222793488" data-auto-height="true" frameborder="0" height="600" scrolling="no" src="https://www.scribd.com/embeds/125645482/content?start_page=1&view_mode=scroll&show_recommendations=true&access_key=key-lj95nyueopanaxxrgja" title="KLINGER vs. CONAN DOYLE ESTATE LTD" width="100%"></iframe></span></span><br /> <br />We're happy to let the legal system sort out all of the specifics, and we appreciate Mr. Klinger's measured approach - note that he still respects the copyright of the works that are under such protection. But at 125 years as part of the public consciousness, it doesn't seem reasonable to expect that the characters should be under the same level of protection.<br /> <br /> Michael Buffer, the famous ringside announcer, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Buffer#Trademark">trademarked the phrase "Let's get ready to rumble!"</a> In doing so, he managed to net <a href="http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/Weekend/lets-ready-rumble-meet-man-catchphrase/story?id=9022704">over $400 million by licensing the phrase</a>. But as Holmes has been with us for a century and a quarter and the famous profile, pipe, hat and even utterances of "No sh*t, Sherlock" are part of our public consciousness, should those things also be subject to the heavy hand of the so-called estate?<br /> <br /> We prefer to think not. We wish Mr. Klinger the best in his endeavors. What's your take?<br /> <br /> Feel free to join the discussion below or via the <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23FreeSherlock&src=hash">#FreeSherlock</a> hashtag on Twitter.<br /> <br /><br /></div> </div>

Sherlockian Lawyer Takes on Conan Doyle Estate

"Don't imagine that you can bully me" [CHAS] It isn't often one gets a ringside seat at a legal-literary battle roya...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Remembering Dr. James E. Smith II

<h4 style="text-align: center;"> "winner of the Jackson Prize" [HOUN]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqjd1JWe8uq5IasMVK7RudY2LmBEU16lNdSUE0RVDaFPYTlcOnlx432hn8LODBWIZgp36RfXAaDzIl0rp6WEzIJNr81pDSB1LO1loHZy9PXgBYb0IbeqGWZpOtRTFlqnfP9p4xHnEXbw/s1600/4181737203_6c651b0dd8_m.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgCqjd1JWe8uq5IasMVK7RudY2LmBEU16lNdSUE0RVDaFPYTlcOnlx432hn8LODBWIZgp36RfXAaDzIl0rp6WEzIJNr81pDSB1LO1loHZy9PXgBYb0IbeqGWZpOtRTFlqnfP9p4xHnEXbw/s400/4181737203_6c651b0dd8_m.jpg" width="291" /></a></div> <br /> Dr. James E. Smith, II, BSI ("Winner of the Jackson Prize") died in Maine on December 24, 2012 at the age of 90.<br /> <br /> He served in the Army during WWII and was honorably discharged as a Corporal on December 24, 1946, exactly 66 years before his death. Dr. Smith was a psychiatrist for the Baltimore County court system and after his retirement, moved to Port St. Lucie, Florida.<br /> <br /> He enjoyed classical music, opera, the Baltimore Orioles, crossword puzzles, and singing in his church choir. When his children were young he listened to the Saturday afternoon Metropolitan Opera broadcasts with the volume turned way up -- inspiring one of his children to a lifelong appreciation of music, and driving the other out of the room.<br /> <br /> Jim was Napoleon 178 in The Six Napoleons of Baltimore and gave several solidly researched talks at their annual Saturday with Sherlock Holmes at the Pratt Library. He was also a member of Watson's Tin Box for many years.<br /> <br /> At his memorial service his daughter read several passages from the Canon, saying that her father loved the world of Sherlock Holmes. On display at the service was a Six Napoleons of Baltimore tee shirt.<br /> <br /> Jim Smith was invested into The Baker Street Irregulars in 1998 as "Winner of the Jackson Prize."<br /> <br /> <br /> --

Remembering Dr. James E. Smith II

"winner of the Jackson Prize" [HOUN] Dr. James E. Smith, II, BSI ("Winner of the Jackson Prize") died in Maine on D...

