I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere

Long Lost Prop from The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes Found

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"who made this remarkable discovery?" [NORW]</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVYidzb948w1jfLliL7zfGwGPxpBGSIuWYPk5fxPNdEXv5fFXKPmAz9YwGNrOU3hwTuJagAHwyuCvTT_hSFR0dG7bldgsrAgPyb0DWb-mg1sDFP0enYqDwtpZ530G48PPKp3p7QLS95cTq/s1600/Nessie.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="274" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVYidzb948w1jfLliL7zfGwGPxpBGSIuWYPk5fxPNdEXv5fFXKPmAz9YwGNrOU3hwTuJagAHwyuCvTT_hSFR0dG7bldgsrAgPyb0DWb-mg1sDFP0enYqDwtpZ530G48PPKp3p7QLS95cTq/s640/Nessie.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
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A forgotten piece of movie history has been found in Loch Ness. Almost 50 years after it sunk, a 30 foot model of the Loch Ness monster used in the filming of <i>The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes</i> has been located by a crew operating an underwater robot.<br />
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The model, a giant head on a long slender neck, did not contain the classic two humps traditionally associated with "Nessie." However, director Billy Wilder did not want the humps, and according to Loch Ness expert Adam Shine, "asked that they be removed, despite warnings I suspect from the rest of the production that this would affect its buoyancy." The crew then created a version without humps for use in the film.<br />
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And sure enough, the production crew's predictions proved prescient and the model sank.<br />
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The sunken model was discovered as part of a larger initiative to determine the depths of Loch Ness using submersibles supplied by Kongsberg Maritime. The full story can be <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-36024638">found on the BBC website</a>.<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/AVvXsEg1OtY8eQs-RUbYHOD2AznrrHKcdZYh5zykI7kUj_zZL4ZoU2dcoABpy2z1GCqWt5qcy6JLpKW1wo0-DFHx806OcD663Nl3I_OCAfo0_OKOvWOeh5FH5NpCMJyFun96l-GRq1DhYjDKhTOZ/s1600/Nessie+radar.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="358" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1OtY8eQs-RUbYHOD2AznrrHKcdZYh5zykI7kUj_zZL4ZoU2dcoABpy2z1GCqWt5qcy6JLpKW1wo0-DFHx806OcD663Nl3I_OCAfo0_OKOvWOeh5FH5NpCMJyFun96l-GRq1DhYjDKhTOZ/s640/Nessie+radar.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Computer-enhanced image of the scan of the Nessie model (via <a href="http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-36024638">BBC</a>)</td></tr>
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<i>The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes</i> debuted in 1970 and starred Robert Stephens as Sherlock Holmes, Colin Blakely as Dr. Watson and Christopher Lee as Mycroft Holmes. Miklos Rosza composed the score (more on his work for the film <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2007/04/composer-of-no-ordinary-merit-redh_18.html" rel="nofollow">can be found here</a>) and Billy Wilder directed. Wilder wanted a significantly longer film, but studio executives made him cut it and the footage has been lost to the ages.<br />
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Too bad that wasn't found along with Nessie.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6rdCOSKCLwkhOrp1RltD8fy7HJHQ_jofmwXLI0tJHNugcU1BzBW-DwOo9G_fK2-winUmFE0dvQGEOO-P2OePVR34SsSTwPRGWfsOY1ljw8_H3D9h-yOYX5eBjMDl8TnMjISnqBgXZ9rn/s1600/Nessie.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEia6rdCOSKCLwkhOrp1RltD8fy7HJHQ_jofmwXLI0tJHNugcU1BzBW-DwOo9G_fK2-winUmFE0dvQGEOO-P2OePVR34SsSTwPRGWfsOY1ljw8_H3D9h-yOYX5eBjMDl8TnMjISnqBgXZ9rn/s1600/Nessie.gif" /></a></div>
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Oh, and spoiler alert:<br />
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It wasn't really the Loch Ness monster. It was a mini-submarine cleverly disguised as the legendary creature, and navigated by dwarves.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7YobKPKXDE3sqdyffFpwi7VVAg57WqD_3LNA0Mh-gEIHqGPqpAVnlYL8uXpIpSOKerLtjwL5_HL1DsL7ZR8TAd6rsO5D8MVmbRmPRExFDqqXyheqaO2e3g4wk0w2tqI50n_ZIWdNtqBt/s1600/Nessie+sub.PNG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="270" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi_7YobKPKXDE3sqdyffFpwi7VVAg57WqD_3LNA0Mh-gEIHqGPqpAVnlYL8uXpIpSOKerLtjwL5_HL1DsL7ZR8TAd6rsO5D8MVmbRmPRExFDqqXyheqaO2e3g4wk0w2tqI50n_ZIWdNtqBt/s640/Nessie+sub.PNG" width="640" /></a></div>
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Long Lost Prop from The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes Found

"who made this remarkable discovery?" [NORW] A forgotten piece of movie history has been found in Loch Ness. Almost 50 years ...

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by Scott Monty

The Curious Case of the Clockwork Doll – A Review

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“You really are an automaton - a calculating machine” [SIGN]</h4>
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<i>The Science of
Deduction</i> is a year-long Sherlock Holmes collection that will include
twelve original novellas by author Heidi Hewett, with a new story released to
Kindle each month.  “<a href="http://18thwall.com/product/the-science-of-deduction-the-curious-case-of-the-clockwork-doll/">TheCurious Case of the Clockwork Doll</a>” is the first story in this collection.  <o:p></o:p></div>
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A lady comes to call in Baker Street, but something feels  off when she is requesting Holmes’ help.  That is because this is no ordinary lady, but
an automaton sent by her maker, Judith Haviland, to uncover the source of curious
disturbances in their house .  Many
readers would expect “The Curious Case of the Clockwork Doll” to devolve into a
steampunk story from this moment, but the use of this automaton and her
inventor’s other works are handled in a much more believable manner than many
other pastiches have done.  Holmes is
intrigued by this invention and agrees to travel by train to the country.  And after a run in with a jewel thief on the
train, they arrive at the family manor.<o:p></o:p></div>
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The author’s love for the canon is evident from the
beginning.  The first half of the opening
chapter has an almost déjà vu feel to it because so many snippets of Doyle’s
stories are used again here.  Holmes seems
to read Watson’s mind by using the reflection in a teapot just as he does with
the coffee pot in the beginning of <i>The
Hound of the Baskervilles,</i> and his line about the most winning woman he has
ever known from <i>The Sign of Four</i> is
used almost verbatim in this story. 
Hewett does a fine job imitating the Watsonian voice of the original,
but the first chapter can be disconcerting with so many very familiar moments
popping up.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Once Holmes and Watson arrive at Haviland manor though,
Hewett shows her strength as an author. 
The first few chapters of this book consist of exposition and mood setting,
which seem to have her at a disadvantage as a storyteller.  So many of Holmes’ cases begin in Baker
Street and include a train car conversation. 
This pastiche uses those old standbys as well, but it feels forced at
some points.  Once Holmes and Watson reach
Haviland manor, the author is free to take the story in any direction she
chooses, and does so at a very nice pace. 
The story twists and turns with many nods to the canon that are able to
be spread out enough so that they don’t overshadow the mystery at the heart of
the story.  <o:p></o:p></div>
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The inhabitants of the Haviland household create a classic
manor mystery feel: Judith, the driven matron of the house, her lazy brother,
Lionel, their young charge, Mary, her tutor, Miss Berends, and a house full of
automatons.  Other characters appear
later, and some are familiar names to those of us who know the canon well.  There is, of course, more to this case than a
few disturbances in the house, and the imaginative plot leads up to a very
exciting climactic scene in the end.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Many pastiches that introduce robots into a Sherlock Holmes
story end up being a Victorian version of Iron Man, but The Curious Case of the
Clockwork Doll is able to keep the correct feel of the era while Holmes and
Watson stay true to the characters we are all so familiar with.  After a rocky beginning, this story settles
into an inventive tale that is worth checking out.<o:p></o:p><br />
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The second story in this series, "<a href="http://18thwall.com/product/the-science-of-deduction-volume-2-the-door-of-eternal-night/">The Door of Eternal Night</a>" by Josh Reynolds, is also available from <a href="http://18thwall.com/">18th Wall Productions</a>.</div>
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<i>18<sup>th</sup> Wall Productions provided a complimentary
copy of this eBook for review</i>.<o:p></o:p><br />
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The Curious Case of the Clockwork Doll – A Review

“You really are an automaton - a calculating machine” [SIGN] The Science of Deduction is a year-long Sherlock Holmes collection th...

