I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

Mr. Holmes - A First Review

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"an admirable screen" [HOUN]</h4>
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From the tweeted still images, to the multiple trailers, to countless interviews, <i><a href="http://mrholmesfilm.com/" target="_blank">Mr. Holmes</a></i> is finally here. And it was well worth the wait. The opening scene sets the tone for the entire movie: you immediately get a glimpse of the man that is Sherlock Holmes (Sir Ian McKellen) as he is in his later years. </div>
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Shortly after the opening credits the story begins to unfold in three parts. Sherlock is now retired and living in his cottage with a housekeeper and her son. As he is growing older, dementia has begun to set in. You find that he has just returned from Japan, where he traveled to find ‘prickly ash’ in belief that it would salvage what is left of his mind. The reason he wants to desperately find the plant is because while reading one of Watson’s published short stories, Holmes notices that the ending is wrong, only he can’t remember what really happened. </div>
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The story is one of regret, hope and, most of all, family. Regret over the case that ended Holmes’ career. Hope for his quest to find a cure for his aging mind. And the family he has both lost, rejected, and found along the way. </div>
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The scenes are beautifully shot, and whether on location or in a studio the transitions between spaces and even the three different storylines is flawless. There was no confusion at what point in the tale anything falls or who is involved, and while this may seem basic practice by any writer, that they have managed to keep that while filming and editing separate but interwoven tales is worth noting. </div>
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The settings are colorful and vibrant, often in contradiction with the story being told, but this brings the world to life. Every space is well dressed and fits with the characters' personalities and stations. And you can truly believe not only are they real and in these places but you are present with them.  </div>
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As for the casting, it was refreshing to see a movie staring Ian McKellen that allows, in some cases, him to act without words. One of the many things that critics admire about him is his ability to tell a story or have a conversation without even opening his mouth. Director Bill Condon has embraced this talent in many scenes but not so many that it felt overused or gimmicky; especially when Holmes is struggling against dementia or the general tiredness of a human body that is giving out. Poignant moments that would have been diminished by words are enhanced by an actor’s ability to not only act his part but feel it. </div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sir Ian McKellen at the post-screening press conference at the Soho Hotel in London</td></tr>
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Milo Parker as Roger, Holmes's protege, while still relatively unknown, is already a force of his own on the screen. His command of Roger’s youthful innocence is well balanced with the child that is having to grow up before his time. His interactions with Holmes highlight both characters growth, the boy in knowledge and the man in admitting his humanity.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Roger with Sherlock Holmes on the Sussex d=Downs</td></tr>
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Laura Linney shines as Mrs. Munro, who is both Roger’s mother and Holmes’ housekeeper. At times one can not help disfavor but love and weep for her simultaneously. Her hurt from the loss of her husband and sometimes bitterness she has towards Holmes is heartbreaking and so real that you can almost taste the tears she must have cried.</div>
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Mr. Holmes and Mrs. Munro</td></tr>
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The rest of the cast, a full list of names that you can’t help but recognize, such as Roger Allam, Frances de la Tour, and Philip Davis, comes together with an onscreen chemistry that is sometimes lacking in modern cinema. There is even a nod to fans of Holmesian film interest with Nicholas Rowe donning the deerstalker once again as our favorite Detective. </div>
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The only real complaint is that the absence of our beloved Dr. Watson is physically tangible, more than is noticeable in <i>A Slight Trick of the Mind</i> by Mitch Cullen, upon which this film is based. Maybe that is because when thinking back to the canon, Watson often left himself out of most of the details of the stories, and in the book that translates well. However, in the film, the role appears to be split between two different characters: Dr. Barrie (Roger Allam) and the young boy Roger. And while these two make a graceful attempt at the role of Watson, the writing ultimately fails at putting them in our good Doctor's shoes.</div>
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This film is a must-see for fans not only of Sherlock Holmes but of the cinema as well. And of course fans of bees, which in a Q&A with Sir Ian recently, he assured us were not harmed in the making of this film.</div>
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<i>Mr. Holmes</i> opens in the UK on 19 June and the US on July 17<sup>th</sup>.<br />
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Mr. Holmes - A First Review

"an admirable screen" [HOUN] From the tweeted still images, to the multiple trailers, to countless interviews, Mr. Holmes ...

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by LadyRedCrest

Episode 78: Legal and Leisure Ramblings

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"the incoherent ramblings of these sots" [TWIS]</h4>
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The 15th of every month brings a new episode, and our latest is chock full of Sherlockian nuggets. There's a legal case afoot, in case you haven't heard. We cover the latest broadside from the Conan Doyle Estate, Ltd. - the #FreeMrHolmes saga - and discuss the movie starring Sir Ian McKellen. We ponder Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's epitaph if written under the present clouds of the estate's business dealings.<br />
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We also take a moment to pause and reflect on the screening of the William Gillette 1916 film, our 1,000th post and the Scintillation of Scions event. It's been a busy month!<br />
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Burt takes us on an audio journey to Roslyn in the Hoboken-Free State to celebrate the 125th birthday of Christopher Morley, founder of the Baker Street Irregulars. There we hear from Morley scholar and <i>Baker Street Journal</i> editor Steven Rothman, BSI ("<i>The Valley of Fear</i>") and Terry Hunt, BSI ("The Something Hunt"), as well as two grandchildren of Morley.<br />
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Mental Exaltation</h3>
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Another installment of our successful quiz program, written by IHOSE quizmaster Nick Martorelli, is all about the legal profession in the Sherlock Holmes stories. Sandy Kozinn joined us from New Jersey to play - listen to hear how she did.</div>
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We welcome a guest reader for this episode's Gas-Lamp reading: <a href="http://www.vincentstarrett.com/" target="_blank">Ray Betzner</a>. Ray gave a touching talk at the BSI Dinner in January and an encore presentation at the Sons of the Copper Beeches in April. It is titled "A Case of Identity: Sigerson's Choice" and it is remarkable.<br />
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Finally, we conclude with some listener comments, including a very surprising duo.<br />
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<a href="http://traffic.libsyn.com/ihearofsherlock/ihearofsherlock078.mp3" target="_blank">Download</a> [Save As] | File size 43.8 MB, 1:35:25</h4>
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Links:</h3>
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<li>You may have missed <a href="http://scintillation.org/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Scintillation of Scions VIII</a>, but edition IX is coming next year.</li>
<li>We had a representative at the screening of William Gillette's 1916 silent classic Sherlock Holmes at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival last month. You can read <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/06/sherlock-holmes-in-san-francisco.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Tim Greer's impressions of the event and the film here</a>.</li>
<li>And if you'd like to see the restoration yourself, the DVD and Blu-ray are coming out in October - <a href="http://ihose.co/1916bluray" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">order it here</a>.</li>
<li>We celebrated our 1,000th post on the site: <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose1000" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ihose.co/ihose1000</a></li>
<li>The summary of <a href="http://ihose.co/freemrholmes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">the #FreeMrHolmes saga</a>.</li>
<li>Related: you might wish to educate yourself with Betsy Rosenblatt's scholarly legal treatise <a href="http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=2321343" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Adventure of the Shrinking Public Domain</a>.</li>
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Many more links, articles and images are available in our Flipboard and Scoop.it sites at <a href="http://ihose.co/flipsherlock" target="_blank">ihose.co/flipsherlock</a> and <a href="http://www.scoop.it/t/sherlock-holmes" target="_blank">ihose.co/scoopsherlock</a>, as well as on the <a href="https://plus.google.com/communities/114565123495685504221" target="_blank">The Sherlock Holmes Community</a> on Google+ (still growing, now at over 2,500 members), as well as through our accounts on <a href="http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Facebook</a>, <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Twitter</a> and <a href="http://ihearofsherlock.tumblr.com/" target="_blank">Tumblr</a>.<br />
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Please <a href="http://bit.ly/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">subscribe to us on iTunes</a>, <a href="https://soundcloud.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Soundcloud</a>, <a href="http://www.stitcher.com/podcast/i-hear-of-sherlock-everywhere?refid=stpr" target="_blank">Stitcher</a> or <a href="http://www.spreaker.com/user/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Spreaker</a> and be kind enough to leave a rating or review for the show. And please tell a friend about us, in any fashion you feel comfortable.<br />
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Your thoughts on the show? Leave a comment below, send us an email (ihearofsherlock AT gmail DOT com), call us at (774) 221-READ (7323).<br />
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Sponsors</h3>
This episode includes three sponsors that deserve your attention:<br />
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<a href="http://www.wessexpress.com/" target="_blank">Wessex Press</a> (check out the new <a href="http://wessexpress.com/html/newspaper.html" target="_blank"><i>Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle in the Newspapers Volume 1</i></a>)<br />
<a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/" target="_blank"><i>The Baker Street Journal</i></a>, where you should get <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/itemsforsale/subscriptions.html" target="_blank">your annual subscription</a> in now to secure all four issues and a very special Christmas Annual about <i>The Seven Per-Cent Solution</i>.<br />
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We welcome mystery writer Dan Andriacco. His upcoming novel Rogues Gallery is the latest in the Sebastian McCabe - Jeff Cody Series. Learn more on Dan’s blog <a href="http://danandriacco.com/" target="_blank">Baker Street Beat</a> at <a href="http://danandriacco.com/">DanAndriacco.com</a>.</div>
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We're also pleased to recognize Joseph Vega, William Simpson, Bob Byrne, Peter Lawrence, James O'Leary and Mary Miller for their generous support. If you would like to <a href="https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=hK1xNvhQD0hKUPaO-TnV5azaGpfRrj_75PdqgxehR-vhAaZ3WgAkiSXu6LC&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d96f000117187ac9edec8a65b311f447e" target="_blank">help support I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</a>, you can <a href="https://www.paypal.com/us/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_flow&SESSION=hK1xNvhQD0hKUPaO-TnV5azaGpfRrj_75PdqgxehR-vhAaZ3WgAkiSXu6LC&dispatch=5885d80a13c0db1f8e263663d3faee8d96f000117187ac9edec8a65b311f447e" target="_blank">click here</a> or on the "Donate" button in the upper portion of the site.<br />
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Episode 78: Legal and Leisure Ramblings