+ Read more »

by Francine Kitts

Remembering Robert Burr, BSI

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <b>"His friend the lascar" [TWIS]</b></h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuoGZtutekF0cURHLI-4xuv9bXAPzpaLLJaR2E3o2WGwUBFKqEwzs0pGw7EFH768XVYMJZOfsVuwYPo1G6KZvCm5rUmCK7OA4kjjLNBN-goSgg-gwibPaZtvN_r3a5SspW88DQ3raLTAV/s1600/Bob+Burr.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjmuoGZtutekF0cURHLI-4xuv9bXAPzpaLLJaR2E3o2WGwUBFKqEwzs0pGw7EFH768XVYMJZOfsVuwYPo1G6KZvCm5rUmCK7OA4kjjLNBN-goSgg-gwibPaZtvN_r3a5SspW88DQ3raLTAV/s320/Bob+Burr.jpg" width="244" /></a></div> <i><br /></i> <i>Editor's note</i>: Brad Keefauver, BSI ("Winwood Reade") wrote this remembrance of his good friend Robert Burr, who passed beyond the Reichenbach on January 9, 2013.<br /> <br /> <br /> <div style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt;"> On May 28, 1992, Bob Burr got a phone call from Tom Stix, the head of the Baker Street Irregulars at that time. Tom offered Bob the editorial reins of <span style="font-style: italic;"><b><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/">The Baker Street Journal</a></b>. </span>After talking to Philip Shreffler, who was ending his seven year run as the journal's editor, Bob decided a few days later, not to take the job.</div> <br /> <div style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt;"> To many of those who encountered Robert C. Burr, BSI ("The Rascally Lascar"), in various internet venues, the thought of Bob Burr being in at the helm of America's greatest Sherlockian publishing legacy has to seem a little insane at best. His persistence in horrible jokes, non-politically correct comments, and terse, often sharp reactions annoyed more than a few, and got him kicked off of the <a href="http://www.sherlockian.net/hounds/"><b>Hounds of the Internet</b></a> more often than any other. But the internet Burr of later years was only one part of that complex fellow who was also a great host, a steadfast scion leader, and a careful perfectionist when it came to the written word.  He died on January 9, 2013, in Peoria, Illinois, at age 82.</div> <br /> <div style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt;"> The simple facts on Bob are these, as he wrote them up for <a href="http://www.legacy.com/obituaries/pjstar/obituary.aspx?pid=162279095"><b>his obituary</b></a> himself:</div> <blockquote class="tr_bq"> He was born June 21, 1930 in Paterson, NJ. to Howard E. and Helen (Matthews) Burr. He married JoAnn Taggart in Ames, IA, on July 1, 1953. They divorced in 1963. There were no children of the marriage. His life from 1964 to 2004 was deeply enriched by his Significant Other, Lucy Sommerfield, until her death in 2004.<br /> <br /> Bob received his B.S. degree in chemistry from Rutgers University in 1952, and his M.S. in chemistry from Iowa State University in 1955. He was an instructor in chemistry at Bradley University from 1955-1961, and a chemist at Peoria's USDA Lab from 1962-1988.<br /> <br /> His two abiding interests were barbershop style singing, and the world's greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes.</blockquote> <br /> <div style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt;"> As always, Bob left out a lot. In the 1960s, he was the local chairman of NICAP (the National Investigations Committee on Aerial Phenomena), looking into UFO sightings. In 1977, after waiting almost two years for local science fiction author (and Bob's neighbor) Philip Jose Farmer to start a promised scion society, Bob called the first meeting of Peoria's <b><a href="http://www.sherlockpeoria.net/Hansom_pages/Hansomsmain.html">Hansoms of John Clayton</a></b> and held it at his home. He published the society's lively monthly newsletter, <span style="font-style: italic;">Plugs & Dottles,</span> from 1978 to 1998. Beginning in 1981, the club's triennial journal, <span style="font-style: italic;">Wheelwrightings,</span> was was of the few scion journals to be typeset in the days before desktop publishing, a luxury that Bob quietly paid out of his own pocket. He took over that journal's editorship in 1983 and held those reins until its final issue in January 1992. When offered the BSJ editorship a few months later, he was not ready to end his editorial retirement for that even greater responsibility, which his sense of perfectionism would have made him work doubly hard on. In 2011, a collection of pun-filled tales he had printed over the years was published, in book form with the help of Philip K. Jones, under the title <span style="font-style: italic;"><b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/178092044X/ref=as_li_ss_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=178092044X&linkCode=as2&tag=thebakerstree-20">The Punishment of Sherlock Holmes</a></b>.</span></div> <br /> <div style="margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 0pt; text-indent: 0pt;"> Bob Burr was invested in the Baker Street Irregulars in 1987, having never attended an official BSI dinner nor attending any after that, except for the appearance of a life-sized photo of him (lovingly nicknamed "Robbie") in the photo of the 1989 dinner. An attempt to collect for that attendance was made by Tom Stix, as well as chastising him for wearing a flannel shirt to such a formal affair. Even though he did make it to a few midwestern Sherlockian conferences of note, Bob was well known for not leaving Peoria, Illinois. He still managed to touch a lot of lives.</div> <br /> <br /> Feel free to leave your own memory of Bob here.<br /> <br /> --</div>