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by Rob Nunn

Conan Doyle Manuscripts at Auction Today

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"now as excited as myself, took out his manuscript" [MUSG] </h4>
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It's always a rare treat when an original manuscript by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle goes on the auction block. But when more than one hits the street on one day, it's really a cause for celebration.</div>
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Today at 10:00 a.m. EDT, <a href="http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23644/">Bonhams will be holding a fine literature auction</a> in New York City that includes not one, not two, but three, autographed Conan Doyle manuscripts of Sherlock Holmes stories. Also included are one historical novel (<i>Rodney Stone</i>) and a short story about World War I ("The Prisoner's Defense").</div>
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The Holmes Manuscripts</h3>
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Two of the manuscripts are complete, while one is just a single sheet. </div>
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"<b>The Greek Interpreter</b>" is unique in that it is t<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px;">he only known complete manuscript from </span><i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 16px;">The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes</i><span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px;">. This is, of course, the story in which we learn of Holmes's ancestry and how that may have influenced him:</span><br />
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"My ancestors were country squires, who appear to have led much the same life as is natural to their class. But, none the less, my turn that way is in my veins, and may have come with my grandmother, who was the sister of Vernet, the French artist. Art in the blood is liable to take the strangest forms."</blockquote>
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According to the auction site, the MS is 34 pp, 4to, South Norwood, London, c.1893, in sepia ink on ruled paper removed from a composition book, with revisions in ink and pencil, publisher's page count in blue crayon, pp 22 & 33 versos with pencil scribbling by a child, tears and creases along edges with some slight loss not affecting text, some light spotting throughout. Housed in a custom-made red cloth portfolio with gilt labelled spine, some light fingermarks.Provenance: Christies London, December 18, 1964 (bought by Lew Feldman on behalf of the author's son Adrian Conan Doyle); Sold Christie's, May 5, 1982, lot 102.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnNTmBsFa1qn8meKE8jFu5Fq4zbxNsun8tuyQERRFNoewBX-8vQTw0N9zQLWDmq_WvL-Ybh99akJKKqN32rFixHhgtq20HdZxhpG-iXx7vUP1lXz9JIptsUY8k1TGOQOgS0XzQ_bMSMOu/s1600/ACD+Auction+-+GREE+large.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjFnNTmBsFa1qn8meKE8jFu5Fq4zbxNsun8tuyQERRFNoewBX-8vQTw0N9zQLWDmq_WvL-Ybh99akJKKqN32rFixHhgtq20HdZxhpG-iXx7vUP1lXz9JIptsUY8k1TGOQOgS0XzQ_bMSMOu/s640/ACD+Auction+-+GREE+large.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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The manuscript for "The Greek Interpreter" is expected to fetch $380,000 - $420,000. The market for such an item is quite limited (and we know most of the major likely bidders). We'll see whether the winning bidder is an individual or an institution.<br />
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If you would like more details about this item, including a large image of the first page and the full history of it, please see <a href="http://www.bestofsherlock.com/mss/greek-interpreter.htm">the Greek Interpreter page on the Best of Sherlock Holmes site</a>.</div>
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The second complete manuscript is that of "<b>The Problem of Thor Bridge</b>." As you can see from the image below, Conan Doyle had other ideas in mind for the title of the story. Originally "The Adventure of the Second Chip" and then "The Problem of Rushmere Bridge," it finally achieved its familiar title (albeit with an apostrophe 'S').</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidqvq_YeDbTqCxple5VNFgA25TgK5FAEK71mb49DFygBDc7mlaOrGZW0zBV98gjeDcgoWXLOmdBStuBEp4q1GB-jOiNnYJJv3YVvzFpbxV02nn-wT2BsNuTrVNxHud-hHom1x2jYK-OlRl/s1600/ACD+Auction+-+THOR+large.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="318" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEidqvq_YeDbTqCxple5VNFgA25TgK5FAEK71mb49DFygBDc7mlaOrGZW0zBV98gjeDcgoWXLOmdBStuBEp4q1GB-jOiNnYJJv3YVvzFpbxV02nn-wT2BsNuTrVNxHud-hHom1x2jYK-OlRl/s640/ACD+Auction+-+THOR+large.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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As you'll note from reading the introductory paragraph, this story from The Case-book of Sherlock Holmes provides us with some valuable nuggets that are part of the Sherlockian lore: Dr. Watson's tin dispatch-box being located in the vaults of Cox & Co.; some of the more legendary untold tales, such as Isadora Persano and the remarkable worm unknown to science, and the strange disappearance of James Phillimore, who went inside to retrieve his umbrella and was never seen again.</div>
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According to Bonhams, this is an Autograph Manuscript Signed ("A Conan Doyle"), entitled "The Problem of Thor's Bridge" and "Continuation of 'The Problem of Thor's Bridge'," 48 pp in two parts, 8vo and 4to, Crowborough, East Sussex, c.1922, in various colored inks with revisions in ink or pencil on yellow-ruled paper, some pages clipped, some soiling, folds and marginal tears, hole in upper left corner of second part from removal of metal clasp. First part bound in near contemporary white cloth lettered in gilt, bound for Doyle or his son; second part loose in custom red cloth portfolio and box. Provenance: offered by Lew Feldman as part of the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Archives in 1971; Christie's London, Valuable Autograph Letters, April 29, 1981, Lot 174.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnRvXC9Neptob-wNN3GU1uQq6v3eWd_8FKx1Ib-0uD9AlaPMnTCysl0nCswUVG39ZNSkGBqzePtwO_b6Q2L5gLf6NI5nuBK0Ptz2E-IwjhoZSr_JQela_qZ3q0L_sOAI0abYOeiSsjruj/s1600/ACD+Auction+-+THOR+multiple.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="224" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhgnRvXC9Neptob-wNN3GU1uQq6v3eWd_8FKx1Ib-0uD9AlaPMnTCysl0nCswUVG39ZNSkGBqzePtwO_b6Q2L5gLf6NI5nuBK0Ptz2E-IwjhoZSr_JQela_qZ3q0L_sOAI0abYOeiSsjruj/s640/ACD+Auction+-+THOR+multiple.png" width="640" /></a></div>
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This specimen is expected to fetch between $250,000 - $350,000. Additional information and large scale images can be found on the Best of Sherlock Holmes <a href="http://www.bestofsherlock.com/mss/thor-bridge.htm">"The Problem of Thor Bridge" page</a>.</div>
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The last Holmesian item for sale today is a single page from <i><b>The Hound of the Baskervilles</b></i>. A bit of history about this one from the auction site:<br />
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"Unfortunately no complete manuscript of <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i> survives: to promote the novel in America, McClure asked Conan Doyle for the manuscript of between 185 and 190 pp., to be used as a marketing ploy, distributing single pages to bookstore owners to display in their windows, along with the American edition. Most of these leaves were either lost or destroyed. The only known complete manuscript chapter of the novel (Chapter XI, "The Man on the Tor") is now in the Berg Collection, The New York Public Library."</blockquote>
According to Randall Stock on his Best of Sherlock site, this is "a<span style="background-color: white; font-family: "times new roman" , "times" , serif; font-size: 16px;"> rarity among rarities—only 36 leaves still exist from the most famous Holmes story, and institutions hold 24 of those."</span><br />
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Autograph Manuscript, a single leaf from <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i>, 1 p, 4to, n.p., c.1902, being the first page of "Chapter XIII. Fixing the Nets," one line crossed through, old tears along folds expertly reinforced. Housed in a custom gray cloth portfolio, gilt-lettered black morocco-backed marbled cloth box.<br />
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This ultra-rare item is expected to fetch between $100,000 - $150,000 at auction. For full detail about this item, as well as a large scan of the page, please see the <a href="http://www.bestofsherlock.com/mss/hound-baskervilles-h31.htm">Best of Sherlock page for <i>The Hound of the Baskervilles</i> Manuscript Leaf H31</a>.<br />
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We wish we could say that we're in the running for one of these, but we'd prefer to keep a roof over our head. If you're bidding, good luck!<br />
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Update (1:00 pm EDT)</h4>
The auction has closed, and only the manuscript for "<a href="http://www.bonhams.com/auctions/23644/lot/17/">The Problem of Thor Bridge</a>" was sold. It sold for $269,000, including the buyer's premium.<br />
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<i>All images courtesy of Bonhams</i>.</div>
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Conan Doyle Manuscripts at Auction Today

"now as excited as myself, took out his manuscript" [MUSG] It's always a rare treat when an original manuscript by Sir...

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by Scott Monty

Qualify for the Quiz on IHOSE #94

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"what puzzled the New Yorkers" [STUD] </h4>
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We're preparing to record Episode 94 of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, which will air on April 15. On that show, we'll be giving you an update of the news, which includes a discussion of the BSI excursion to the Chatauqua Institute in upstate New York.<br />
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So, for our Mental Exaltation quiz on Episode 94, you'll need to be in a New York state of mind, as you will for the qualifying question below.<br />
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Here's how Mental Exaltation works:</h4>
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.<br />
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If you'd like to enter, you <b>must</b> subscribe to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere by email.<br />
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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.<br />
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If you or your player succeed in passing the test, you'll win a random item from our I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Grab-Bag of Goodies (that's the IHOSE GBG).<br />
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Qualify Now</h3>
<iframe frameborder="0" height="1000" marginheight="0" marginwidth="0" src="https://docs.google.com/forms/d/1ariO74aZzwiOcIC1lm4d1ljcTTZFZAExc_N85YcjmWY/viewform?embedded=true" width="660">Loading...</iframe><br />
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Good luck!<br />
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<i>Image credit: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6VQyQP7y4so">YouTube</a></i><br />
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Qualify for the Quiz on IHOSE #94

"what puzzled the New Yorkers" [STUD] We're preparing to record Episode 94 of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, which will ...

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by Scott Monty

Sherlock Series Four Is Filming — What to Expect

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"I scrawled down the sign of the four" [SIGN]</h4>
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As the world exploded yesterday — not like Vincent Starrett intimated in '221B' — but with <i>Sherlock</i> as a trending topic on various websites, you probably saw the news that the <i>Sherlock</i> team is hard at work filming Series 4.<br />
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In typical fan-baiting fashion, the official social media channels of the show carried this message:<br />
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We're back! The game is on.</div>
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It begins... Filming for series 4 is underway! <a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/221Back?src=hash">#221Back</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/Markgatiss">@markgatiss</a><a href="https://t.co/QeAiD1nza0">https://t.co/QeAiD1nza0</a></div>
— Sherlock (@Sherlock221B) <a href="https://twitter.com/Sherlock221B/status/717683640902164480">April 6, 2016</a></blockquote>
<script async="" charset="utf-8" src="//platform.twitter.com/widgets.js"></script><br /></div>
Fans of the show have become accustomed to waiting two years between series, although this year's special <i><a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2016/01/everything-you-need-to-know-roundup-of.html#.VwZS56QrLb1" rel="nofollow">The Abominable Bride</a></i> offered a bit of a respite from the typical lag between shows. So the news that filming has begun was welcome news indeed.<br />
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But what can we expect from the show runners this time around? Previously, some have said they've been a bit too self-aware when it comes to making references and satisfying fans. You may recall that we interviewed Steven Moffat and Sue Vertue on <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose86" rel="nofollow">Episode 86</a>, where we tried to get a bit more out of them and they weren't having it.<br />
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At this point, we don't know what the episode titles are, or which stories they might be based on. The creators have been quite secretive about that. <a href="https://www.facebook.com/notes/bbc-one/the-game-is-on-filming-underway-for-sherlock-series-four/1118283861525364">The statement</a> they issued was fairly generalized:<br />
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“Sherlock series four - here we go again! Whatever else we do, wherever we all go, all roads lead back to Baker Street - and it always feels like coming home. Ghosts of the past are rising in the lives of Sherlock Holmes and John Watson bringing adventure, romance and terror in their wake. This is the story we’ve been telling from the beginning. A story about to reach its climax...”</blockquote>
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We know that Sherlock Holmes is back on British soil (as indicated in ABOM) and that the spectre of Moriarty is looming. It seems highly unlikely that Moriarty himself will make a return, but our estimation is that his forces will be at work to avow the legacy of the late, lamented Moriarty.<br />
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Expect all of your favorite cast members to be there: Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman as Sherlock Holmes and Dr. John Watson, respectively; Mark Gatiss as Mycroft Holmes; Amanda Abbington as Mary Morstan Watson; Una Stubbs as Mrs. Hudson; Louise Brealey as Molly Hooper; and Rupert Graves as Detective Inspector Greg Lestrade. Arwel Jones returns as the talented production designer.<br />
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One interesting twist this time around is that the series will have its first female director. Rachel Talalay has worked as a director, producer, and professor in film and television for more than 25 years will take the helm for the first of the three episodes. Her previous directing experience includes <i>Doctor Who</i>, <i>The Flash</i> and <i>The Wind In The Willows</i>.<br />
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But the lack of hard evidence has been driving some fans mad. So mad that one of them took it upon himself to create <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD6FUmNSle0">a truly extraordinary trailer for Series 4</a>:<br />
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No, this wasn't created from stock footage. This particular video was painstakingly created over 14 months using digital technology and nothing else. <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=94LIYbJqn5M&nohtml5=False">Go behind the scenes</a> to see how it was done. Now <i>that</i> is a dedicated fan.<br />
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It's almost as nutty as starting <a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/">your own quarterly publication</a> about the topic.<br />
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What do you think is in store for us in this series? Leave us a comment below.<br />
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</i> <i>Image credit: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YD6FUmNSle0">YouTube</a></i><br />
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Sherlock Series Four Is Filming — What to Expect

"I scrawled down the sign of the four" [SIGN] As the world exploded yesterday — not like Vincent Starrett intimated in ...

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by Scott Monty

The Curious Incident of the Guinea Coin

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<span style="text-align: start;">"No coins were to be found" [ENGR]</span></h4>
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I read a pastiche recently in which Sherlock Holmes pays somebody for something with "a guinea coin." Or perhaps I should say, I read another pastiche recently in which such a thing happens. No doubt the author was trying to establish an atmosphere of Victorian authenticity — but the result was the very opposite, as Holmes would not, could not, have done such a thing. And here is why.<br />
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The "<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Guinea_(coin)">guinea</a>" was a gold coin first minted in 1663, and in general use for the rest of the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries, at least in those strata of society where you might expect to find people using gold coins. <br />
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With a diameter of an inch, it contained about 8.4 grams of gold, which at today's gold prices would be worth a bit more than $300. Money for the less affluent consisted of shillings (the shilling coin contained 5.6 grams of silver, today worth around $2.75) and pennies (each one-twelfth of a shilling).<br />
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With the economic instability that followed the French revolution and then the Napoleonic wars, the government looked for an alternative, cheaper currency. Paper money ("notes") became legal tender in 1797, and the last guineas were minted in 1799. (An exception: there was an issue of guineas in 1813 to pay the army that was fighting in the Peninsular War in Spain, when it became clear that the locals would accept no currency except gold.) The "great recoinage" of 1816 defined the pound as the principal unit of money.<br />
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A guinea had traditionally been worth 21 shillings, although when the price of gold went up, it could be significantly more. A pound was defined as 20 shillings, and accordingly the new coin was smaller than the old guinea, about seven-eighths of an inch in diameter and containing about 7.3 grams of gold. Its intrinsic value was, as quick mathematics will show, significantly more than that of 20 silver shillings — an example of the "bimetallic question" with which Mycroft Holmes was concerned in "The Bruce-Partington Plans."<br />
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The gold one-pound coin was generally known as a "sovereign," and figures several times in the Canon; Holmes was given one by Irene Adler as a tip for serving as a witness at her wedding, and said he planned to wear it on his watch-chain. Guinea coins, however, make no appearance, and for good reason: they had been out of general use for some 80 years by the time Holmes's career was getting under way.<br />
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So why are guineas mentioned at all? Because they were still sometimes used in the prices of luxury goods and the fees of professionals. Indeed, they still are, as prices at art galleries and, oddly, livestock auctions may still be quoted in guineas. With the decimalization of British currency, 21 shillings is now expressed as £1.05, and a pretentiously expressed 500-guinea price would be £525 in ordinary money.<br />
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An expensive dress in "Silver Blaze" priced at 22 guineas, a pair of horses in "A Scandal in Bohemia" worth 150 guineas apiece, a 13-guinea medical bill in "The Missing Three-Quarter," Holmes's violin with its value of 500 guineas — these are typical uses of the old currency in Victorian times. A particularly interesting usage comes in "The Resident Patient," as Dr. Percy Trevelyan talks about his financial arrangement with Mr. Blessington, who gave him "five [shillings] and three-pence for every guinea that I had earned," that is, 25 per cent of the gross revenue.<br />
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One does wonder why Holmes promised "a guinea to the boy who finds the boat" in <i>The Sign of the Four</i>, and why guineas are mentioned in cab-fares in <i>A Study in Scarlet</i> and "A Scandal in Bohemia." (The basic cab-fare in central London was sixpence a mile.) Interestingly, these are the first three stories, and it seems not impossible that the young Arthur Conan Doyle, whose total income for his first  year in medical practice was £154, was trying to sound impressive without much personal experience of guineas.<br />
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If that's correct, those pastiche authors are in good company in making their guinea mistake.<br />
<i><br /><br />Image source: <a href="https://www.blogger.com/By%20Classical%20Numismatic%20Group,%20Inc.%20http://www.cngcoins.com,%20CC%20BY-SA%203.0,%20https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=1956986">Wikimedia Commons</a></i></div>
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The Curious Incident of the Guinea Coin

"No coins were to be found" [ENGR] I read a pastiche recently in which Sherlock Holmes pays somebody for something with ...

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by Chris Redmond

Interview with Sci-Fi Legend Jack McDevitt on his First Sherlock Holmes Story

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"beyond the limits of human ingenuity" [WIST]</h4>
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Many authors are successful, but <a href="http://www.jackmcdevitt.com/" target="_blank">Jack McDevitt</a> is a one-of-a-kind legend in the world of science fiction. Stephen King calls him, "the logical heir to Isaac Asimov and Arthur C. Clarke." Harlan Ellison says, "'Why read Jack McDevitt?’ The question should be: ‘Who among us is such a slow pony that s/he isn’t reading McDevitt?'"<br />
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Mr. McDevitt has been nominated for the <a href="http://www.sfwa.org/nebula-awards/" target="_blank">Nebula Award </a>18 times and won it in 2006 with his novel <i>Seeker</i>.  He has won a slew of other awards including the <a href="http://www.philipkdickaward.org/" target="_blank">Philip K. Dick Award</a>, the <a href="http://www.sfcenter.ku.edu/campbell.htm" target="_blank">Campbell Award</a>, the <a href="http://www.sfwa.org/2015/01/jack-mcdevitt-wins-2015-robert-heinlein-award/" target="_blank">Robert A. Heinlein Award</a>, and he even is going to have an <a href="http://www.locusmag.com/News/2016/03/asteroid-mcdevitt/" target="_blank">asteroid</a> named after him!<br />
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One may ask, why interview a science fiction author for a Sherlock Holmes blog?  Because Mr. McDevitt has penned his first Sherlock Holmes story for the anthology <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1306925656/beyond-watson-a-collection-of-new-sherlock-holmes" target="_blank"><i>Beyond Watson</i></a> which is currently raising funds through a <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1306925656/beyond-watson-a-collection-of-new-sherlock-holmes" target="_blank">Kickstarter campaign</a>.  I contacted Mr. McDevitt in August of 2015 to see if he would be interested in contributing a short story to an H.G. Wells collection for Belanger Books. I also mentioned that I was putting together <i>Beyond Watson</i>.  Much to my surprise and delight, Mr. McDevitt's reply was, "I'd be interested in doing the Holmes anthology."  After that, Jack sent me the story, "The Lost Equation," narrated by the famous reporter Henry Mencken.  I interviewed Jack, via email, about his story, his interest in Holmes, and asked why so many science fiction fans are drawn to the great detective.<br />
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<b>I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere:</b> W<b>hat made you, a sci-fi legend, want to write a traditional Sherlock Holmes story?</b></h4>
<b>Jack McDevitt:</b> I’ve been a Holmes fan since the days of Basil Rathbone. Got annoyed with Conan Doyle when, in the summer of 1955, I finished the Holmes stories and could not understand why Doyle had wasted time writing about a guy named Challenger and historical novels and even a play devoted to boxing instead of staying on Baker Street. If we ever really get a time travel capability, we should send someone back to talk sense to him.<br />
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<b>IHOSE: Your story in <i>Beyond Watson</i>, "The Lost Equation," is told by a real life character, H. L. (Henry) Mencken. What made you decide to use the real life journalist to tell your tale?</b></h4>
<b>JM:  </b>In his tendency to cut through the nonsense go after hypocrisy and stupidity in all its forms, Mencken has no equal. I used him as a model for a recurring character in the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/42777-the-academy" target="_blank">Academy novels</a>. And I sincerely wish he were around today.<br />
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<b>IHOSE: What were some different challenges to writing a Sherlock Holmes story as opposed to a science fiction tale?</b></h4>
<b>JM: </b>Fiction is fiction. The idea is to create an experience the reader can feel. In which he is actually present in the starship, or back at 221B Baker Street when Holmes and Watson are discussing the curious business of the blue carbuncle. Science fiction is defined in terms of technological capabilities or where the future might take us. And I guess my Holmes story does deal with how the future, as seen from Holmes’s time, might develop. But basically, the creative aspect is the same: Make the reader forget she’s sitting at home in an armchair and reading a story. The only difference is that she’s living through events on and around Baker Street instead of on the bridge of an interstellar vehicle. <br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizqcaj47syBVPb1l4LZuXc9-d2ouInnJSIFvOTTWkeQkZnDw09LaKCVIeKUtZYzrs8LWeDBgHD04h6AwkYOFxW9GLWua0-nMbiHlPFGag-0EFVZh_m8Z8LKpOI2nmTpWDuzePS9gmP3Afu/s1600/Beyond+Watson.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizqcaj47syBVPb1l4LZuXc9-d2ouInnJSIFvOTTWkeQkZnDw09LaKCVIeKUtZYzrs8LWeDBgHD04h6AwkYOFxW9GLWua0-nMbiHlPFGag-0EFVZh_m8Z8LKpOI2nmTpWDuzePS9gmP3Afu/s640/Beyond+Watson.jpg" width="494" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i><span style="font-size: x-small;">Jack McDevitt's story, "The Lost Equation," appears in this <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1306925656/beyond-watson-a-collection-of-new-sherlock-holmes" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes anthology</a></span></i></td></tr>
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<b>IHOSE:</b> <b>There is a rich tradition of science fiction authors writing Sherlock Holmes stories. Isaac Asimov was even a member of the Baker Street Irregulars. What is the appeal of the Holmes character to writers of sci-fi?</b></h4>
<b>JM:</b> I was four years old when Rathbone and Flash Gordon came into my life. I’m not sure about a direct connection other than that both appealed so vividly to my imagination. Holmes and Watson were alive, and so was the discovery that there were other planets. I wanted to ride with Flash, Dale, and Zarkov in that remarkable rocket ship, even though it had neither an airlock nor a washroom. But Holmes and Watson, and the discovery of a world beyond the rooftops, both became integral to my life.<br />
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<b>IHOSE: If a Sherlock Holmes fan wanted to start reading your science fiction books, which book would you recommend as a starting place? Why?</b></h4>
<b>JM:</b> Probably <a href="http://www.amazon.com/Talent-For-War-Jack-McDevitt/dp/0441012175" target="_blank"><i>A Talent for War</i></a>. It’s a mystery set in the 12th millennium: A starship has seen something that the government is trying to keep quiet. An antiquarian, <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/42152-alex-benedict" target="_blank">Alex Benedict</a>, becomes intrigued and goes looking for the truth. In later novels, Alex and his associate, Chase Kolpath, find themselves pursuing other historical mysteries, like what happened to the artifacts from the 20th century moon landings, which disappeared shortly after the Golden Age (as they think of our era) had ended.<br />
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<b>IHOSE: The question I ask all Sherlockians - If you were stranded on a desert island with only one Sherlock Holmes story, which would it be and why?</b></h4>
<b>JM:  </b>The story I’d want to have on the island:   “A Scandal in Bohemia.” It introduces Irene Adler, and Holmes is outwitted.<br />
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<b>IHOSE: What are your current projects?</b></h4>
<b>JM:</b> I’m working on an <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/42777-the-academy" target="_blank">Academy</a> novel, which features the star pilot Priscilla Hutchins.  In the 23rd century, though we’ve had FTL (i.e. faster than light) for several decades, we haven’t found a high tech civilization. Then we see evidence of interplanetary activity in a system 24,000 light-years away. Priscilla and a small team head out to find out what’s going on.<br />
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<b>IHOSE:  Any last thoughts?</b></h4>
<b>JM:</b> I can’t come up with a serious explanation for the connection between SF and Holmes. Maybe that’s because it runs too deep. I’ve enjoyed other characters in detective fiction over the years, like Hercule Poirot and Columbo, but none ever took over my life the way Holmes did. I can’t imagine my life without Sherlock and science fiction any more than without baseball, music, and beautiful women.<br />
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<i>For more on McDevitt's Sherlock Holmes story, "The Lost Equation," in Beyond Watson click <a href="https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1306925656/beyond-watson-a-collection-of-new-sherlock-holmes" target="_blank">here</a>.</i></h4>
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<b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/Jack-McDevitt/e/B000APWBG6" target="_blank">Jack McDevitt</a></b> is is an American science fiction author whose novels frequently deal with attempts to make contact with alien races, and with archaeology or xenoarchaeology. His two main series are the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/42152-alex-benedict" target="_blank">Alex Benedict</a> series and the <a href="https://www.goodreads.com/series/42777-the-academy" target="_blank">Priscilla Hutchins</a> series. He has been nominated for the Nebula Award 18 times and won the award in 2006 with his novel, Seeker.  Mr. McDevitt currently resides in Brunswick, Georgia. <br />
<br />
<i style="background-color: white; font-family: 'times new roman';">Derrick Belanger is the author of the #1 bestselling book in its category <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="1519511957" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance" href="http://www.amazon.com/Sherlock-Holmes-Adventure-Peculiar-Provenance/dp/1519511957/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_3292728" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Peculiar Provenance</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_3292728" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=9e2003200f68f2fe44eb4bcdd1a73f6d&_cb=1451973203084" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" />, which was in the top 200 bestselling books on Amazon. He also is the author of the MacDougall Twins with Sherlock Holmes books, the latest of which is <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B017862MVS" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur" href="http://www.amazon.com/Deadly-Dinosaur-MacDougall-Sherlock-Holmes-ebook/dp/B017862MVS/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_7842789" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Curse of the Deadly Dinosaur</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_7842789" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=5293cce6e7483fecbc2d08a80a6fd7fa&_cb=1451973247482" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" />, and he edited the Sir Arthur Conan Doyle horror anthology <a amzn-ps-bm-asin="B00P4E8AVI" class="amzn_ps_bm_tl" data-amzn-link-id="a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a" data-amzn-ps-bm-keyword="A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural" href="http://www.amazon.com/Study-Terror-Revolutionary-Stories-Supernatural-ebook/dp/B00P4E8AVI/ref=as_li_bk_tl/?tag=thebakerstree-20&linkId=a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a&linkCode=ktl" id="amznPsBmLink_5010397" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">A Study in Terror: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Revolutionary Stories of Fear and the Supernatural</a><img alt="" border="0" height="0" id="amznPsBmPixel_5010397" src="https://ir-na.amazon-adsystem.com/e/ir?source=bk&t=thebakerstree-20&bm-id=default&l=ktl&linkId=a71c0c4edf6b4a9c56848bf35d8b468a&_cb=1451973259426" style="border: none; height: 0px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; width: 0px;" width="0" />. Mr. Belanger also is a frequent contributor to I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere. He resides in Colorado and continues compiling unpublished works by Dr. John H. Watson.</i><br />
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Interview with Sci-Fi Legend Jack McDevitt on his First Sherlock Holmes Story

"beyond the limits of human ingenuity" [WIST] Many authors are successful, but Jack McDevitt is a one-of-a-kind legend in ...

+ Read more »

by Belanger Books

IHOSE on Snapchat — Just in Time for #221Bcon

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"with plenty of snap about him" [STOC]</h4>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNHw4eenoEjWpwoxPUDxAU_xURpOxl5bXNc1clxtC-mhUZhbibu8HcjDGAH7Zd54mURDOu9-YpA9oEp687hyFVTl1V0mV-Q5_tsvyUvO7J4wE7f5WiGpVQMFhOccQoHMbQru66eP5OjAy/s1600/snapchat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="534" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYNHw4eenoEjWpwoxPUDxAU_xURpOxl5bXNc1clxtC-mhUZhbibu8HcjDGAH7Zd54mURDOu9-YpA9oEp687hyFVTl1V0mV-Q5_tsvyUvO7J4wE7f5WiGpVQMFhOccQoHMbQru66eP5OjAy/s640/snapchat.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
<br />
We try not to be too trendy here at I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, lest we leave some of our core audience behind. Then again, as we've witnessed with hit shows like <i>Sherlock</i>, sometimes there's another audience out there that has yet to discover the wonders of what we do.<br />
<br />
When it comes to making ourselves available across the web, of course <a href="http://facebook.com/ihearofsherlock">we're on Facebook</a>; after all, 1.5 billion people can't be wrong. We have <a href="http://twitter.com/ihearofsherlock">a Twitter account</a>, as the microblogging network is a great way to share quick thoughts, spread news and connect with others. You can <a href="http://instagram.com/ihearofsherlock">find us on Instagram</a>, where we try to showcase collections, objects and travel images that are of Sherlockian value. [If you don't get connect with us on those sites/apps, please do. We'll wait.]<br />
<br />
<h3>
Now on Snapchat</h3>
Recently, we decided to see what all of the fuss was about regarding Snapchat. You've probably heard of Snapchat, particularly if you know anyone under the age of 20. In fact, Snapchat has surpassed Facebook in popularity in the 12-24 year-old demographic, and it has more users than Twitter. This is more than a trend. So, we're getting involved.<br />
<br />
I Hear of Sherlock everywhere now has a presence on Snapchat. Our handle there is the same as on every other social network: ihearofsherlock.<br />
<br />
We won't get into the details of how to use Snapchat. If you'd like a guide, here are a few:<br />
<br />
<ul>
<li><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=2&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiWoa_9nu7LAhVsmoMKHTk-AoYQFgghMAE&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Fvideo%2Fsnapchat-explained-using-snapchat%2F84712C9C-41D7-4C4F-AA4D-28AF383846AD.html&usg=AFQjCNG6ahAyfmPpREQqb6oOAAZYkXMMjQ&sig2=AVCH30kPkc9sHGOxY48UOw">Snapchat Explained...Using Snapchat</a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=&esrc=s&source=web&cd=1&cad=rja&uact=8&ved=0ahUKEwiWoa_9nu7LAhVsmoMKHTk-AoYQFggdMAA&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wsj.com%2Farticles%2Fsnapchat-101-learn-to-love-the-worlds-most-confusing-social-network-1452628322&usg=AFQjCNEMUX88mIQH-dVO2SmrKXcIJDLzXA&sig2=L2tiBsbTLM1FMPUPJAlKyg">How to Use Snapchat</a></li>
<li><a href="http://mashable.com/2014/08/04/snapchat-for-beginners/#lcGlvFrptZqP">Snapchat for Beginners</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bothsidesofthetable.com/2016/03/11/snapchat-101-vcs-old-folks/">Snapchat 101 for VCs and Old Folks</a></li>
</ul>
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<div>
To add us on Snapchat, simply follow these directions:</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6ihw8ybpJVKDrXAmGA-blmxGhDTvmte8h42CH99gzpkER3wypKcPYl9rU1vOy9jTUhgxgg2saZTT4hIt647RgyBZJSeiC8Y-9pVO3qtcSd8WV6HaYJAowX0iDzC0SSuiYoIhCRW56B2t/s1600/Snapchat+directions.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjY6ihw8ybpJVKDrXAmGA-blmxGhDTvmte8h42CH99gzpkER3wypKcPYl9rU1vOy9jTUhgxgg2saZTT4hIt647RgyBZJSeiC8Y-9pVO3qtcSd8WV6HaYJAowX0iDzC0SSuiYoIhCRW56B2t/s640/Snapchat+directions.jpg" width="638" /></a></div>
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<h3>
Just in Time for 221B Con</h3>
<div>
One of the things that users can do on Snapchat is add geofilters to their photos that correspond to their location. Geofilters are images and features that you can add to your photos to dress them up a bit. By making them associated with a particular place or event, it makes things even more interesting.</div>
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<h4>
To turn on filters in your settings:</h4>
<i>For iOS devices:</i><br />Go to Settings > Privacy > Location Services, and turn on for Snapchat<br /><br /><i>For Android devices:</i><br />Go to Settings > Location > Turn on<br />
For more information on using filters, see <a href="https://support.snapchat.com/en-US/a/geofilters">Snapchat's guide to geofilters</a>.<br />
<br />
Since we can't be at 221B Con in Atlanta, we've done the next best thing. <a href="http://ctt.ec/0zs05">I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere has created a #221Bcon Snapchat geofilter.</a> [Click to tweet]<br />
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Our filter will take your selfie and add the iconic IHOSE hat and pipe. So an image that starts out like this:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4b7C7lJrS_Lrhpc2hQ1eMn-3ijNvvm91ml435ogtoLfK_ke8uGtF6t-l_RJ3CuZ6KsQopHqn5HSmluf03oGbSw2ZctTugMNpBuj_JtCYX5VIvjmmJY0gx7CgXjPU3Xzx9A_jLYIuxqCw/s1600/Snapchat+before.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiP4b7C7lJrS_Lrhpc2hQ1eMn-3ijNvvm91ml435ogtoLfK_ke8uGtF6t-l_RJ3CuZ6KsQopHqn5HSmluf03oGbSw2ZctTugMNpBuj_JtCYX5VIvjmmJY0gx7CgXjPU3Xzx9A_jLYIuxqCw/s640/Snapchat+before.JPG" width="360" /></a></div>
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Then if you're at 221B Con, you'll be able to see the geofilter by swiping to the right:<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9p5kue4n8V0AEcUrvwPogmux2uo3AHDqCMPZ-EGkOUK9kGwEWr6wGAseq58lGb1ozvtamRJhx_PfXZXXD_g1X5bcDUUld7oXPtyNs65lRzvH6MDvxXJonWKq98PciPBYdmxdNeudEswOE/s1600/Geofilter.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9p5kue4n8V0AEcUrvwPogmux2uo3AHDqCMPZ-EGkOUK9kGwEWr6wGAseq58lGb1ozvtamRJhx_PfXZXXD_g1X5bcDUUld7oXPtyNs65lRzvH6MDvxXJonWKq98PciPBYdmxdNeudEswOE/s400/Geofilter.png" width="225" /></a></div>
Which in turn will give you a snap like this:<br />
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<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVf1e83jbQEWHeOAzMv8ySkMh60bhqtMljFWCxzQIP4xMd9IET-RkcMPIhB5W7gugwh-vPJHEqmVKgRGPc_jvALo4TQMWg6ue-XruuBUZPhue_V0t7A0-tlO6ewCKJsTg7l5dzpOR9WSv/s1600/Snapchat+after.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiCVf1e83jbQEWHeOAzMv8ySkMh60bhqtMljFWCxzQIP4xMd9IET-RkcMPIhB5W7gugwh-vPJHEqmVKgRGPc_jvALo4TQMWg6ue-XruuBUZPhue_V0t7A0-tlO6ewCKJsTg7l5dzpOR9WSv/s640/Snapchat+after.JPG" width="360" /></a></div>
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It's meant to be lighthearted, fun, and goofy — some of the attributes that come to mind when Sherlockians gather to just be themselves and enjoy their favorite pastime together.<br />
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Meanwhile, don't forget to follow us on Snapchat and share some of your own Sherlockian zaniness with us.<br />
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Happy snapping!<br />
<br />
--<br />
<br />

IHOSE on Snapchat — Just in Time for #221Bcon

"with plenty of snap about him" [STOC] We try not to be too trendy here at I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere, lest we leave some ...

+ Read more »

by Scott Monty

Remembering Douglas Wilmer, BSI

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"At the Lyceum Theatre, the crowds were already thick" [SIGN]</h4>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxADIMb4DUcl34yCBX_BlMb7y-gZZIOWy48PHIl9ljRfZE-yCXHP8XL9zzWlU1MvFVhSetW3IY5U5X6oOi8iTntlIx6TaGcGkJpfX7mq8oaq-YSnt9U7ySn4N06YGDmwJ2-as0aFlNzDD/s1600/wilmer.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="360" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyxADIMb4DUcl34yCBX_BlMb7y-gZZIOWy48PHIl9ljRfZE-yCXHP8XL9zzWlU1MvFVhSetW3IY5U5X6oOi8iTntlIx6TaGcGkJpfX7mq8oaq-YSnt9U7ySn4N06YGDmwJ2-as0aFlNzDD/s640/wilmer.jpg" width="640" /></a></div>
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Douglas Wilmer, BSI ("The Lyceum Theatre"), who portrayed Sherlock Holmes on the BBC in the 1960s, passed away after a short illness today, aged 96. He received his investiture in the Baker Street Irregulars in 2000.<br />
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Douglas Wilmer's mark on the Sherlockian world cannot be overstated. For an entire generation of British television viewers, he <i>was</i> Sherlock Holmes. Wilmer had the same impact that Jeremy Brett did in the mid-1980s and early 1990s and that Benedict Cumberbatch has today.<br />
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Just a little over a year ago, we reflected on <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/02/celebrating-50-years-of-douglas-wilmer.html#.Vv0wK6QrLb1" rel="nofollow">50 years of Douglas Wilmer as Sherlock Holmes</a>, which included a nod to the 2014 <i>Baker Street Journal Christmas Annual</i>, edited by Jonathan ("Barrymore") and Elaine McCafferty ("Eliza Barrymore"), BSIs. The volume's titled came from longtime Sherlockian entertainment critic David Morrill, BSI ("Count Von Kramm") who called him "The only actor who ever got it right." [Listen to David's take on Sherlock Holmes of the screen on Episodes <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose21" rel="nofollow">21</a> and <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose22" rel="nofollow">22</a>]<br />
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<div class="separator" style="background-color: white; clear: both; color: #0e0e0e; font-family: Verdana, Geneva, sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: 22.4px; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjw1cIsnjp_2aI5NOuwTRLUuc1mmbf70n1Sn2qy9YiOlYmpZBXkB1jTvZrjqxA_lploXIu7w5kaJE2f9QHFPAIsFnn4N5q5z5NMAjuWdRoynKNhoeMv92w_UKKKX1f8JSybf9ZM8SoGxfS/s1600/BSJ+Christmas+Annual+2014.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="color: #006f85; font-weight: bold; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><img alt="Douglas Wilmer, subject of the 2014 Baker Street Journal Christmas Annual" border="0" class="amzn_view_checked" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjjw1cIsnjp_2aI5NOuwTRLUuc1mmbf70n1Sn2qy9YiOlYmpZBXkB1jTvZrjqxA_lploXIu7w5kaJE2f9QHFPAIsFnn4N5q5z5NMAjuWdRoynKNhoeMv92w_UKKKX1f8JSybf9ZM8SoGxfS/s1600/BSJ+Christmas+Annual+2014.jpg" style="border-width: 0px; height: auto; max-width: 100%;" title="2014 BSJ Christmas Annual" width="267" /></a></div>
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That remembrance also included some wonderful <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/2015/02/celebrating-50-years-of-douglas-wilmer.html#.Vv0wK6QrLb1" rel="nofollow">photos of Wilmer's trip to the Sherlock Holmes exhibit</a> at the London Museum — do be sure to click through.<br />
<h3>
<br />
A More Personal Connection</h3>
For our part, we'd like to share some personal memories about Douglas. In 1998, Douglas made a tour of some American cities to promote his audiocassette recordings of some Sherlock Holmes stories. Your editor was fortunate enough to be the ambassador who accompanied him in Boston (more on that anon).<br />
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But since that trip, we fell into a bit of a correspondence together. After learning about Douglas' love of watercolors, your editor picked up a set of notecards at a museum shop, and subsequently every letter we sent off to Douglas were on those cards. And for every note sent, he was diligent about replying. We'll treasure those few missives greatly and we'll miss Douglas the man even more.<br />
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Below, we reproduce our contribution to <i>The Holmes and Watson Report</i>, Vol. 2, No. 4 (Sept. 1998) titled "Sherlock Holmes In My Car." We've included additional assets to bring the story to life.<br />
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<h3>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<h3>
Sherlock Holmes In My Car</h3>
</div>
</h3>
Monday, April 20, 1998 dawned like any other day.  As the sun began to rise effortlessly over the Boston Harbor, school buses were hauling their cargo from Copley Square to Hopkington, some 26.2 miles away. However, these buses did not contain the usual assemblage of screaming schoolchildren. You see, this was no ordinary day: this was the day of the Boston Marathon.<br />
<br />
The Great Race is always held on Patriots’ Day – the day that Massachusetts celebrates Paul Revere’s midnight ride and the beginning of the Revolutionary War. What better day to welcome an Englishman to Boston, home of the Tea Party and the Shot Heard ‘Round the World? <br />
<br />
<div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
“It is always a joy to meet an American.” [NOBL]</h4>
Approximately four months before, I received a call from Paul Singleton, BSI telling me of Douglas Wilmer’s impending visit to the United States. He would be visiting Boston, New York, Philadelphia, and Washington, D.C., in that order. Paul had been told that I was the contact person for the Boston area. Well, I couldn’t very well tell Paul that I was a mere cog in the well-greased Sherlockian world in the Hub of the Universe, could I?<br />
<br />
I listened intently to the plan of action: Mr. Wilmer would travel with his wife and Richard Lancelyn Green, visiting with Sherlockian societies along the way. The program?  It seems that Mr. Wilmer wished to sing for his supper, and therefore would be prepared to read from the Canon.<br />
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<h4 style="text-align: center;">
“Ha! Nothing could be better!”  [STOC]</h4>
Preparations were made. Phone calls were placed. Dossiers and packages were received. I was to pick up Douglas, Anne and Richard at the airport. And before I knew it, the evening of April 20 was upon me. I successfully navigated the Big Dig and the constant construction at Logan Airport, where I stood in line at the international arrivals gate, awaiting my quarry.<br />
<br />
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"How shall I ever forget that dreadful vigil?" [SPEC]</h4>
As soon as the party rounded the corner, I recognized my party. At 78, Douglas Wilmer is as spry as ever, just as Holmes was at that age. I held up my chauffer-esque sign that on one side read “<b>WILMER</b>.”  On the other side was hastily scrawled “<b>Ugly 6’3” murderer at keyhole</b>,” <a href="https://youtu.be/SGcEmkNaR0c?t=3m35s">a scene Wilmer had created in <i>The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother</i></a>. Rather than scare him enough to retreat to the Customs counter, I shared this with him later, and he recalled the scene with great amusement.<br />
<br /></div>
<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"He glanced swiftly over it." [HOUN]</h4>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/SGcEmkNaR0c?rel=0" width="640"></iframe><br /></div>
<div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: x-small;">The scene in question begins at 3:35</span></div>
<br />
<br />
As we drove to his lodgings, I shared the information of the Boston holiday with my guests and we all agreed upon the irony. I assured them that we Yanks would nevertheless make their stay a most pleasant one in Boston. <a href="http://algonquinclub.com/">The Algonquin Club of Boston</a>, one of the oldest and most revered clubs in the city, was a perfect choice for my guests’ accommodation, since it was modeled after gentlemen’s clubs in London. In fact, Mr. Wilmer announced that it could double as the Diogenes Club.<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/AVvXsEilRbBdLYWpGaBiMNbhYylcSDdwXu-dzr3lZwlgrV0H5DiVEqq72-S8x8SBQypPuWASXoaVVm5JA3Kav750YhIQ3qI-eskuMmTbAbAewpgBgBeb9PSs5EDSRZ9dPveHcvu0I6aig6QZaaNO/s1600/Wilmer+-+Sherlock+Diogenes+Club.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="462" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilRbBdLYWpGaBiMNbhYylcSDdwXu-dzr3lZwlgrV0H5DiVEqq72-S8x8SBQypPuWASXoaVVm5JA3Kav750YhIQ3qI-eskuMmTbAbAewpgBgBeb9PSs5EDSRZ9dPveHcvu0I6aig6QZaaNO/s640/Wilmer+-+Sherlock+Diogenes+Club.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Douglas Wilmer, later, as a disgruntled Diogenes Club member in <i>Sherlock</i> ("The Reichenbach Fall") </td></tr>
</tbody></table>
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After checking in and depositing bags, I found that the Wilmers and Green were in the mood for some good American food (i.e., burgers!). We zipped from Commonwealth Avenue over to Newbury Street, where we found a parking space directly in front of our restaurant.  I informed them that this was a rarity in the entire city, even more so on Newbury Street, and even more so only hours after the completion of the marathon. They didn’t seem fazed. I guess it doesn’t mean as much to any non-Bostonian.<br />
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Well, I could go on and on about the minute details of Douglas Wilmer’s stay, but I’ll keep it brief rather than risk losing some of the loyal readership of this fine publication. Suffice it to say that I was informed that Mr. Wilmer enjoyed art and architecture, both of which Boston happens to have on hand, fortunately. Douglas, Anne, and Richard got their fill of the city, including the <a href="http://www.mfa.org/">Museum of Fine Arts</a>, the <a href="http://www.gardnermuseum.org/home">Isabella Stewart Gardener Museum</a>, the Boston Common, and Legal Sea Foods.<br />
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The event itself was a rousing success, with 50 people in attendance at the Alqonquin Club and a feast for the eyes as well as the mouth, as my good friend John Baesch as described. Wilmer’s performance was one to remember and was very well-received by the audience. All in all, the evening was a smashing success.<br />
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"Such was the remarkable narrative to which I listened on that April evening…" [EMPT]</h4>
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Amidst all of the excitement of the event and the frantic preparations, the thrill of the entire week was just talking quietly with Douglas – as he asked me to call him – and learning more about his life. There were times we chatted together at my club, in my apartment, and in my car. As I was driving through the streets of Boston, I thought to myself at one point, “My God! Sherlock Holmes is sitting in the passenger seat of my car!”<br />
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I learned that Wilmer greatly admired Leo McKern, an actor of great range and skill. I discovered that Laurence Olivier had stage fright that sometimes caused him nausea. I found that Douglas himself was a war hero, watercolor artist, a bird watcher, a former wine shop owner, and couldn’t get enough of our Boston baked scrod.<br />
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As a host, I constantly fussed and tried to ensure the comfort of my guests. I could only hope that I succeeded all week. As we prepared to part, Douglas and Anne pulled me aside and gave me a neatly wrapped gift. I opened a folio edition of <i><a href="http://www.amazon.com/The-Fire-Liberty-Esmond-Wright/dp/0312292015">The Fire of Liberty</a></i>,  inscribed “Best Wishes & Thanks, Douglas Wilmer.” When I add to this a letter in May from Suffolk that ran “…we could not have got off to a better start…I can’t imagine a better introduction to America!”<br />
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I am satisfied with a job well done and a few days of memories that will last me a lifetime.<br />
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“Those are the facts of the case, Doctor, and if they are of any use to your collection, I am sure that they are very heartily at your service.” [GLOR]</h4>
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Rest well, Douglas Wilmer. You inspired us more than you knew.<br />
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<br /></div>

Remembering Douglas Wilmer, BSI

"At the Lyceum Theatre, the crowds were already thick" [SIGN] Douglas Wilmer, BSI ("The Lyceum Theatre"), who portr...

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by Scott Monty

Episode 93: Nerve and Knowledge

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"He has nerve and he has knowledge." [SPEC]</h4>
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If you're a regular listener of our show, you may remember that in <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose76" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 76: Out of the Abyss</a>, we chatted with Steve Rothman, BSI ("The Valley of Fear"), Bob Katz, BSI ("Dr. Ainstree") and Andy Solberg, BSI ("Professor Coram") about the BSI Manuscript Series entry about "The Empty House." During that conversation, Bob and Andy excitedly told us about their next project — a then-unnamed book about medicine in the Sherlock Holmes stories.<br />
<br />
Well, this January their book made its debut: the BSI Press unveiled <i><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/nerve.html" target="_blank">Nerve and Knowledge: Doctors, Medicine and the Sherlockian Canon</a></i>. Naturally, we invited Bob and Andy to join us on IHOSE for a fourth time to talk about their remarkable experiences putting such a book together. [Previous episodes include episodes <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose50" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">50</a>, <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose63" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">63</a> and <a href="http://ihose.co/ihose76" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">76</a>.]<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;"><i>Nerve and Knowledge</i> [click to enlarge]</td></tr>
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<br />
As any good editor would, both Bob and Andy proudly discuss just about every article in their work (try as we might to make them choose a favorite), but Andy made a valid point in mentioning that many of these bear rereading and they hold up well time after time. Every one of the essays in the book is original, and the duo does a fine job of sourcing them and stitching them all together.<br />
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What's more is our show gets into backstories, give-and-takes, and perhaps even a little gossip about Sherlockians and the book publishing process. There may be a surprise or two in store if you listen in...<br />
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<h3>
Notes</h3>
1:53 Welcome<br />
2:44 Carl Reiner impersonates the Picture of Dorian Gray<br />
3:20 Only seven more episodes until our 100th episode<br />
5:20 Sponsor: Wessex Press<br />
6:38 <i>Nerve and Knowledge</i> introduction<br />
8:45 A flashback<br />
10:38 Welcome, Bob and Andy!<br />
14:02 What's different about this effort<br />
24:50 Catherine Cooke's contribution was a smack-down of one of Bob's <i>BSJ</i> articles<br />
28:55 Further reading chapter uncovered some previously overlooked topics<br />
33:20 Sponsor: Amanda Lester, Detective<br />
36:14 The story behind the cover art on the dust jacket — evidence boxes<br />
47:02 Favorite articles of each of the editors?<br />
59:15 An idea for a sequel volume<br />
1:00:44 Sponsor: <i>The Baker Street Journal</i><br />
1:02:48 Bob and Andy's next project<br />
1:11:48 Burt is on the hook<br />
1:12:38 Closing comments<br />
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Sponsors</h3>
This episode includes our two longtime sponsors and a special sponsor who is supporting us for the first half of this year:<br />
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<li><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 plus the Christmas Annual. </li>
<li>And Paula Berinstein's <a href="http://amandalester.net/" target="_blank">Amanda Lester, Detective</a> series for young adults.</li>
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<h3>
Links:</h3>
<ul>
<li><i><a href="http://bakerstreetjournal.com/nerve.html" target="_blank">Nerve and Knowledge: Doctors, Medicine and the Sherlockian Canon</a></i>, available from the BSJ website.</li>
<li>Carl Reiner and his <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nYcx-2raKtA" target="_blank">Dorian Gray impersonation</a>. </li>
<li><a href="http://ihose.co/ihose89" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">Episode 89: The Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes</a></li>
<li><a href="http://www.bakerstreetjournal.com/pdf/nerve-knowledge-info.pdf" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">The contributors and table of contents of <i>Nerve and Knowledge</i></a></li>
<li><a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4nq3MCgMdUA" target="_blank">Surgically implaning a Kit Kat into a Three Musketeers</a></li>
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Episode 93: Nerve and Knowledge

"He has nerve and he has knowledge." [SPEC] If you're a regular listener of our show, you may remember that ...