"the incoherent ramblings of these sots" [TWIS] The 15th of every month brings a new episode, and our latest is cho...

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by Scott Monty

Remembering Sir Christopher Lee

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"dazed at the horror of the thing" [FINA]</h4>
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Sir Christopher Lee has died at the age of 93.<br />
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Even without horror and fantasy films, Christopher Frank Carandini Lee (1922 - 2015) would still have enjoyed an illustrious career.<br />
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The son of a British army officer and an Italian contessa, Lee served in the Second World War with RAF Intelligence and the Special Operations Executive. After the war, he pursued a film career, landing a speaking role in <i>Captain Horatio Hornblower, R.N. </i>(1951), when the director wanted an actor who could fence and speak Spanish. Lee could do both.<br />
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Over the next 65 years, he would record seven solo albums and appear as a guest artist on 17 more, receive a knighthood for his charity work, and amass more than 275 film acting credits. He played the villain Scaramanga in the James Bond film <i>The Man with the Golden Gun</i>, the swashbuckling Rochefort in Richard Lester's <i>The Three Musketeers</i>, the founder of modern Pakistan in <i>Jinna</i>, and, on various occasions, Sir Henry Baskerville, and both Mycroft Holmes and Sherlock Holmes.<br />
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After appearing as Sir Henry in <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1TdJjg7" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Hound of the Baskervilles</a></i> (1959), opposite his great friend Peter Cushing, Lee first played Sherlock Holmes in <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1TdJqrW" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes and the Deadly Necklace</a></i>, an underrated international production filmed in Germany in 1962. He played a slimmed-down Mycroft Holmes in the acclaimed 1970 production of Billy Wilder's <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1QrcZHA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes</a></i>, opposite Robert Stephens, then returned as Sherlock Holmes in the early 1990s in a pair of telefilms, <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1Qre6Hh" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady</a></i> and <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1Qre8ir" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Incident at Victoria Falls</a></i>.<br />
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Despite his appearances (and second career) in recent blockbuster franchises like <i>Star Wars</i> and <i>The Lord of the Rings</i>, and his long association with the films of director Tim Burton, Christopher Lee's film career will likely forever be linked with the wildly successful and still much-admired horror movies he made at Hammer Films. Often appearing with Peter Cushing, Lee breathed new life into the tired black and white monster-film franchises of the '30s and '40s, ramping them up for the '50s and '60s with liberal doses of Eastmancolour blood, close-quarters violence, and panting sex appeal.<br />
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Though Cushing and Lee did indelible work as Victor Frankenstein and his Creature in <i>The Curse of Frankenstein</i> (1957), and as an obsessed Egyptologist and his prize in <i>The Mummy</i> (1959), the stalwart companions will best be remembered as the dauntless vampire hunter, Van Helsing, and his eternal nemesis, Count Dracula, in a series of Hammer vampire films that began with <i>Horror of Dracula</i> (1958). Lee was one of several actors, <b>Frank Langella</b> and <b>Jeremy Brett</b> among them, to have played both the Count and the Great Detective.<br />
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Sir Christopher Lee was an important player not only in many films, but in film history, and a significant contributor to celluloid legacy of Sherlock Holmes. In the mid-1980s, during the height of that decade's Sherlock-mania that included the new Granada series starring Jeremy Brett and the Steven Spielberg-produced Young Sherlock Holmes, Lee hosted a retrospective titled <i><a href="http://amzn.to/1TdJ6cW" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The Many Faces of Sherlock Holmes</a></i>. In it, he took us on a tour throughout London - including the sitting room recreation at the Sherlock Holmes Pub - and of Sherlock Holmes as portrayed on stage and screen throughout the years.<br />
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For a brief glimpse of the man behind the movies, take a moment to enjoy this clip of Lee and Cushing before the press, while recording the narration for a documentary on Hammer Films. The ailing Cushing could not travel to London for the recording, so Lee insisted the entire project relocate to a studio near Cushing's home in Whitstable. It was the two friends' last collaboration, and, as always, they are clearly having a ball.<br />
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Please join us in standing on the terrace for one of the last links to a golden age of Sherlock Holmes and a true gentleman.<br />
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Remembering Sir Christopher Lee

"dazed at the horror of the thing" [FINA] Sir Christopher Lee has died at the age of 93. Even without horror and fantasy ...

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by Tim Greer

John, Holmes and the Emotional Connection

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"Why, what on earth does this mean, John?" [FIVE]</h4>
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What did Gary Hopkins know in 1988 that Sherlockians still argue about a quarter of a century later?<br />
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The perceptive Sherlockian blogger <a href="http://betterholmesandgardens.blogspot.ca/2011/03/meaning-of-this-extraordinary.html" target="_blank">Jaime Mahoney actually commented on Hopkins's insight</a> several years ago, but that was in another era, before the "relationship" between Holmes and Watson became the hot topic it is now. It's been the focus of much attention around the BBC "Sherlock" series and CBS's "Elementary", and the more I hear about "Sherlock and John" on the BBC show, or "Sherlock and Joan" on CBS, the more I ask myself what signs of that relationship can be detected in the actual, original Sherlock Holmes tales.<br />
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We can (and should) ignore the phrase "my dear Watson", which Holmes uses 78 times in the Canon, and the reciprocal "my dear Holmes", which Watson uses only 16 times. That was a convention of the times, just as young men sharing accommodations for financial reasons was a widespread custom. (Anybody familiar with W. S. Gilbert's early farce "Cox and Box"?)<br />
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But here and there in the stories one finds a hint about how the two men thought of one another. Clearly the friendship grew closer over time;. After Holmes's apparent death at the Reichenbach Falls, Watson called him "the best and the wisest man whom I have ever known," which sounds respectful rather than affectionate, but when Holmes reappeared in London, not dead in spite of all the evidence, Watson fainted. That brief episode was examined and cross-examined in detail after its modern expression by Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman was presented in "The Empty Hearse" last year.<br />
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Other than the emotions surrounding Holmes's death and resurrection, the Canon offers two important incidents where the partners have occasion to show their feelings for one another. One, famously, is in "The Three Garridebs" — the Canonical story many fans are longing to see dramatized by the Cumberduo — when Killer Evans pulls his revolver and shoots Watson in the thigh. "You're not hurt, Watson?" Holmes cries. "For God's sake, say that you are not hurt!" And Watson records: "It was worth a wound — it was worth many wounds — to know the depth of loyalty and love which lay behind that cold mask." But to his friend he makes little of it: "It's nothing, Holmes. It's a mere scratch."<br />
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The other incident comes at the climax of "The Devil's Foot", when Holmes, impatient to test his theory that a west African ordeal poison has been put to use in a remote house in Cornwall, subjects himself and Watson to the same dreadful fumes. Watson describes the effect on his senses: "I broke through that cloud of despair and had a glimpse of Holmes's face, white, rigid, and drawn with horror. I dashed from my chair, threw my arms round Holmes, and together we lurched through the door." In a moment the two are "lying side by side, conscious only of the glorious sunshine", a somewhat suggestive phrase out of context. And what does Holmes say when he regains his breath? "Upon my word, Watson!" Nothing could be more Victorian.<br />
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But it brings us back to Gary Hopkins. The name may not ring a very loud bell, but he wrote four of the scripts for the "Granada" Sherlock Holmes series starring Jeremy Brett, including "The Devil's Foot" in 1988. His script for that one includes a prolonged and rather cheesy hallucination scene in which Brett's Holmes sees himself bleeding hideously and relives the terrifying confrontation at the Reichenbach. (The whole thing is a foretaste of more extensive Brett hallucinations that would be seen in Granada episodes released a few years later.)<br />
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And in Hopkins's version of "The Devil's Foot", what one word does Sherlock Holmes utter after Watson urgently repeats "Holmes! Holmes!" and shakes him vigorously?<br />
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"John!"<br />
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He never calls John H. Watson by that name anywhere else in all their adventures. And if he did say it on that terrible day in Cornwall, Watson left it out of the Canon. But if he did . . . if he did . . .<br />
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John, Holmes and the Emotional Connection

"Why, what on earth does this mean, John?" [FIVE] What did Gary Hopkins know in 1988 that Sherlockians still argue about a qu...