Remembering Robert Burr, BSI

"His friend the lascar" [TWIS] Editor's note : Brad Keefauver, BSI ("Winwood Reade") wrote this remembrance of...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Episode 50: A Golden Passage

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKOmSzo7rZEbAr5qK1D0Ld_OeBFylRH1mTNxqddxeVMhQoRXWgq-IX84OEuWrdX8jq2re40pRaL6oX626_1CmHI179jpyxSqzZzjG0Qa05vllytU_La2KCi-ku4cI2AdSKULKfgSrMC1d/s1600/Wrong+Passage-sq.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzKOmSzo7rZEbAr5qK1D0Ld_OeBFylRH1mTNxqddxeVMhQoRXWgq-IX84OEuWrdX8jq2re40pRaL6oX626_1CmHI179jpyxSqzZzjG0Qa05vllytU_La2KCi-ku4cI2AdSKULKfgSrMC1d/s640/Wrong+Passage-sq.jpg" width="638" /></a></div> <br /> <div style="text-align: center;"> <iframe allowfullscreen="" height="90" mozallowfullscreen="" msallowfullscreen="" oallowfullscreen="" scrolling="no" src="//html5-player.libsyn.com/embed/episode/id/2191945/height/90/width/600/theme/custom/autoplay/yes/autonext/no/thumbnail/yes/preload/no/no_addthis/no/direction/backward/no-cache/true/render-playlist/no/custom-color/8d3d3c/" style="border: none;" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="600"></iframe></div> </div> <br /> <br /> Our 50th episode is a fitting one. As you know, a 50th anniversary is typically celebrated with gold. Because we appreciate our listeners so much, we would settle for nothing less than the same.<br /> <br /> But our gold comes in the form of a scintillating conversation with the two editors of the Baker Street Irregulars' eighth entry in their <b><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/bsimanuscriptseries.html">Manuscript Series</a></b>, <b><i><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/wrongpassage.html">The Wrong Passage</a></i></b>, which is a look at the manuscript of "The Adventure of the Golden Pince-Nez." Co-editors Andrew Solberg, BSI ("Professor Coram") and Robert Katz, MD, BSI ("Dr. Ainstree") joined us to discuss just what it is that goes into creating a significant piece of scholarship such as we've come to expect from BSI publications of late.<br /> <br /> From the history of the manuscript itself, to artifacts from Paul Churchill's famed "evidence boxes," to an in-depth look at the historical background alluded to in the tale, the breadth of topics within the book is impressive. Also included are a number of other analyses on topics ranging from the historical and geographical to the linguistic, religious and medical, by noted Sherlockians Peggy Perdue, BSI ("Violet Westbury"), Denny Dobry, Donald Pollock, MD, <strike>BSI ("<i>The Anthropological Journal</i>")</strike> former member of the BSI, Albert Silverstein, BSI ("Professor Presbury"), C. Paul Martin, MD, BSI ("Dr. Leslie Armstrong"), Jacquelynn Morris, Richard J. Sveum, MD, BSI ("Dr. Hill Barton"), John Baesch, BSI ("The State and Merton County Railroad"), and William Hyder, BSI ("A Most Valuable Institution").<br /> <br /> Our discussions range as far and wide as the book itself, and we also cover just a bit of the BSI Weekend festivities from 2013. But more on that in a future episode. This one clocked in at over an hour and 20 minutes, but we think you'll enjoy the conviviality between four Sherlockians as you spend a long evening with Holmes.