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by Scott Monty

The Sherlock Violin

<h4 style="text-align: center;">
"His powers upon the violin… were very remarkable" [STUD] </h4>
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Most Sherlockians know that the iconic deerstalker and curved pipe associated with Holmes were really the props used by the famous actor <a href="http://www.ihearofsherlock.com/search/label/William%20Gillette" rel="nofollow" target="_blank">William Gillette</a> when he brought the world’s first consulting detective to the stage in 1899. But we also know that Holmes is clearly and properly associated with his iconic musical instrument – the violin. Watson mentions Holmes’ violin playing many times in the Canon – the word ‘violin’ – singular and plural – appears 20 times. The violin is so strongly associated with Holmes that few die-hard Sherlockian mavens can name a Sherlockian play, film or pastiche which does not have a scene with Holmes and a violin.<br />
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Watson describes Holmes boasting that he “had purchased his own Stradivarius, which was worth at least five hundred guineas, at a Jew broker's in Tottenham Court Road for fifty-five shillings.” [CARD]<br />
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In the Holmes apocrypha "The Field Bazaar," Holmes is found studying “a very interesting article upon the trees of Cremona and the exact reasons for their pre-eminence in the manufacture of violins,” and of course in <i>A Study in Scarlet</i>, Holmes "prattled away about Cremona fiddles, and the difference between a Stradivarius and an Amati."<br />
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Watson tells us that Holmes attended concerts by the 19th-century virtuoso Wilhelmina Norman-Neruda, whose “attack and bowing are splendid” [STUD], and a performance by Sarasate finds both Holmes and Watson at St James’s Hall [REDH].<br />
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Music "has charms" not only to "sooth a savage breast" [often misquoted as "a savage beast" - Ed.] but also and less frequently quoted, "to soften rocks, or bend a knotted oak," according to seventeenth-century playwright William Congreve (and not Shakespeare to whom the quote is frequently attributed).  However this essay will turn that phrase around and proclaim that bending a knotted oak (or more precisely a sycamore, as we shall see) has the power to charm Sherlock Holmes!<br />
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<h3>
Discovering the 'Sherlock' Violin</h3>
On a recent visit to Edinburgh I was privileged to give a presentation at the <a href="http://www.arthurconandoylecentre.com/" target="_blank">Arthur Conan Doyle Centre</a>, home of the Edinburgh Association of Spiritualists, housed in a beautifully restored Victorian townhouse built by the very successful brewer, William McEwan (whose own connection with ACD will be explored in another essay). I learned from a trustee of the Centre, Ann Treherne, that on the one year anniversary of the opening of the Centre, October 23, 2012, a very special violin had been played – the Sherlock violin, a violin normally held at the <a href="http://www.ed.ac.uk/information-services/library-museum-gallery/museums-and-galleries/musical-instrument-museums" target="_blank">Museum of Musical Instruments</a> at the University of Edinburgh.  Of course my Sherlock-y sense immediately tingled, and I enquired, “What is this ‘Sherlock violin’?”<br />
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To answer that question let us enter our time-travelling Tardis and journey back to Edinburgh between 1865 and 1869. A young Arthur Conan Doyle moved to the outskirts of that great city to board at Liberton Bank House under the care of Mary Burton, who lived there from 1844 to 1898. Mary Burton was a trailblazing social and educational reformer, the first woman Governor of Heriot-Watt College and a prominent advocate of women's suffrage. Her promotion of educational equality and access led her to bequeath, with foresight, a sum towards the campaign "for the admission of women to sit as members of parliament."<br />
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Doyle ostensibly came to live there to attend the nearby Newington School but also to gain respite from a dysfunctional family life due to the alcoholism of his father. He became great friends with Burton’s nephew, William K. Burton, with whom he often climbed a large sycamore tree on the property next to the house. The two years Doyle spent at Liberton Bank House were influential in his development.<br />
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We can return, not yet to the present time, but to the beginning of our 21st century. Liberton Bank House continued to be used as a residence until 1993 but fell into disrepair. Almost demolished to make way for a fast food hamburger restaurant (yes, McDonald’s – at least it has a Scottish name), it was saved from that ignominious fate by Conan Doyle and Burton enthusiasts and eventually became a listed property by Historic Scotland in 2000.<br />
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Feasibility studies suggested that the best use of the property would be as school for students with learning difficulties, medical concerns or social, emotional or behavioral problems and the building was eventually restored in time for the 2007-2008 school year. However, as the fate of the property was being debated, it was found that the large 170 year old sycamore tree on the property had failed because of rotting roots and could potentially fall and damage the building. Of course this was the very tree that young Arthur Conan Doyle climbed and played in as a boy.<br />
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Ever mindful of their heritage, their duty to preserve, and of native son Conan Doyle, staff at the Dunedin School felt that even if the tree itself could not be saved, the wood from the tree could be and ‘wood’ be. And what better use could be made of that wood than to honor the young Conan Doyle, who had spent important years of his childhood actually climbing in that tree? <br />
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Joan Foulner, a history teacher at the school said:<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“We had no alternative but to knock down the tree, as the rotting in its roots were so severe. It’s been here for so long, and with its connections with Arthur Conan Doyle, there was no way we could just knock it down and have it turned into woodchips. We had been looking for an idea for some kind of tribute to Sherlock Holmes when one of the garden volunteers read an article about a local violin maker.  We’ve raised the money to pay for the violin through donations.”  </blockquote>
Dunedin School staff contacted luthier Steve Burnett, a local Edinburgh instrument maker and commissioned him to create from that wood what is now known as the Sherlock violin in time for the 150th anniversary of the birth of Doyle in 2009.<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/AVvXsEgmEyov0RLqGooUunQD1wgU9Ka1XXiF0KFwBDiDDWskP215yWTTCbG15-vucn_jo2zOCPDZ-Ryv9_oSeGtm9Z3AgiabSUARp52qpQJe2hAvRk68jRTd2its2Hu54bRRY3rI_R44msgd0IIO/s1600/P1010480.JPG" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="640" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgmEyov0RLqGooUunQD1wgU9Ka1XXiF0KFwBDiDDWskP215yWTTCbG15-vucn_jo2zOCPDZ-Ryv9_oSeGtm9Z3AgiabSUARp52qpQJe2hAvRk68jRTd2its2Hu54bRRY3rI_R44msgd0IIO/s640/P1010480.JPG" width="382" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Steve Burnett, with his creations</td></tr>
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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/AVvXsEhcXtsPrxsM04c2U8_s0jUThBLodnEVeSP0sYqfsIYdsxhhf9yKyXfrMCgcTEIiSmJWkVc5L0ZcOVsiNleRSteN74_belsJWh0eC0-3uR1HCJolIYCfw6ZE0_Ft7lU_i_a-RHbSg9SzMDGD/s1600/P1010481-1.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcXtsPrxsM04c2U8_s0jUThBLodnEVeSP0sYqfsIYdsxhhf9yKyXfrMCgcTEIiSmJWkVc5L0ZcOVsiNleRSteN74_belsJWh0eC0-3uR1HCJolIYCfw6ZE0_Ft7lU_i_a-RHbSg9SzMDGD/s400/P1010481-1.jpg" width="300" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The Conan Doyle quartet</td></tr>
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According to Watson, Holmes often stated “You know my methods” (mentioned at least fourteen times in nine stories) and Steve Burnett has his methods as well. Burnett is no ordinary luthier, and the honor of creating this unique instrument came to him in part due to his unique methods.<br />
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As mentioned previously, Holmes had a Stradivarius but Burnett was more influenced by the famous Italian maker Guiseppe Guarnerius del Gesu (1698-1744) based in Cremona and a rival to Antonio Stradivari. Burnett based the Sherlock violin on a design which the great violin-maker provided for Nicolo Paganini about 1740. He eschews the convenience of modern wood preservatives in his craft by returning to old organic resins and oil varnish recipes for wood treatment. He feels that his custom crafted violins harken back to Guarneri’s instruments which possess “a dark, responsive, sonorous, powerful and sweet tone. . . very much sought after by many leading soloists.” He states<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“What I am doing is going back to some of the varnish mixes that produced the sound from instruments that survive today and sound so good.  My violins may look a little less refined than some but they produce a wonderful sound which is louder and sweeter than other instruments.”</blockquote>
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His preferred wood preservatives and his carving and woodworking expertise were not the only ‘methods’ Burnet had to use in crafting the Sherlock violin. The tonal qualities of a violin are obviously affected by the wood used and its condition. The nature of the type of wood, its density and grain characteristics, the thickness of each individual piece – all these contribute to the final character of the sound.<br />
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Ordinarily wood used in instrument making may be aged for years before it is actually carved and crafted to make a stringed instrument. The moisture content must stabilize before the luthier can choose the pieces of wood used for the various components. Steve Burnett had a deadline of less than a year to make a very special instrument, and he did not want the audible characteristics of this violin to change substantially as it aged. Making a violin is an art which requires specialized experience.  He not only used his years of experience with traditional methods but was forced to experiment with ways of accelerating the ‘aging’ of the raw sycamore wood – techniques which are now proprietary.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGInMls6-qBM7qZIHkhBEs5Ahfw7OqBJbuqWQGk68VrZHzpj29YSAE6_6dbO_zAj5W0_kHJ4G9x_tZCd_SI053yuAZXqtqGq8VUocIWnE_gL04GMI5ijeBp6gowGwi5coHcZAmVHVYX9M/s1600/Sherlock+violin.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img alt="Steve Burnett's work: the Sherlock violin" border="0" height="354" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiHGInMls6-qBM7qZIHkhBEs5Ahfw7OqBJbuqWQGk68VrZHzpj29YSAE6_6dbO_zAj5W0_kHJ4G9x_tZCd_SI053yuAZXqtqGq8VUocIWnE_gL04GMI5ijeBp6gowGwi5coHcZAmVHVYX9M/s640/Sherlock+violin.jpg" title="The Sherlock violin" width="640" /></a></div>
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The deadline was met and the Sherlock violin made its debut at a concert at the school on the 150th anniversary of Doyle’s birth, May 22nd, 2009. Sherlockians might be content just to know that this commemorative violin was made and played then. But that would leave out the ‘rest of the story.’<br />
There are violins and there are violins. The remaining Stradavari and Guarneri violins in this world are insured for hundreds of thousands if not millions of dollars because of their sound in the hands of a skilled violinist. What about the sound of the Sherlock violin? Is it to be noted merely as a nice gesture to Conan Doyle because it was made with wood from a tree in which he once played?<br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41qiog4nztFv4ffxauov3GvRRO8VEBHppsgr3A2C3TjMSV18YEj5o-rkymCwlDZH-sDAgO50fFopWKJV6LCt2ofxqeNBVOBrmkbpk1rEvj9yAZ2OF6dfhmthN_oPqyTPy7kocJd5vac6E/s1600/Sherlock+violin+2.jpg" style="margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="394" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj41qiog4nztFv4ffxauov3GvRRO8VEBHppsgr3A2C3TjMSV18YEj5o-rkymCwlDZH-sDAgO50fFopWKJV6LCt2ofxqeNBVOBrmkbpk1rEvj9yAZ2OF6dfhmthN_oPqyTPy7kocJd5vac6E/s640/Sherlock+violin+2.jpg" width="640" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption">Dr. Jenny Nex of the Musical Instrument Museum, University of Edinburgh</td></tr>
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Violinists who have played the Sherlock violin (and other stringed instruments crated by Burnett) have uniformly praised it as sounding more like the pre-1800 violins made in Cremona. One review of a charity event to raise money for the Haiti Orphan Appeal appeared in <i>The Scotsman</i>, May 16, 2010. The Sherlock violin was played in Usher Hall by Armenian string prodigy Ani Batikian in a<br />
<blockquote class="tr_bq">
“varied programme . . .  designed to show off the colours and textures of the instrument as well as the versatility and talent of violinist Ani Batikian. Together with the St Patrick’s Baroque Ensemble, she took Vivaldi’s <i>The Four Seasons</i> at a brisk pace revealing the violin’s quicksilver qualities. Then with pianist Helena Buckmayer, Batikian played works by Elgar and Gershwin demonstrating the warm, honeyed tones of the instrument, while Bartok’s <i>Romanian Folk Dances</i> revealed its more fiery nature.  However, it was the beautiful sweeping melodies of Jay Ungar's <i>Ashokan Farewell</i> for violin and ensemble that really highlighted the gorgeous tones of this magnificent instrument.”  </blockquote>
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Because of the violin’s connection to Doyle it also performed in the world premiere of <i>Elsie and Frances </i>by Scottish composer James Clapperton – named for the two young girls responsible for the 1920 <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cottingley_Fairies" target="_blank">Cottingley Fairies hoax</a>, in which Doyle remained a believer until his death in 1931.<br />
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In the fall of 2010 the Sherlock violin was turned over to the Musical Instrument Museum at the University of Edinburgh from where it is lent out to various organizations such as UNICEF to play for children’s and environmental charities worldwide. I was able to visit the MIM in the summer of 2015 and actually handle the Sherlock violin and hear it as played by one of the curators.  I am not an expert on the sounds of violins and cannot offer an expert opinion on its audible characteristics, but as a Sherlockian I was delighted to see on the inside of the violin the marking,<div><br />
<h3 style="text-align: center;">
<i>“Sherlock, 150th anniversary, birth of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, wood from sycamore at Dunedin School, former childhood home, Edinburgh, 22/05/2009.”</i></h3>
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You can find YouTube videos of the Sherlock violin being played as well as a commentary by Steve Burnett himself has more information on the construction of the violin and sound clips demonstrating it – links can found <a href="https://www.burnettviolins.co.uk/sherlock-violin" target="_blank">on his website</a>.</div><div><br /></div><div style="text-align: center;"><iframe allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture" allowfullscreen="" frameborder="0" height="315" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/6kd7zLPNrvM" title="YouTube video player" width="560"></iframe><br /></div><div><br />
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While this may end this part of the narrative, it is still not ‘the rest of the story.'  Part 2 will tell a tale of the Watson violin plus a viola and a cello.  When combined with the Sherlock violin they comprise the Doyle string quartet – all made from the same sycamore tree.  The story continues with the only public playing of the Doyle quartet to date at the first year anniversary of the opening of the Arthur Conan Doyle Centre in Edinburgh in 2012.  And this occasion premiered the only performance of <i>The Sign of Four</i> (a quartet for strings, naturally), especially written for the ACD Centre by a Scottish composer and retired woodwind player with the London Symphony Orchestra.  Stay ‘tuned’ for more!<br />
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And in case you wondered what's left of that sycamore tree, here are some shots from the Liberton Bank House grounds:<br />
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