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by Chris Redmond

Sherlock Holmes in San Francisco: The Triumph of William Gillette

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"These relics have a history, then?" [MUSG]</h4>
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It was the day. The hour. Almost the very minute.<br />
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In the semi-darkness of San Franciso's opulent Castro Theatre, a capacity crowd of 1,400 listened as Russell Merritt, BSI ("The Trepoff Murder"), introduced the U.S. premiere of the restored version of William Gillette's <i>Sherlock Holmes</i> (1916), the long-believed-lost holy grail of Sherlockian filmdom. For hours before the 7 p.m. start time, the sidewalk in front of the Castro was crowded with unfortunate souls vying for tickets to the sold-out event, and the atmosphere on this delectable Sunday evening in May was positively electric. <br />
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Critics gushed when the film appeared a century ago. Said <i>The New York Morning Telegraph</i>: "From the beginning to the end of this seven-part feature there is not a dull moment." The <i>New York Dramatic Mirror</i> called it, "a screen triumph with a varied assortment of punches – and veritable triphammer punches, all of them." But vintage praises could hardly ease my mind. Would the film hold the attention of moviegoers who had seen <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0075194/" target="_blank">The Seven-Per-Cent Solution</a></i> and Guy Ritchie's <i><a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0988045/?ref_=nv_sr_2" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes</a></i>? Could a feature-length Sherlock Holmes silent film still connect with an audience in 2015? And, most of all, there was <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_Gillette" target="_blank">William Gillette</a> – would he disappoint? Or was he, as Orson Welles declared, "the immortal Sherlock Holmes"?<br />
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The lights dimmed, the screen flickered, and we were off. On a scale of 1 to 10, the enthusiasm for William Gillette's <i>Sherlock Holmes</i> had been at Level Nine before the film began; two hours later, it had officially been turned <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Up_to_eleven" target="_blank">up to 11</a>.<br />
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Some background</h3>
Prior to Gillette's film, Holmes had made cinematic history more than once. The 1903 Edison short <i><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmffCrlgY-c" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes Baffled</a></i> was the first detective film. Mack Sennett, founder of Keystone, was Holmes in <i>The $500 Reward</i> in 1911. In 1914 came two versions of <i>A Study in Scarlet</i>: one made in the U.S., with future six-time Oscar-winner <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Ford" target="_blank">John Ford</a> as Dr. Watson; the other, the <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/09/the-great-lost-sherlock-holmes-movie.html#.VXH8XmBq6_s" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">first Holmes film made in England</a>, with James Bragington as the great detective.<br />
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But none of these was as yearned-for as the one-and-only film of William Gillette, and for good reason: Gillette was perhaps the most fully invested of all the actors who have played Holmes. He adapted and co-produced the 1899 play <i>Sherlock Holmes</i>, in the process naming the page "Billy," a detail that later turned up in the Canon itself.<br />
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Gillette played Holmes over 1,300 times, even performing the role for Arthur Conan Doyle, and was the first Holmes on radio. He was the model for <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Frederic_Dorr_Steele" target="_blank">Frederick Dorr Steele's illustrations</a>, and he attended <a href="http://www.bsitrust.org/2015/02/the-1934-bsi-dinner.html" target="_blank">the 1934 BSI dinner</a> in December of that year, along with Christopher Morley and Vincent Starrett. It was he who gave Holmes the calabash-and-meerschaum pipe so widely identified with him that it is now "a Sherlock Holmes pipe." Gillette was "all in" as Sherlock Holmes, and it was tragic that the only visual record of his performance, the 1916 film made at Chicago's Essanay studios, was no more. But then the too-good-to-be-true happened.<br />
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A dupe negative was <a href="http://ihose.co/1916film" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">discovered in the Cinematheque Francaise archive</a>. It was repaired and scanned at Italy's Cineteca di Bologna, and the resulting frames were sent to Robert Byrne, the president of the <a href="http://www.silentfilm.org/" target="_blank">San Francisco Silent Film Festival</a>, who painstakingly removed scratches, motes, and other damage, then oversaw the re-coloring of the film to its original orange-tinted interiors and blue-tinted nighttime exteriors. The Chicago History Museum loaned the restoration team a 1901 copy of Gillette's play, with the author's manuscript notes, as a reference for constructing new English intertitles.<br />
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<h3>
But what about the film itself?</h3>
The results are in: As a film, <i>Sherlock Holmes</i> is very, very good. In places, it is even great. It is old-school and up-to-date, weird and wonderful, puzzling and thrilling, wacky and delightful, hilarious, hypnotic, and thoroughly entertaining – in short, it's just about everything one could ask for in a Sherlock Holmes film. Those interested may find the <a href="http://www.theatredatabase.com/20th_century/sherlock_holmes.html" target="_blank">details of the plot here</a>, as the film adheres closely to Gillette's stage production, and his skills as a dramatist leap from stage to screen admirably.<br />
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I am happy to report, moreover, that <i>Sherlock Holmes</i> is a film in the true sense. The first narrative film might have been Melies' <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A_Trip_to_the_Moon" target="_blank">A Trip to the Moon</a></i> but for one problem: Melies locks the camera in place (in a theatre) and performs a play in front of it. It was Edwin S. Porter's <i><a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Great_Train_Robbery_(1903_film)" target="_blank">The Great Train Robbery</a></i> (1903) that first used extensive cross-cutting to depict simultaneous storylines, and first moved the camera to follow the action.<br />
<br />
Gillette's film makes expert use of the latest innovations in camera technique: Double exposure shots and editing through dissolves, methods pioneered in <i>Story of a Crime</i> (1901), are taken to a new level, and the camera pans are almost imperceptible in their smoothness. Most impressive are a pair of tracking shots, especially one in which Holmes searches a room for clues; the technique was so new that it was still called a "<i>Cabiria</i> movement," after <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gOWicOwtHa8" target="_blank">the 1914 Italian film</a> in which it first appeared. But the tracking shots in <i>Sherlock Holmes</i> are such an improvement over anything in <i>Cabiria</i> as to beleaguer comparison.<br />
<br />
As to the restored print, Rob Byrne and the restoration team have done one of the finest jobs of saving a classic film that I have ever seen. The image quality of the restored <i>Sherlock Holmes</i> is astonishing, and today's viewers are being treated to a better-looking film than even the original audience experienced:<br />
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<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" mozallowfullscreen="" src="https://player.vimeo.com/video/128699218?byline=0&portrait=0" webkitallowfullscreen="" width="640"></iframe> <br />
<a href="https://vimeo.com/128699218" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes (1916) - Restoration Demo</a> from <a href="https://vimeo.com/silentrobert">SilentRobert</a> on <a href="https://vimeo.com/">Vimeo</a>.</div>
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<br />
Saving the best for last, there are outstanding supporting performances in <i>Sherlock Holmes</i>, notably Edward Fielding as Watson, Burford Hampden as Billy, Stewart Robbins as Forman, William Postance as Sid, and Ernest Maupain as Moriarty, sporting a Guignol left eye as inexplicable as Dr. Watson's first initial of "G." Moreover, even the inferior performances manage to be delightful: They are bold, barefaced, and never boring, rather like a series of cameos by Nicolas Cage in his "<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CanOZjrn0Jo" target="_blank">mega-acting</a>" period.<br />
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Concerning William Gillette, it is plain to see why his Holmes lit up the world's theatre marquees for 33 years. Calvin Coolidge called the performance, "a public service"; Sir Arthur Conan Doyle added, "you made the poor hero of the anemic printed page a very limp object as compared with the glamour of your own personality." The intricacy of Gillette's byplay stands in a class by itself, and his snarky interactions with the villains are sure to delight even the most jaded of today's audience members. (One exchange in the Stepney Gas Chamber would be criminal to spoil without warning.)<br />
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The best moment of the screening came after an interview with the baddies. Holmes returns to 221B Baker Street, where he is greeted by Dr. Watson; he doffs his coat, and stands waiting for Billy. The page brings forth — and slips our hero into — what may as well be a cross between the Mantle of the Prophet and the Golden Fleece: the famous Gillettean dressing-gown.  I have seen a good many movies in my time, and in my time there have been a great many movies that have been seen by me, but never yet had I seen a sold-out house go berserk over a dressing-gown, nor witnessed a costume receive a standing ovation, until that moment.<br />
<br />
If convenient, see <i>Sherlock Holmes</i> – for the first time – on the big screen. If inconvenient, do so all the same. But should this prove impossible, be advised that the <a href="http://ihose.co/1916bluray" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">DVD and Blu-ray release</a> from Flicker Alley will be available on October 20, 2015, and it might be wise to pre-order your copy. With any luck, the work of the <a href="http://silentfilm.org/festival/music-musicians/donald-sosin" target="_blank">Donald Sosin Ensemble</a>, who brilliantly accompanied the film in its San Francisco screening, will be included on this release, but, even if not, the purchase price will be well spent.<br />
<br />
In 1916, the <i>Chicago Tribune</i> called <i>Sherlock Holmes</i>, "a production to which Essanay may point with pride … for future and again future revival." The future is here at last; for William Gillette, it's so bright, he has to wear shades.<br />
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Sherlock Holmes in San Francisco: The Triumph of William Gillette

"These relics have a history, then?" [MUSG] It was the day. The hour. Almost the very minute. In the semi-darkness of San F...