<br /> <br /> <br /> <b>The Editor's Gas-Lamp:</b> We thought it was fitting to focus on 50th anniversaries, so we took a page from the 50th anniversary year of the<i> Baker Street Journal</i> and read the Editor's Gas-Lamp of Vol. 46, No. 4 from December 1996, with Donald ("I'm not a member of the BSI") Pollock as editor.<br /> <br /> <h4> <b>Links:</b></h4> <div> <ul style="text-align: left;"> <li><b><i><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/wrongpassage.html">The Wrong Passage</a></i></b>, available for sale for $35 </li> <li>T<b><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/bsimanuscriptseries.html">he BSI Manuscript Series</a></b></li> <li>Randall Stock's <b><a href="http://bestofsherlock.com/">The Best of Sherlock Holmes</a></b></li> <li><b><a href="https://plus.google.com/communities/114565123495685504221">The Sherlock Holmes Community</a></b> on Google+</li> <li><b><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/ebooks/ebsj.html">The eBSJ</a></b>, now available for purchase</li> </ul> </div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> <h4> <b><br /> </b></h4> <h4> <b>Listen now:</b></h4> </div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <iframe frameborder="no" height="166" scrolling="no" src="https://w.soundcloud.com/player/?url=https%3A//api.soundcloud.com/tracks/134354333&color=ff5500&auto_play=false&hide_related=false&show_comments=true&show_user=true&show_reposts=false" width="100%"></iframe><br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> <br /> <a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock050.mp3" target="_blank">Download this episode</a> by right-clicking the link and selecting "Save As..." or simply click on the file to listen, or on the nice box above. (File size: 46.28 MB, 1:20:54)</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> <br /> You do <a href="http://bit.ly/ihearofsherlock"><b>subscribe to us on iTunes</b></a>, don't you?<br /> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email, call us at (774) 221-READ (7323) or drop by our <a href="http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock">Facebook page</a>. You can also find us on <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock">Twitter</a>, <a href="http://ihearofsherlock.tumblr.com/">Tumblr </a>and <a href="http://instragram.com/ihearofsherlock">Instagram</a>. Be sure to visit the <b><a href="https://plus.google.com/b/102751774942398418729/communities/114565123495685504221">Sherlock Holmes Community</a></b> on Google+.</div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> <br /></div> <div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"> And as always, please give some love to our sponsors <a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/"><b>Wessex Press</b></a> and <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/" style="font-style: italic;"><b>The Baker Street Journal</b></a>.<br /> <br /> --<br /> <br /> <i><b>Editor's note:</b> this entry has been updated to reflect Donald Pollock's non-association with the BSI. </i><br /> <i><br /> </i></div>

Episode 50: A Golden Passage

Our 50th episode is a fitting one. As you know, a 50th anniversary is typically celebrated with gold. Because we appreciate our...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Celebrating Sherlock Holmes's 159th Birthday

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> "the celebrated Mr. Sherlock Holmes" [SCAN]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8cxRt9gXoKoK1Ex6j6RJcsigu8JnKFPnHuePp0XvA6Hys0ENTgrLJ26mm6HN7oBDgbGB1cxB_fgRoi3xmtGLSsLCHyvKWYesIFMmogk7C6qf8xcdfMfBc9Z72SWLde0YLQZc4FUKqZ2n/s1600/159.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="714" data-original-width="954" height="478" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjI8cxRt9gXoKoK1Ex6j6RJcsigu8JnKFPnHuePp0XvA6Hys0ENTgrLJ26mm6HN7oBDgbGB1cxB_fgRoi3xmtGLSsLCHyvKWYesIFMmogk7C6qf8xcdfMfBc9Z72SWLde0YLQZc4FUKqZ2n/s640/159.jpg" width="640" /></a></div> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> </div> <br /> What do you get for the man who's 159 years old?<br /> <br /> At first blush, one might be tempted to say, "Oxygen!" or "A defibrillator!"<br /> <br /> But in our case, the man is none other than the celebrated Mr. Sherlock Holmes, who was born on January 6, 1854. And while his existence has been known to us for 125 years thanks to his first appearance in <i>A Study in Scarlet</i> in <i>Beeton's Christmas Annual</i> of 1887, we trace his birth to the year 1854 and the date of January 6 and the Baker Street Irregulars celebrate it on <b><a href="http://bsiweekend.com/">or around that date every year in New York City</a>.</b><br /> <br /> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a>But why January 6? Tradition has indicated that it is due to these factors:<br /> <ul style="text-align: left;"> <li>In "His Last Bow," Holmes, in the guise of Altamont, was called "A tall gaunt man of sixty," and we know that story took place in 1914.</li> <li>Over the course of his recorded adventures, Holmes quoted Shakespeare on and off, but it was only <i>Twelfth Night</i> that he quoted twice. The inference? That he preferred that play over the others for some reason - namely, that the twelfth night of Christmas was his birthday. [<b><i>BONUS: can you name the two quotes and the stories in which they appeared?</i></b>]</li> </ul> <br /> <br /> Of course, we recall heartily the words of Vincent Starrett, BSI ("<i>A Study in Scarlet</i>") in his poem "221B" that Holmes and Watson "<i>never lived, and so can never die</i>." While that may be the case, they still live on in our hearts, as "only those things the heart believes are true."<br /> <i></i><br /> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwHL7hHb0bef7tEtqPVaQK5N87rZkG7xhs7GeIL8arAn5FCcru6-Fnkp-WOSIPMr9JiGvkcmkWs7_EFSbH9RwIzjRcXVVWXUZw-JF8Ria12IkLtD0bxmZeEpC_DC8fyj-vNZTu6LHWxxL/s1600/birthday_cake.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBwHL7hHb0bef7tEtqPVaQK5N87rZkG7xhs7GeIL8arAn5FCcru6-Fnkp-WOSIPMr9JiGvkcmkWs7_EFSbH9RwIzjRcXVVWXUZw-JF8Ria12IkLtD0bxmZeEpC_DC8fyj-vNZTu6LHWxxL/s1600/birthday_cake.jpg" /></a></div> <br /> Happy Birthday, Sherlock Holmes. Many happy returns.<br /> <br /> Oh, and if you're looking to follow along for the BSI Weekend action, please be sure to set your searches to the <b><a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23BSIWeekend">#BSIWeekend</a></b> hashtag.<br /> <br /> <i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Top image credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/36101699310@N01/71810156/">diamond geezer</a> (Flickr)</span></i><br /> --<br /> <br /></div>

Celebrating Sherlock Holmes's 159th Birthday

"the celebrated Mr. Sherlock Holmes" [SCAN] What do you get for the man who's 159 years old? At first blush, one mig...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Get the Baker Street Journal on DVD