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by Tim Greer

Reaching a Milestone

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"after a thousand cunning windings" [FINA]</h4>
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<br />
We tend to focus our efforts on Sherlock Holmes news, and while this update may seem a little navel-gazing, we'd still like to take the time to reflect.<br />
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With this post, we mark <b>our 1,000th entry</b> here on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere.<br />
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It all started nearly 10 years ago with our <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2005/08/the-baker-street-blog_10.html#.VW-xj89Viko" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">first entry introducing The Baker Street Blog</a> - as we were called at the time. Some of the early posts seem downright primitive in comparison, and some of them simply don't withstand the test of time, as other sites and technologies to which they refer are now defunct. But we still keep those posts up, because they act as something of a time capsule and a digital archaeological record of our efforts.<br />
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In mid-2007 we added an audio program (a podcast, if you must) called I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere that ambitiously attempted to commit to weekly or biweekly shows. We burned hot and bright for 18 episodes, then had our own hiatus for over a year. Now we're back on a regular (and sensible) monthly cadence that allows us to give serious thought to our guests and our topics.<br />
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Along the way, we picked up sponsors: <a href="http://wessexpress.com/" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Wessex Press</a> and <i><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/" rel="" target="_blank">The Baker Street Journal</a></i> continue to be our longest-running and most loyal sponsors, along with others who have joined us for s short while. And to them we are thankful.<br />
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Ours is a hobby, and as such, we can't cover the news full time - although we have had some lucky breaking news items like the <a href="http://ihose.co/1916film" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">discovery of the 1916 William Gillette film</a> and the <a href="http://ihose.co/ACD_not" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">discovery of a Sherlock Holmes-like story</a> that was purported to have been written by Conan Doyle. Like Horace Harker of the Central Press Syndicate in SIXN,<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
<b><i>A great deal of my journalistic work is done at night, and I often write until the early morning."</i></b></blockquote>
As work and family life kept us busy, we shared a goal with Peter Blau at the 2011 BSI Weekend: to turn our site into a group-effort, sharing writing, reporting and commentary responsibilities with as many contributors who would raise their hands. And we welcomed our first contribution from <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/Gordon%20Dymowski#" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Gordon Dymowski</a>, who has proven to be one of our most profilic writers.<br />
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We created a form to allow anyone to throw his or her hat in the ring to contribute (see it at <a href="http://ihose.co/writeforihose" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ihose.co/writeforihose</a>) and our stable of writers has grown. You can <a href="http://ihose.co/ihoseteam" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">meet the entire team</a> at <a href="http://ihose.co/ihoseteam" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">ihose.co/ihoseteam</a>. Among those who write for us are Chris Redmond, BSI ("Billy") proprietor of the ground zero for Sherlock Holmes on the web, <a href="http://sherlockian.net/" target="_blank">Sherlockian.net</a>; <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/terrace" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Francine Kitts</a>, BSI ("Lady Hilda Trelawney Hope"), the BSI's "Angel of Death; and the analytical and thoughtful James O'Leary, who always has a contribution of note.<br />
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But it was our syndication of <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/Matt%20Laffey#.VW-4JM9Vikp" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Matt Laffey</a>'s Weekly Sherlockian Links Compendium that helped to make IHOSE a required destination. Syndicated from Matt's <a href="http://always1895.net/" target="_blank">Always 1895</a> site, we credited Matt with being the Peter Blau of the Internet (although <a href="http://redcircledc.org/" target="_blank">Peter does pretty well online</a> as well) and helping us to stay current with the news. With Matt's participation on his <i><a href="http://wessexpress.com/html/newspaper.html" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle in the Newspapers</a></i> project with Mattias Bostrom, BSI ("The Swedish Pathological Society"), we understand his priorities while we miss his updates.<br />
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From reviews of books, comics, television, film and even apps, and interviews, analyses and commentary, our team aims to cover as much ground as we can. And like the original Baker Street Irregulars, we "go everywhere, see everything, overhear everyone." [SIGN]  Hopefully our writers aren't finding life as difficult as Neville St. Claire, who was a reporter for an evening paper in London and whose "<b><i>editor wished to have a series of articles.</i></b>" [TWIS]<br />
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Along the way, we've developed apps for our audio show, we've created the now-defunct Sherlock Holmes Social Network and then <a href="http://bit.ly/SHCommunity" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">an online community</a> that now has over 2,600 members, <a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub&publisher=445106&sitescope=45933" target="_blank">three options for subscribing by email</a>, a Sherlockian <a href="http://ihose.co/scoopsherlock" target="_blank">link-collecting site</a>, and even <a href="http://ihose.co/flipsherlock" target="_blank">an online magazine</a> that was <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2013/12/ihose-featured-on-flipboards-magswelove.html#.VW_BKc9Viko" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">featured by its technology founder</a>s.<br />
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We've had our fun over the course of 1,000 articles - from the time <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/04/is-long-row-veil_1.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">we fooled some Hollywood media</a> to <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2010/10/to-me-than-twitter-illu_25.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">our live-tweeting of the first series of <i>Sherlock</i></a> on behalf of PBS (and the subsequent series as well), and ongoing series such as our coverage of <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/%23FreeSherlock#.VW-63c9Viko" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Conan Doyle Estate's legal issues</a> and the important <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/Undershaw#.VW-8Os9Viko" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">efforts to preserve Undershaw</a>. We also tried to be helpful, as was the case with our perennially popular <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2014/12/how-to-get-most-out-of-bsiweekend.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Guide to Getting the Most Out of the BSI Weekend</a> and the <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2008/01/little-drama-sign_8.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">first use of Twitter during the BSI Weekend</a> (in 2008) and the <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2010/01/visitors-soli_14.html#.VW-_Hs9Viko" target="_blank">first use of the hashtag #BSIWeekend</a>, to help those not in New York follow the fun.<br />
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Yes, we're pretty proud of what we've accomplished in nearly a decade. But without <b><i>you</i></b>, dear reader, we would be nothing. We are grateful that you invite us into your inbox, <a href="http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock" target="_blank">Facebook</a> feed and earbuds. We realize that as part of building our reputation as the definitive site for news and information about Sherlock Holmes and popular culture, we have a great responsibility to you, and we take that seriously.<br />
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Thank you for being part of this journey with us. We hope it continues for many years to come.<br />
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If you'd care to share your favorite post of ours or get in on the conversation on Twitter, please use<b> #IHOSE1K</b> as the hashtag.<br />
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<i>Image source: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Stipula_fountain_pen.jpg#/media/File:Stipula_fountain_pen.jpg" target="_blank">Wikipedia</a></i><br />
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Reaching a Milestone

"after a thousand cunning windings" [FINA] We tend to focus our efforts on Sherlock Holmes news, and while this update may se...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Celebrating 40 Years of Dr. Watson's Neglected Patients

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"I am a busy man, and Dr. Watson has his patients to attend to." [CREE]</h4>
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In 1974, when Mary Ake and Nancy Wynn wanted to form a Denver area Sherlock Holmes group, they put a notice in the local newspapers to have an initial meeting at the <a href="http://www.littletongov.org/index.aspx?page=128" target="_blank">Bemis Libary</a> in Littleton, Colorado on a Wednesday evening.  "I expected 35 people to show up that night, no more," Mary Ake recalled when I spoke with her over the phone. "Instead, 250 people showed up in the meeting room which surprised me!"  <br />
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That evening, the crowd was treated to a talk by <a href="http://amzn.to/1KxCeRA" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Ron de Waal</a>, on his recent trip to England, and the meeting wrapped up with the attendees taking the group's oath.  "We had the oath," said Mary Ake, "and I was awed that everyone took it that night. We were a true scion society of the Baker street Irregulars (BSI)!"<br />
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Thus,  <a href="http://www.dwnp.com/" target="_blank">Dr. Watson's Neglected Patients</a> (DWNP) was formed. The group has allowed Denver area residents to connect and share their love of Sherlock Holmes.  Over the past 40 years the group has grown and continues to be active by hosting annual dinners, spring teas, and a monthly discussion/ trivia meeting.<br />
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<a href="http://amzn.to/1csZXGO" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Darlene Cypser</a>, author and the current <a href="http://www.dwnp.com/medicalboard.html" target="_blank">Chief Surgeon</a> of the group explains:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"I think DWNP is much more active than it was when I started and that is not just because of all the TV shows and movies. Of course, websites and Facebook pages help spread the word and let us interact in different ways. Sherlockians have long corresponded worldwide through the mail. Now that is a lot faster."</blockquote>
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One of the staples of the group is the monthly get-togethers of the Outpatients, a separate subset of DWNP members that meets to drink, have lunch, and discuss a story from the original Sherlock Holmes canon.  "Our first idea was to meet on Wednesdays at my home, and have it be mostly for fellow retirees," said Lawrence Feldman, the Staff Surgeon (i.e. Vice President) of DWNP. "When we began telling people about it, it seemed there were many similarly interested who were still working, and people expressed frustration that they could not attend on a work day. So I got the idea of moving the meetings to Sundays and having it be for lunch at a place like <a href="http://www.pintspub.com/" target="_blank">Pints Pub</a>, which provided a British ambience, and had supported DWNP in the past."<br />
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The Outpatient meeting is the first Sunday of the month, and the group meets no matter if there are other events that day.  As Lawrence Feldman explains, "Meeting the first Sunday of every month sometimes puts us in conflict with holiday weekends, big football games, even Easter Sunday. Whenever I try to cancel the meeting for a month, the membership just flat out won't let me! So another tradition developed, to go on with the meeting on that first Sunday no matter what. And if some people can't attend every meeting due to these conflicts, that's ok too. This is when I first began to realize that these meetings were really important to people."<br />
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Other fun annual activities are the Sherlock Holmes Dinner which is every January and the annual spring tea hosted by the <a href="http://dwpconline.org/" target="_blank">Denver Woman's Press Club</a>.  "Members have organized our participation in cricket matches, plays, talks, tours of the CSI, and other get-togethers," said Darlene Cypser.  "One year I arranged for a local stunt team to demonstrate the art of Bartisu in a skit. They did a great job in the fight, even taking falls. It was quite thrilling. But one member had gone to the restroom, and she asked them if they would do it again. They obliged despite the fact that they were taking the falls on the hard floor without pads. I am sure they had quite a few bruises the next day!"<br />
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Upcoming events include a group viewing of the film, <i><a href="http://www.mrholmesfilm.com/" target="_blank">Mr. Holmes</a>, </i>dinner with <a href="http://www.redcircledc.org/" target="_blank">Peter Blau</a>'s group<i> The Practical but Limited Geologists, </i>and<i> </i>author talks and presentations as part of <i><a href="http://www.dmns.org/exhibitions/upcoming-exhibitions/the-international-exhibition-of-sherlock-holmes/" target="_blank">The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes, </a></i>which will be at the Denver Museum of Nature and Science beginning in October.<br />
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The attendance at the Outpatient Meetings is exploding, and DWNP will continue on as a group for Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle fans to connect in the Denver  metro area.  There's only one change that Chief Surgeon Darlene Cypser would like to make.  "We would like to add more young people to DWNP, including kids."<br />
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For more information on Dr. Watson's Neglected Patients, please see their <a href="http://www.dwnp.com/" target="_blank">web site</a>, or their <a href="https://www.facebook.com/DrWatsonsNP" target="_blank">Facebook page</a>. <br />
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<i>For more of Derrick Belanger's I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere articles, click <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/Derrick%20Belanger#.VWHEBU9VhBc" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.  To learn more about Derrick Belanger's Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle books, click <a href="http://amzn.to/1ct0qc6" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">here</a>.</i><br />
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Celebrating 40 Years of Dr. Watson's Neglected Patients

"I am a busy man, and Dr. Watson has his patients to attend to." [CREE] In 1974, when Mary Ake and Nancy Wynn wanted to for...

+ Read more »

by Belanger Books

Your Chance to Win on #IHOSE78

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"a good practical knowledge of British law" [STUD]</h4>
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As is our custom, we're preparing to record the next episode of <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/p/show-archives.html" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere</a> - the first podcast for Sherlock Holmes devotees. And as part of that, we'd like to give you a chance to participate in "Mental Exaltation," our regular quiz segment.<br />
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If you'd like to hear how this works, please have a listen to <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose77" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 77</a>, beginning around 1:39:00:<br />
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<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Here's how "</span><b style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Mental Exaltation</b><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">" works:</span></div>
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<li>Each month, we'll post a qualifying question to determine a listener who'll play / be played for on the program. Winner will be chosen at random from all correct entries.</li>
<li>If you'd like to enter, you must <a href="http://www.feedblitz.com/f/?Sub&publisher=445106&sitescope=45933" style="color: #006f85; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">subscribe to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere by email</a>.</li>
<li>We'll either have a guest play on your behalf or we'll patch you into the show to have you play over the phone or Skype audio.</li>
<li>If your proxy or you succeed in passing the test, you'll have your choice of prizes: a random item from our I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Grab-Bag of Goodies (that's the IHOSE GBG), or the voice of a member of the Baker Street Irregulars on your answering machine.</li>
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<b>Qualify now</b></h4>
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<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Once again, the Conan Doyle Estate has inserted itself and its already dubious reputation into the news with another lawsuit, this time <a href="http://ihose.co/freemrholmes" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">against the companies and individuals behind the new <i>Mr. Holmes</i> film</a>. Therefore, our qualifying question is legal in nature.</span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">You have until </span><b style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Saturday, June 6 at 11:59 pm ET</b><span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"> to qualify. And here's how to enter:</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;">Good luck!</span><br />
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<span style="line-height: 22.3999996185303px;"><i>Image source: <a href="http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Artists-impressions-of-Lady-Justice,_(statue_on_the_Old_Bailey,_London).png" target="_blank">Wikimedia Commons</a></i></span><br />
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Your Chance to Win on #IHOSE78

"a good practical knowledge of British law" [STUD] As is our custom, we're preparing to record the next episode of I Hear...

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by Scott Monty

Sherlock Holmes and the American Civil War

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"at the time of the Civil War" [CARD]</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixt1spqhMKuup7l9e7AK8rvHVdBRPUauM08TVSsQlD4A44QHhEdwjfltSvRv0aNlm_En7jE1MkZQq-JQuK2zQBzMiIIPWinU5NYOoPz3k6eaojbddDCi1_pJhCA_pkQnz2PCek3MQrZnCh/s1600/I+had+fell+into+a+brown+study+-+CARD.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="A scene from The Cardboard Box - illustrated by Sidney Paget" border="0" height="432" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixt1spqhMKuup7l9e7AK8rvHVdBRPUauM08TVSsQlD4A44QHhEdwjfltSvRv0aNlm_En7jE1MkZQq-JQuK2zQBzMiIIPWinU5NYOoPz3k6eaojbddDCi1_pJhCA_pkQnz2PCek3MQrZnCh/s640/I+had+fell+into+a+brown+study+-+CARD.jpg" title=""I fell into a brown study" [CARD]" width="640" /></a></div>
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[<b><i>Editor's note: </i></b>The following is a guest post from Civil War author, lecturer and book reviewer Tom Elmore, who is also a Sherlockian and a member of <a href="http://www.hansomwheels.com/" target="_blank">The Hansom Wheels</a> of Columbia, South Carolina.]<br />
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The gas lit streets of 221B Baker Street in Victorian London and the battlefields of the American Civil War would appear to have little in common with each other. Yet on two occasions the effects of America's bloodiest conflict landed right in the study of the world's greatest detective, Sherlock Holmes.<br />
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Before we examine how Holmes and Dr. John Watson became entangled in the aftermath of the war, let us travel back two decades before these two men met and see how the war affected British life in general.<br />
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Most Sherlockians believe that Holmes and Watson were born sometime in the mid 1850s, with Watson preceding Holmes by two or three years. Consequently they were possibly too young to be aware of the events going on across the ocean; but given Holmes sharp mind it is possible that he may have picked up some details. Likewise, Watson's literary agent, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle who was born in 1859 would have had little, if any interest or recollections about the war.<br />
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However, their fathers would have certainly kept up with news of the war in the British newspapers as it was very much on the mind of the English people for various reasons. Some were worried about the impact the war would have on the British economy, others, still smarting from the American Revolution and the War of 1812, wanted to see American-style democracy fail.<br />
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A number of British government and military officials were particularly interested in the style of fighting, which is now called modern warfare, that was being waged. Several British officers went to America to observe the actions of both armies; the most famous being Sir Arthur James Lyon Fremantle of the Coldstream Guards. He traveled throughout the north and the south in 1863, witnessing the Battle of Gettysburg and later the New York City Draft Riots. Returning to England, Fremantle published his diary of his trip entitled <i>Three Months in the Southern States</i>. The book was a bestseller on both sides of the Atlantic though it incorrectly predicted a Southern victory.<br />
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Thanks to early Southern victories, the British took interest in many of the Confederate leaders, most notably Generals P.G.T. Beauregard and Robert E. Lee, both of whom would decline offers to command European armies after war. Allegedly, the famous photo of Lee in his full dress uniform was made at the request of Queen Victoria.<br />
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<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/AVvXsEjBkakmXZv69K6V9UW6jC9KQJEOcub3YpyKQFDwa7Hvri56IFYw0nzXC0NaivWvP-TwEIyP5IS9HCaifP80S6QstbyL9ffw-WVIMXPXxOPuLUOpi-kONIqQNkk8ngeHGWDe2SRBadBYZ8i5/s1600/Robert_E_Lee_in_1863.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjBkakmXZv69K6V9UW6jC9KQJEOcub3YpyKQFDwa7Hvri56IFYw0nzXC0NaivWvP-TwEIyP5IS9HCaifP80S6QstbyL9ffw-WVIMXPXxOPuLUOpi-kONIqQNkk8ngeHGWDe2SRBadBYZ8i5/s640/Robert_E_Lee_in_1863.png" width="409" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Gen. Robert E. Lee in his dress uniform</td></tr>
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Early in the war, there was strong public support in Great Briton for the south. Many Southern sympathizers showed their support by wearing a red and blue striped tie with white stars in the blue, a fashion statement that has been readopted by Southern partisans in recent years.<br />
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England gave the Confederacy "belligerent" status, which was just short of giving it full diplomatic recognition. Fear that England would take that next step dictated much of the foreign policies of U.S. President Abraham Lincoln's administration. Lincoln and his Secretary of State, William Seward, one of the best Secretaries of State ever, were constantly walking a tight rope, doing what they could to keep England out of the war without antagonizing the United Kingdom.<br />
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Seward’s job was not easy. In November 1861, the U.S. Navy warship <i>San Jacinto</i> intercepted the British mail ship <i>Trent </i>which was carrying two Confederate diplomats. Without authorization the <i>San Jacinto</i> fired two shots across the bow of the <i>Trent </i>and demanded that the diplomats be surrendered, which they were.<br />
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England was outraged and demanded the U.S. release the prisoners or risk going to war. However, public support for the actions of the <i>San Jacinto</i> in the North was so strong that giving in to British demands would have been a political disaster for the Lincoln administration. Consequently Seward, with Lincoln's blessing, cleverly crafted a letter to the British government stating though the U.S. had not acted illegally, he would release the prisoners anyway. He further stated that he was glad that the British government had protested as it seemed that the British were now going to recognize the rights of neutral ships, a long simmering issue of controversy between the two nations.  The plan worked, and another war was avoided.<br />
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A major asset to Lincoln and Seward was U.S. Ambassador to the Court of St. James, Charles Adams - grandson of founding father John Adams and son of the sixth president, John Quincy Adams. Adams assumed his post shortly after the Confederacy was granted belligerent status and immediately started working to see that Southern recognition went no further. He informed British politicians that the U.S. would view continued contacts with Confederate representatives and arm sales to the South as violations of England's neutrality. These measures worked and helped cool British sentiment towards Dixie.<br />
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Ultimately, the diplomatic efforts of Lincoln, Seward and Adams, coupled with the Emancipation Proclamation and the growing number of Northern victories on the battlefield, ended all hope for South's longed for and much needed British diplomatic recognition.<br />
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Though no one named Sherlock Holmes fought for either the North or the South, there were three soldiers named S. Holmes, one for the Union, two Confederate. In addition there were 1122 Confederate soldiers whose last name was Holmes, while 2603 Union soldiers shared that last name. Among the latter was Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. who served as a lieutenant during the war and was wounded three times. His father, Oliver Wendell Holmes was a noted writer of his day who used his pen to support the North, and is credited as the man for whom Doyle named his detective.<br />
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Conversely, there were 54 John H. Watsons who served in the war, 33 for the North and 21 for the South, with one of the latter serving as an assistant surgeon of the 36th Texas cavalry.<br />
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In the literary world of Holmes and Watsons, there were two occasions where the American Civil War entered their Baker Street lodgings. The first was in "The Adventure of The Five Orange Pips," which originally appeared in <i>The Strand</i> magazine in November 1892. It was later included in <i>The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes</i> short story collection published the next year, and was one of Doyle's favorite short stories.<br />
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The plot involves John Openshaw whose uncle, Elias Openshaw suddenly came back to England in 1869 and settled on an estate in West Sussex after living for years as a Florida planter. During the Civil War he had served as a Colonel in the Confederate Army under Lt. Gen. Stonewall Jackson and Gen. John Bell Hood. (For the record there were eighteen soldiers whose last name was Openshaw, but all of them fought for the North.)<br />
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Being a bachelor, Elias allowed his nephew to stay at his estate, but strange things started happening. Although John could go almost anywhere in the house he could never enter a mysterious locked room containing his uncle's trunks. Then in March 1883 a letter postmarked from Pondicherry, India arrived for the Colonel inscribed only "<a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/03/krispy-kreme-could-have-avoided.html#.VWksqs_BzGc" target="_blank">K.K.K.</a>" with five orange pips (or seeds) enclosed.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-WxWSJg0swj3SqKw5xhCbYlmNjnVfOllzqN2-OseFWV0wPHZsRuMVhKJtfwMzS-KcdULqSMifigVuqFQzyU01DksmjkAYIst-IzMBhJuGuBAj4FM6j_BWdIar8Xb9vf6fPTK2wnIQ_ja/s1600/Elias+Openshaw+gets+the+pips+%255BFIVE%255D.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhw-WxWSJg0swj3SqKw5xhCbYlmNjnVfOllzqN2-OseFWV0wPHZsRuMVhKJtfwMzS-KcdULqSMifigVuqFQzyU01DksmjkAYIst-IzMBhJuGuBAj4FM6j_BWdIar8Xb9vf6fPTK2wnIQ_ja/s1600/Elias+Openshaw+gets+the+pips+%255BFIVE%255D.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">"What on earth does this mean?" [FIVE]</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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Then papers from the locked room were burned and a will was drawn up leaving the estate to young Openshaw. Afterwards, the Colonel would lock himself in his room to drink or he would go forth in a drunken sally with a pistol in his hand. On May 2, 1883 he was found dead in a garden pool.<br />
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Then on January 4, 1885 Elias's brother Joseph receives a letter postmarked Dundee with the initials "K.K.K" and instructions to leave "the papers" on the sundial.  Despite his son's urging, Joseph Openshaw refuses to call the police. Three days later, Joseph is found dead in a chalk-pit. The only clue John Openshaw can furnish Holmes is a page from his uncle's diary marked March 1869 in which orange pips have been sent to three men, of whom two flee and the third has been "visited".<br />
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Holmes advises Openshaw to leave the diary page with a note telling of the destruction of the Colonel's papers on the garden sundial. After Openshaw leaves, Holmes deduces from the time that has passed between the letter mailings and the deaths of Elias and his brother that the writer is on a sailing ship.<br />
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Holmes also recognizes the "K.K.K" as the Klu Klux Klan, the Southern Reconstruction group. According to Holmes, the group had a sudden collapse in March 1869 and Holmes theorizes that the collapse was caused by the Colonel's maliciously taking their papers away to England. Holmes reaches for volume K of the American Encyclopedia and reads that the Klan got its name "from the fanciful resemblance to the sound produced by cocking a rifle." <br />
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(Holmes could not have been more incorrect, the Klan’s name came from Greek word <i>kuklos</i>, which means circle. While National Grand Wizard and former Confederate general Nathan Bedford Forrest did disband the Klan in 1869, but it was due to the increasing lawlessness of local chapters. Federal legislation passed in 1870 and 1871 all but outlawed the Klan and helped to further the group's demise until it was reorganized in 1915.)<br />
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The next day there is a newspaper account that the body of Openshaw has been found in the Thames River and the death is believed to be an accident. Holmes checks sailing records of ships that were at both Pondicherry in January and February 1883 and at Dundee in January 1885 and finds a Savannah, Georgia based a boat named <i>The Lone Star</i>.<br />
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Holmes confirms that <i>The Lone Star</i> had docked in London a week before. He then sends five orange pips to the captain of <i>The Lone Star</i> and a telegram to the police in Savannah that the Captain and two mates are wanted for murder. But The Lone Star never arrives in Savannah; there are severe gales and the only trace of the boat is a signpost marked "L.S." sighted in the middle of the North Atlantic.<br />
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This story would later be the basis for the 1945 film <i>Sherlock Holmes and the House of Fear</i> starring Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce as Holmes and Watson. However the film differed dramatically from the Doyle short story and contained no references to the American Civil War.<br />
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The second time the war was mentioned was "The Cardboard Box," which appeared in <i>The Strand</i> in January 1893. In England it was originally included in the short story collection <i>The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes</i> published in 1894, though American editions removed the tale due to its reference to adultery. In America it was included in the 1917 collection <i>His Last Bow</i>. While the story today is still included in all British editions of the <i>Memoirs</i>, some U.S. editions have it in <i>His Last Bow</i> as well as the <i>Memoirs</i>. Supposedly the events in this case took place between the years 1885-1891.<br />
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The mystery, involving murder and adultery in a dysfunctional family, has nothing to do with the American Civil War, but the conflict does come up when Holmes deduces that Watson is thinking about that conflict. When Watson demands an explanation, Holmes tells him:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
"After throwing down your paper, which was the action which drew my attention to you, you sat for half a minute with a vacant expression. Then your eyes fixed themselves upon your newly framed picture of General Gordon, and I saw by the alteration in your face that a train of thought had been started. But it did not lead very far. Your eyes flashed across to the unframed portrait of Henry Ward Beecher which stands upon the top of your books. Then you glanced up at the wall, and of course your meaning was obvious. You were thinking that if the portrait were framed it would just cover that bare space and correspond with Gordon's picture over there."<br />
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"You have followed me wonderfully!" I exclaimed.<br />
<br />
"So far I could hardly have gone astray. But now your thoughts went back to Beecher, and you looked hard across as if you were studying the character in his features. Then your eyes ceased to pucker, but you continued to look across, and your face was thoughtful. You were recalling the incidents of Beecher's career. I was well aware that you could not do this without thinking of the mission which he undertook on behalf of the North at the time of the Civil War, for I remember your expressing your passionate indignation at the way in which he was received by the more turbulent of our people. You felt so strongly about it that I knew you could not think of Beecher without thinking of that also. When a moment later I saw your eyes wander away from the picture, I suspected that your mind had now turned to the Civil War, and when I observed that your lips set, your eyes sparkled, and your hands clenched I was positive that you were indeed thinking of the gallantry which was shown by both sides in that desperate struggle. But then, again, your face grew sadder; you shook your head. You were dwelling upon the sadness and horror and useless waste of life. Your hand stole towards your own old wound and a smile quivered on your lips, which showed me that the ridiculous side of this method of settling international questions had forced itself upon your mind. At this point I agreed with you that it was preposterous and was glad to find that all my deductions had been correct."<br />
<br />
"Absolutely!" said I. "And now that you have explained it, I confess that I am as amazed as before."</blockquote>
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<br />
Because of the way the story was published in America, this scene is added to "The Resident Patient" in some editions.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkD4wtXfMHWBVGUgUS_KbMYRFs5gLKw2_KrJGr7MvwGLHke74vJV7iN3C0BX9xG5esszxOcaSjHACPerUUpV6AeAJ9bIq8pbtz_Rc_lBs3WqKqNS934jOUA2M7XWE4LlBf_TwiC6kLTIuE/s1600/Henry_Ward_Beecher.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgkD4wtXfMHWBVGUgUS_KbMYRFs5gLKw2_KrJGr7MvwGLHke74vJV7iN3C0BX9xG5esszxOcaSjHACPerUUpV6AeAJ9bIq8pbtz_Rc_lBs3WqKqNS934jOUA2M7XWE4LlBf_TwiC6kLTIuE/s640/Henry_Ward_Beecher.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Henry Ward Beecher</td></tr>
</tbody></table>
<br />
Henry Ward Beecher (1813-1887) was a celebrated and influential American Protestant clergyman. The charismatic minister averaged 2500 people to his Sunday sermons in his Brooklyn N.Y. church. Beecher was an outspoken abolitionist and expressed his views in the two national publications he edited. He also was an avid Northern supporter of the war, raising and arming a regiment.<br />
<br />
Beecher visited Great Britain in 1863 and gave a successful series of lectures about the American Civil War across England and Scotland. These appearances help eroded British support for the South. When the war ended, Beecher was the main speaker when the American flag was re-hoisted above Fort Sumter.<br />
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Beecher's sister, Harriet Beecher Stowe, was the author of <i>Uncle Tom's Cabin</i> though some have speculated that her brother may have had a hand in the famous novel.<br />
<br />
We are never told why Watson has an interest in Beecher, but it has led to speculation that Watson's father and/or an elder brother may have been an admirer of Beecher. However, some Sherlockians have theorized that Watson may have actually been born in the 1840s and fought in the American Civil War for the North, hence his chain of thoughts in the story.<br />
<br />
In reality, the Beecher reference was an inside joke by Doyle. In 1874 Beecher was sued by a former employee, Theodore Tilton, who claimed that Beecher had an affair with Tilton's wife. (Mrs. Tilton claimed that Beecher believed in "free love.") The subsequent 1875 trial, while sensational, resulted in a hung jury.  All of which would have easily come to the mind of readers of The Cardboard Box at the time of publication.<br />
<br />
While the references to the American Civil War in the Sherlock Holmes cannon are unique and interesting, they pale in comparison to a series of real-life coincidences that connect the character to the war.<br />
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<i>Our American Cousin</i> is an 1858 play in three acts by English playwright Tom Taylor. The comedy is about an awkward, boorish but honest American, Asa Trenchard, who meets his aristocratic British relatives when he goes to England to claim his family estate. It premiered in New York City on October 15, 1858 and was an immediate success. On April 14, 1865, Lincoln was assassinated while watching the play at Ford's Theatre in Washington, D.C.<br />
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Nine years later, 15-year-old Conan Doyle saw the play in London while on a three week Christmas holiday with an uncle.<br />
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Sixty-five years later, in 1939, Basil Rathbone portrayed Doyle's most famous creation for the first time. The 20th Century's-Fox's production of <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i> is still regarded by many as the finest film adaptation of any of Doyle's works. Rathbone's outstanding performance as Sherlock Holmes made him the living personification of the great detective for generations since.<br />
<br />
Most of his fans would be surprised to known that according to Rathbone family lore the British actor was a distant cousin of Maj. Henry Rathbone, who with his fiancée Miss Clara Harris, accompanied the Lincolns to Ford's theatre that fatal night, proving once again that truth is stranger than fiction.<br />
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However, as Holmes said in "The Adventure of the Blanched Soldier," "But is it coincidence? Are there not subtle forces at work of which we know little?"<br />
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Sherlock Holmes and the American Civil War

"at the time of the Civil War" [CARD] [ Editor's note: The following is a guest post from Civil War author, lecturer and...

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by Scott Monty

The Secret of Sherlock’s Statue

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"For a long time he gazed upwards at it" [ABBE]</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6tHwNCl9Ui9uKScy080R8HW2O3fJ-aF8Ws_7bQ_jY0fWnUa9O-o7OFjQcU8WvKc_kAfcdMW7kS4_B12txkFSDJcT-Zwe3wlPiGJ1yX_EmAkwgHE4gz40qVlZOZ-u2W04jF9pVPDxsUew/s1600/statue.jpg" imageanchor="1"><img alt="Yes, we know this is the Sherlock Holmes statue in London, not Edinburgh" border="0" height="480" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEit6tHwNCl9Ui9uKScy080R8HW2O3fJ-aF8Ws_7bQ_jY0fWnUa9O-o7OFjQcU8WvKc_kAfcdMW7kS4_B12txkFSDJcT-Zwe3wlPiGJ1yX_EmAkwgHE4gz40qVlZOZ-u2W04jF9pVPDxsUew/s640/statue.jpg" title="Sherlock Holmes statue" width="640" /></a></div>
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Princes Street in Edinburgh, Scotland is one of the city’s main thoroughfares. Dominating the Princes Street Garden is an imposing 200 foot tall Victorian monument to Sir Walter Scott, described by writer Bill Bryson as looking like a “Gothic rocket ship.”<br />
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But a few minutes stroll up Leith Street will take you to Picardy Place and you will see a much smaller monument – a monument commemorating the birthplace of that other well-known Scottish writer so near and dear to our hearts, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.  Doyle was born May 22nd, 1859 at 11 Picardy Place, near the top of Leith Walk. The building where he was born is no longer there but in its place is an oversized statue of Sherlock Holmes – a statue which has a secret unknown to most Sherlockians, even those who have stood before it and admired their literary hero.<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lOHVU6ldHN0fvJmGDKIiGhosvE164wqQQwULTJBWRte4UqQny6IMcPLVXpNTIJ7H-Ibk_yiQxKup-BjYbEaHoEh8CyV_jM9Z54eIbXS6mP5djOPUfgec62pbPcawyI9y0QKH4uGD55bg/s1600/Holmes+with+me.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img alt="Bob Stek and Sherlock Holmes in Edinburgh" border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_lOHVU6ldHN0fvJmGDKIiGhosvE164wqQQwULTJBWRte4UqQny6IMcPLVXpNTIJ7H-Ibk_yiQxKup-BjYbEaHoEh8CyV_jM9Z54eIbXS6mP5djOPUfgec62pbPcawyI9y0QKH4uGD55bg/s640/Holmes+with+me.jpg" title="Bob Stek with the Sherlock Holmes statue" width="426" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Our contributor Bob Stek, BSI and the Sherlock Holmes statue.</td></tr>
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Within sight and a few hundred feet from the statue stands <a href="http://www.nicholsonspubs.co.uk/theconandoyleedinburgh/" target="_blank">The Conan Doyle Pub</a> on York Place.  A plaque on the exterior of the pub shares some history of Picardy Place as well as a snippet of misdirection about what Holmes is contemplating as he gazes downward. The plaque reads:<br />
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Located close to The Conan Doyle is Picardy Place, where the pub’s namesake, the great author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, was born on May 22nd 1859. There have been houses on this site since 1685, when French refugees (who had fled the province of Picardy, due to the revocation of the Edict of Nantes when Louis XIV declared Protestantism illegal) built Picardy village. Today, an over life-sized bronze statue of Conan Doyle’s greatest creation, Sherlock Holmes, stands opposite his birthplace. The most famous fictional detective is portrayed in meditation on the death of his author.</blockquote>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23hc0iTOthSCqqL_tYEWPXZ9ir1fMJDPWHhCffbNt1thqwXdcg5IWWVzaGD4mKPmvSPu-zu9SNQKPXzQrxC9DEXpbbc-JhNXLwHTBcx9Qv4BC_dvhpJNQEA8lR_MAs55LuC9p-EixCjA9/s1600/Conan+Doyle+pub.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The Conan Doyle Pub in Edinburgh" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh23hc0iTOthSCqqL_tYEWPXZ9ir1fMJDPWHhCffbNt1thqwXdcg5IWWVzaGD4mKPmvSPu-zu9SNQKPXzQrxC9DEXpbbc-JhNXLwHTBcx9Qv4BC_dvhpJNQEA8lR_MAs55LuC9p-EixCjA9/s640/Conan+Doyle+pub.jpg" title="The Conan Doyle, Edinburgh" width="640" /></a></div>
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Standing directly in front of the statue and looking up, it might appear that Holmes is deep in thought, looking towards the pavement, perhaps reflecting upon being at the site of the birthplace of Doyle, perhaps musing about his own seeming immortality as well as ‘the death of his author.’ </div>
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During his long career Holmes could be contemplative – we know that he carefully studied a rose and concluded that the “highest assurance of the goodness of Providence seems to me to rest in the flowers.” [NAVA] Nonetheless Sherlockians admire Holmes for his ability not just to see, but to observe, to notice a trifle, and to deduce from it a clue and thereby solve a mystery. Holmes actively looked and observed. He once told Inspector Gregory that “I only saw it because I was looking for it.” [SILV]</div>
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It was not beyond Holmes to get on his hands and knees to carefully examine something on the ground, be it a footprint or tobacco ash.  Can we apply Holmes’ methods here, at his own statue? Perhaps Holmes is not in metaphysical contemplation, staring without seeing, without observing. But at what could he be looking?<br />
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An examination of the area in front of the statue reveals only stone pavers – no engraved dancing men or coded message to be seen.  But notice that the statue is on a pedestal and raised more than six feet off the ground.  From a slightly higher elevation on Picardy Place Roundabout, one can see his feet and that the bronze casting includes a portion of the ground upon which Holmes is standing.  At this distance, however, nothing can be seen or observed.<br />
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A modern day high tech solution might be to rig a selfie stick - or even better, a remote controlled quadcopter with a digital camera - and flit around and survey what is near to Holmes’ feet. Instead we will be true to the Master and his methods and physically position ourselves to use our own eyes.  With no handy step-ladder to be found, we note that there is a ledge about 18 inches high around the base of the pedestal. Even Watson’s war wound (gimpy leg or shoulder – take your pick) would not prevent him from stepping up on the corner of this ledge to get a closer view.  Due to recent rain, my photo shows a puddle of water partially obscuring something of interest. But when you are in Edinburgh, climb upon that corner ledge and confirm for yourself that there is indeed the “footprint of a gigantic hound!”<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF0W2AtPvE2VPuq1wcZDFa5ckZcID1FOpoMhJnIjrA8v7kROYeLjtlBDgG9O_z-h9jseCsEs6P8Gs8Ahc8z25M5Bn3Fipf-Y-Afjqcao1GBY-5_JKWoFdIPHsazEHDfieeQjO0CGc2Auga/s1600/hound+footprint.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt=""Mr. Holmes, they were the footprints of a gigantic hound!"" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjF0W2AtPvE2VPuq1wcZDFa5ckZcID1FOpoMhJnIjrA8v7kROYeLjtlBDgG9O_z-h9jseCsEs6P8Gs8Ahc8z25M5Bn3Fipf-Y-Afjqcao1GBY-5_JKWoFdIPHsazEHDfieeQjO0CGc2Auga/s640/hound+footprint.jpg" title="The footprint of a gigantic hound!" width="640" /></a></div>
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But wait – there is more!  Seen more clearly in the photo below is the pawprint of a much smaller animal – a clue outside the bounds of Canonical knowledge certainly.  Whatever could it mean?<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQPHpCPnunrPB99fx1RoezOLWYr5GBhja1Rr4Ti0XxV6_1gxp8cNH_hvIHYwoU5VkdsV77dZTG9EnlCrU4RQ0jVQyjv-WzB_vpSlxbzgNM4xPO8I6UXFVDEqpgPurvCig-kp8uEA910AO/s1600/Footprint+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The footprint of a less than gigantic hound" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjMQPHpCPnunrPB99fx1RoezOLWYr5GBhja1Rr4Ti0XxV6_1gxp8cNH_hvIHYwoU5VkdsV77dZTG9EnlCrU4RQ0jVQyjv-WzB_vpSlxbzgNM4xPO8I6UXFVDEqpgPurvCig-kp8uEA910AO/s640/Footprint+2.jpg" title="Another footprint on the Sherlock Holmes statue" width="640" /></a></div>
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We are, after all, at the birthplace of Doyle. Did Doyle keep a pet which the sculptor wished to acknowledge? But that would be a very obscure bit of trivia to include, especially since Doyle was unlikely to even be aware of a family pet in the first year or so of his life.<br />
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If it is unrelated to Doyle’s birth, perhaps it is related to his birthplace. Picardy Place has no connection itself - but what of the city of Edinburgh, the city which approved the building of this memorial to one of its famous residents. Can we deduce a connection with Edinburgh? The paw print is not of sufficient size to be a companion print of a gigantic hound. It would have to belong to a much smaller dog.  That would most likely rule out half spaniel, half lurcher Toby from <i>The Sign of Four</i>. Is there a small dog strongly associated with Edinburgh, a small dog perhaps contemporaneous with Doyle?<br />
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Of course! No need to eliminate any impossible or improbable suspects, there is only one answer – <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Greyfriars_Bobby" target="_blank">Greyfriars Bobby</a>! Known throughout Scotland, Bobby, a Skye terrier, was born about 1855 and for fourteen years guarded the grave of his owner. The statue of Bobby sits at the corner of Candlemaker’s Row and George IV Bridge, just a one mile walk from Picardy Place. A plaque on the base reads "A tribute to the affectionate fidelity of Greyfriars Bobby. In 1858, this faithful dog followed the remains of his master to Greyfriars Churchyard and lingered near the spot until his death in 1872."<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAyPy7FVqQ44BKgj74I14NNJAmBpi6xCQ_Xr5OwCRBry7ome1AIxqNzOGnUtXp9wBxmZPR2fGP9ZG9hUcT9lSyZibfTdG0CDqChdFGO5G7yrjk98gZMep2ufXCc74gVJnJ26HGJbDAqpkR/s1600/Greyfriars+Bobby.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="The famous Greyfriars Bobby" border="0" height="426" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAyPy7FVqQ44BKgj74I14NNJAmBpi6xCQ_Xr5OwCRBry7ome1AIxqNzOGnUtXp9wBxmZPR2fGP9ZG9hUcT9lSyZibfTdG0CDqChdFGO5G7yrjk98gZMep2ufXCc74gVJnJ26HGJbDAqpkR/s640/Greyfriars+Bobby.jpg" title="Greyfriars Bobby" width="640" /></a></div>
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I only hope that no damage is done to the corner of the pedestal of the Holmes statue by legions of Sherlockians trying to see the two paw prints. Perhaps the city of Edinburgh would be wise to invest in a stone step or two to avoid wear on the ledge.<br />
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I am indebted to Rupert Maragh of the UK for introducing me to the ‘secret of the statue.’<br />
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<i>Robert Stek, BSI will be joining David Stuart Davies at the Arthur Conan Doyle Centre in Edinburgh during the <a href="https://www.edfringe.com/" target="_blank">Fringe Festival</a> in August, 2015. David Stuart Davies will be presenting “An Evening with Sherlock Holmes and Conan Doyle” and Dr. Stek will speak on “The Unusual Friendship of Conan Doyle and Harry Houdini.”</i><br />
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