<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on"> <h4 style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> "the gleam of the electric switch" [CHAS]</h4> <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-Ns0j0rweEtoMckrlZh0XAn946r4qPB72EfFP87nrfoDEHS1JfB3BE9cAzhKHhVOI2xuhhmKR25ShpXwYteRD_6vUHIu4U2E7m7Df9T7UhybMr0SSSsZQi6zNpdaBhB6EbouNm5YrBUd/s1600/eBSJ-cover150.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhM-Ns0j0rweEtoMckrlZh0XAn946r4qPB72EfFP87nrfoDEHS1JfB3BE9cAzhKHhVOI2xuhhmKR25ShpXwYteRD_6vUHIu4U2E7m7Df9T7UhybMr0SSSsZQi6zNpdaBhB6EbouNm5YrBUd/s640/eBSJ-cover150.jpg" width="484" /></a></div> <br /> Over a decade ago, <i>The Baker Street Journal</i> did the unthinkable: it entered into the electronic age. That is to say, it released a CD-ROM containing every issue from 1946-2000, <b><a href="https://bakerstreetirregulars.com/the-baker-street-journal/" target="_blank">debuted its web site</a></b> (originally at bakerstreetjournal.com) and introduced an online ordering system.<br /> <div> <br /></div> <div> And while the <a href="http://bakerstreetirregulars.com/" target="_blank">Baker Street Irregulars</a> are not yet offering an electronic subscription option to the BSJ (we believe it to be inevitable, considering what's been happening in the news and book industry over the course of the last, oh decade or so, but we certainly don't expect it in the near term), the <i>Journal </i>has come a long way in its recent history. From updating the style of the wrappers to including a different cover image on each new issue, the physical version is much more pleasing to the eyes and hands.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> And the Journal, which has for years offered advertising space within its own pages, has begun sponsoring other outlets worthy of association, such as <b><a href="http://ihearofsherlock.com/">I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</a></b> and <a href="http://sherlockholmespodcast.com/" target="_blank"><b>Trifles</b></a> podcasts. We trust that those affiliations have garnered the attention of a new swath of fans who have discovered Sherlock Holmes in a variety of manners.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> For those interested in understanding what happens between the yellow covers can get a sample by clicking on the <b><a href="https://bakerstreetirregulars.com/tag/bsj/" target="_blank">Latest News and Issues</a></b> section of the site.</div> <div> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/null" name="more"></a><br /></div> <div> In addition, there are <b><a href="https://bakerstreetirregulars.com/tag/sample/" target="_blank">Sample Articles</a></b> that provide a decent round-up of recent writings about the Sherlock Holmes stories, and of course some of the past winners of <b><a href="https://bakerstreetirregulars.com/2001/05/01/morley-montgomery-award/">the Morley-Montgomery Award</a></b> (for the best article in the BSJ each year) are available as well. And for a fuller understanding of some of the scholarship that made it into those pages over the course of the first 50 years, there are <b><a href="https://bakerstreetirregulars.com/bsj-index/">free electronic indexes available</a></b> (thanks to the hard work of the late <a href="https://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/11/remembering-donald-redmond-bsi-2s.html#.XinNqMhKjb0">Donald Redmond, BSI</a>).<br /> <br /></div> <div> </div> <h2 style="text-align: left;"> The BSJ 2.0</h2> <div> Of course, the world moves ahead and the BSJ continued to publish in the decade since the CD-ROM first was made available. So the Irregulars have decided to update the first volume, expand it to include more of the current information and update the format.</div> <div> <br /></div> <div> <b><a href="https://bakerstreetirregulars.com/2013/01/06/ebsj-v2/">The eBSJ v2</a></b> provides a PDF archive of all BSJ issues from 1946-2011, including all the Christmas Annuals, on <b><i>a single DVD</i></b>.  The the new eBSJ adds 55 issues from 2001-2011, plus makes other improvements to the original CD files and is priced at $99 plus shipping.</div> <div> <br /> You can download each PDF to your hard drive (or upload them to the cloud) for easy access and search, whether you're at home or on the go. It puts decades of Sherlockian research, scholarship and entertainment at your fingertips.<br /> <br /> Get your copy today.<br /> <br /></div> <div> --</div> <div> <br /></div> </div>

Get the Baker Street Journal on DVD

"the gleam of the electric switch" [CHAS] Over a decade ago, The Baker Street Journal did the unthinkable: it entered into ...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty