On March 9, 1955, Denis Percy Stewart Conan Doyle (born 1909), son of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, died in India. He was the first child of Arthur Conan Doyle’s marriage to Jean Leckie, and the eldest surviving son after the death of his half-brother, Kingsley, in 1918.
From information provided by the volume A Curious Collection of Dates by by Leah Guinn (JHWS “Amber”) and Jaime N Mahoney (JHWS “Tressa”), we find this note in E W Smith’s “From the Editor’s Commonplace Book” in the July 1955 issue of the Baker Street Journal:
[Denis was n]ever too sympathetic with the doings of the Baker Street Irregulars — he found the profound pseudo-scholarship angle a little baffling — [but] Denis was nevertheless an interested and sometimes charming observer.
Denis Conan Doyle attended the 1949 BSI Dinner and was perhaps somewhat miffed that Holmes and Watson, rather than his father, were getting all the attention. Smith goes to recall:
And then, a few minutes later, he got to his feet, at Chris Morley’s invitation, and gave a simple and very moving little talk on ‘My Father’s Friend, Mr Sherlock Holmes’.
Posted by The Dynamic Duo (JHWS Chips) aka Ron and (JHWS Selena) aka Beth
Given the happenings involving the “Five Orange Pips”, I’m not sure “delighted” is the adjective Holmes would use upon encountering some oranges, but this fruit crate label certainly caught my attention.
From the information I could find, Ted W Holmes purchased the Blanton Packing Co warehouse in Pasco County, Florida, in 1956. He used it for two weeks every December to package gift fruit as a hobby until his death in 1989. In 2000, his son donated the entire packinghouse to the Pioneer Florida Museum Association for use as a citrus museum. The building and its contents were dismantled, moved, and reassembled for exhibit at the Pioneer Florida Museum and Village. The Association plans to re-construct it as a working educational structure on their property. (It doesn’t look like the project has gotten very far. That’s a shame.)
While looking for information on the Holmes Fruit Co, I also found a nearly identical label for “Watson’s Dream” oranges. We’re always glad to see Watson get equal billing! Even if it’s still Holmes in the picture. I’d like to know more about the Holmes Fruit Co – I couldn’t find much out there. It looks like it only operated at Christmastime, and it’s not clear if the fruit was sold as a seasonal gift or perhaps given away. What do you think?
March 8, 1888: Holmes learned that Jack Douglas had been lost at sea. [VALL]
“No, I don’t say that,” said Holmes, and his eyes seemed to be looking far into the future. “I don’t say that he can’t be beat. But you must give me time – you must give me time!” We all sat in silence for some minutes, while those fateful eyes still strained to pierce the veil.
Source A Day by Day Chronology of Sherlock Holmes by William S Dorn DWNP, BSI
This week’s quiz question comes from Enrico Solito (JHWS “Devon”), who asks:
Who is the Tuscan connected with luxury in the Canon?
For full marks, name the Tuscan and explain the Canonical connection. Send your answers by email to the JHWS Quizmaster by March 26.
We’re also pleased to announce that our “Devon” is among the contributors to His Everlasting Bow: Italian Studies in Sherlock Holmes, edited by Alessandra Calanchi (JHWS “Bianca”) and Stephen Knight, published by Aras Edizioni.
The description from the publisher sounds most intriguing:
Are Sherlock Holmes studies outdone? Has everything already been said and written about Baker Street, the Baskervilles, and the like? This volume answers these questions and dispels any doubts on the matter by presenting some of the most recent and original Italian scholarship focussing on the Sacred Canon and its long-lasting legacy in the international arena. From coding strategies to collecting Sherlockiana, from war(s) in Afghanistan to literary tourism, from the TV series of the 1960s to today’s tweets, His Everlasting Bow marks the state-of-art studies in the field and opens new fascinating trajectories of interpretation and research. The contribution of eminent scholars is matched by some outstanding pastiches and the experimental work of a group of young researchers.
Professor Stephen Knight’s foreword is simply the icing on the cake. And a treat is in store for the Sherlock Holmes Society of Italy Uno Studio in Holmes, as this volume is intended as a gift on the occasion of its 30th birthday (Florence 1987). His Everlasting Bow is also dedicated to the memory of Nando Gazzolo (1928-2015), the only Italian actor who has ever interpreted the Great Detective.
Contributors (in order of appearance): Valerio Viviani, Gabriele Mazzoni, Caterina Marrone, Enrico Solito, Stella Mattioli, Enrico and Fabio Petrella, Alessandra Calanchi and Nando Gazzolo, Marco Grassi, Luca Sartori, Gian Italo Bischi, Raniero Bastianelli, Matteo Bischi, Ruben Costa, Luisa Fanucci, Elena Garbugli, Adele Guerra, Francesca Secci, Stefano Serafini.
March 7, 1881: Jefferson Hope’s body was found in his cell. [STUD]
He had gone to the final judgment and reunion with Lucy. One can hope that mercy ruled determination of their case. Their suffering and pain on earth was enough. -Chips
Source A Day by Day Chronology of Sherlock Holmes by William S Dorn DWNP, BSI
March 6, 1881: Holmes tested some pills on the landlady’s dying dog. [STUD]
…Or was it Watson’s bull pup mentioned in the conversation that they had about each other and their habits before they moved in at 221B, as some Sherlockian scholars have noted?
As he spoke he turned the contents of the wine-glass into a saucer and placed it in front of the terrier, who speedily licked it dry. Sherlock Holmes’s earnest demeanour had so far convinced us that we all sat in silence, watching the animal intently, and expecting some startling effect. None such appeared, however. The dog continued to lie stretched upon the cushion, breathing in a laboured way, but apparently neither the better nor the worse for its draught.
March 6, 1881: Jefferson Hope was captured. [STUD]
Illustration by George Hutchinson for A Study in Scarlet (1891)
The whole thing occurred in a moment – so quickly that I had no time to realize it. I have a vivid recollection of that instant, of Holmes’s triumphant expression and the ring of his voice, of the cabman’s dazed, savage face, as he glared at the glittering handcuffs, which had appeared as if by magic upon his wrists. For a second or two we might have been a group of statues. Then with an inarticulate roar of fury, the prisoner wrenched himself free from Holmes’s grasp, and hurled himself through the window. Woodwork and glass gave way before him; but before he got quite through, Gregson, Lestrade, and Holmes sprang upon him like so many staghounds. He was dragged back into the room, and then commenced a terrific conflict. So powerful and so fierce was he that the four of us were shaken off again and again. He appeared to have the convulsive strength of a man in an epileptic fit. His face and hands were terribly mangled by his passage through the glass, but the loss of blood had no effect in diminishing his resistance. It was not until Lestrade succeeded in getting his hand inside his neckcloth and half-strangling him that we made him realize that his struggles were of no avail; and even then we felt no security until we had pinioned his feet as well as his hands. That done, we rose to our feet breathless and panting.
March 5, 1881: Stangerson found stabbed to death at Halliday’s Private Hotel. [STUD]
He stood in the centre of the room, fumbling nervously with his hat and uncertain what to do.
“This is a most extraordinary case,” he said at last – “a most incomprehensible affair.”
“Ah, you find it so, Mr. Lestrade!” cried Gregson, triumphantly. “I thought you would come to that conclusion. Have you managed to find the secretary, Mr. Joseph Stangerson?”
“The secretary, Mr. Joseph Stangerson,” said Lestrade gravely, “was murdered at Halliday’s Private Hotel about six o’clock this morning.”
Illustration by Richard Gutschmidt (1906)
March 5, 1881: An old “crone” retrieved the woman’s wedding ring advertised as “found” in the ad placed by Holmes. [STUD]
At my summons, instead of the man of violence whom we expected, a very old and wrinkled woman hobbled into the apartment. She appeared to be dazzled by the sudden blaze of light, and after dropping a curtsy, she stood blinking at us with her bleared eyes and fumbling in her pocket with nervous shaky fingers. I glanced at my companion, and his face had assumed such a disconsolate expression that it was all I could do to keep my countenance.
By Hope’s own admission, this person was not Jefferson Hope, so who was she or he? Hope took the secret with him to the hereafter. Any ideas out there?
Source A Day by Day Chronology of Sherlock Holmes by William S Dorn DWNP, BSI
Sherlock Holmes approached the body, and, kneeling down, examined it intently.
As he spoke, his nimble fingers were flying here, there, and everywhere, feeling, pressing, unbuttoning, examining, while his eyes wore the same far-away expression which I have already remarked upon. So swiftly was the examination made, that one would hardly have guessed the minuteness with which it was conducted. Finally, he sniffed the dead man’s lips, and then glanced at the soles of his patent leather boots. [STUD]
[Illustration by George Wylie Hutchinson for the Ward, Lock, Bowden, & Co 1891 edition of A Study in Scarlet]
March 4, 1881: Drebber was poisoned and died. The body was found in an abandoned flat. A woman’s wedding ring was found there. A German word written in BLOOD was found on a wall. What happened?
Illustration by Richard Gutschmidt (1902)
March 4, 1881: Watson met the Baker Street Irregulars
“What on earth is this?” I cried, for at this moment there came the pattering of many steps in the hall and on the stairs, accompanied by audible expressions of disgust upon the part of our landlady.
“It’s the Baker Street division of the detective police force,” said my companion gravely; and as he spoke there rushed into the room half a dozen of the dirtiest and most ragged street arabs that ever I clapped eyes on.
Source A Day by Day Chronology of Sherlock Holmes by William S Dorn DWNP, BSI
“Poor Alice was so frightened that she shrunk away from him, but he caught her by the wrist and endeavoured to draw her towards the door.” March 3, 1881: Businessmen Drebber and Stangerson bid adieu to Madame Charpentier. [STUD]
This according to one version.
The illustration at right is by George Wylie Hutchinson from the Ward, Lock, Bowden, & Co 1891 edition of A Study in Scarlet.
Intriguing way to say good-bye. If the reader does not remember the details, It could be a good time to reread the story.
Source A Day by Day Chronology of Mr. Sherlock Holmes by William S Dorn DWNP, BSI
Posted by Chips aka Ron for whom the Game is always Afoot and Selena Buttons, Co-Columnists
by Julian Portch, photograph of crayon drawing, (circa 1853)
On March 2, 1831, Samuel Orchart Beeton was born in London.
To the rest of the world, if the name Beeton means anything, it brings to mind Isabella Beeton’s classic Book of Household Management, a staple reference for British households for well over a century and, as of this writing, still in print.
In the world of Sherlock Holmes, however, the name means only one thing: Beeton’s Christmas Annual. More specifically, it means the 1887 edition with its image of a boy lighting a lamp and the title, A Study in Scarlet, featured so prominently that it dwarfs all the others, and may as well be the only one in the magazine. Which is, of course, how it should be.
The eponymous publisher of the Christmas Annual did not live to see this particular issue, having died of tuberculous ten years before. He had a rapid rise to the top and just as fast a fall. Before he died, Beeton found himself forced to sell off to Ward, Lock, and Taylor.
Original copies of the magazine are valuable collector’s items, considered “”the most expensive magazine in the world” by the Antique Trader Vintage Magazines Price Guide. A copy sold at Sotheby’s in 2007 for $156,000.
Source
From the great volume A Curious Collection of Dates by Leah Guinn (JHWS “Amber”) and Jaime N Mahoney (JHWS “Tressa”). Additional information from Randall Stock’s “Best of Sherlock Holmes“.
Posted by Chips and Selena Buttons, co-columnists.
by Roger Langridge and Andy Hirsch kaBoom! (January 2017) 112 p. ISBN 9781608869282
Publisher’s Summary
The Baker Street Peculiars is a supernatural twist on the beloved world of Sherlock Holmes.
When a giant lion statue in Trafalgar Square comes to life and wreaks havoc on 1930s London, it seems like the perfect case for the world’s most famous detective, Sherlock Holmes. With an overwhelmed caseload, however, Holmes recruits the help of three precocious young detectives-in-training (and one cunning golden retriever) to solve the mystery. Molly, Rajani, Humphrey, and Wellington (the dog) will have to work together and use all their wits if they are to uncover the truth behind the living statues and save London. But on the legendary Baker Street, nothing is as it seems and their biggest mystery might be the real identity of the famous detective who brought them together.
Written by Eisner Award winner Roger Langridge (Thor: The Mighty Avenger, Abigail and the Snowman) and illustrated by Andy Hirsch (Adventure Time, Regular Show), The Baker Street Peculiars is a heartfelt and supernatural twist on the beloved world of Sherlock Holmes.
General Review
I love stories that center around the Baker Street Irregulars. I especially love them when they come in comic book form. I have an entire shelf devoted just to such books, and I’m very pleased to be able to add this one, especially as it has a fairly new, fresh take on the Irregulars mythos. Despite my personal disinterest in most Holmesian stories that incorporate supernatural elements, I found this one utterly charming.
The story is fairly straightforward. Statues are coming to life all around London, wreaking havoc wherever they go. Molly, Humphrey, and Rajani (as well as dog Wellington) are drafted by Sherlock Holmes to look into it, as Holmes is busy with several other cases and doesn’t quite believe the tales of walking statues. Using their very different backgrounds, the children (not quite Irregulars in the traditional sense) piece together the clues, find the culprit, and save the day. It’s a common formula, found in many different Irregulars stories, but Baker Street Peculiars manages to find its own unique twist on the formula.
One of the first things that makes this Irregulars story stand out is that, rather than take place in the Victorian era (and often right around the Hiatus), this takes place during the 1930s. There are vehicles on the streets, electricity instead of gaslight, and slightly different social norms. It gives the comic a different look, brighter and more colorful, helping it stand out from its predecessors.
Then there are the main characters. While their personalities are largely told in broad strokes, without a great deal of depth, each of them brings their own set of talents and strengths, as well as unhappiness and baggage, to the investigation. Molly steps forward as the leader, although her Jewish grandfather would rather she stay home and work towards becoming good wife material; she desperately wants to become a detective in her own right. Rajani is a foundling, raised by a criminal that she viewed as a father, who ultimately died and left her to fend for herself; she is the most reluctant of our investigators. Humphrey is the youngest son of a wealthy family, neglected and ignored, sent to a boarding school with a dog valet; Humphrey is naïve and well-intentioned. They end up working well as a team, with some friction because of their very different backgrounds, in a way that is believable and engaging.
Rather than taking itself too seriously, the book is more comic than dramatic, with cartoonish reactions, villains, and physics. Despite the comedy, though, it still manages to be touching and sweet at places in the story (watching Molly and her grandfather reconcile their different ideas on what her life should be; Humphrey and Rajani finding a point of connection).
The art, as mentioned earlier, features bright colors and bold lines. The illustrations are very simple in many ways, but still satisfying. The backgrounds are largely just shaded in, without a great deal of detail, while the characters receive most of the attention. There are, however, a number of delightful Easter eggs hidden in the art, references to the Canon that made me guffaw. Pay particular attention to the first big two-page illustration.
Overall, I thought this comic was an incredibly fun read. I haven’t yet been able to find out if it will get another run, but I do hope it will, as the ending lends itself to further adventures.
What About Our Watson?
As a Watsonian, I try very hard to focus my attention on books that feature Watson or have him showcased in a particular way. Occasionally, though, there are books that I very much want to review that lack a Watson entirely. This is, unfortunately, one such book. Not only is there no Watson, there isn’t even a Watson figure. The end of the book hints that a reporter character may end up working with Holmes, fulfilling a similar role to the classic Watson. However, that happens in the last two pages of the book, as is hardly a major feature of the plot.
Though there is no Watson, which is disappointing, it was still a fun little book.
You Might Like This If You Like:
Scooby Doo (particularly A Pup Named Scooby Doo); comic books; parodies; children protagonists
Is there a book you want Lucy to review? Let her know!
As it is now March 1, February has come and gone, and it is time for the final tally of the ‘I’m glad you liked my potato.’ contest between Beth (JHWS ‘SelenaButtons’) and myself. As expected, Beth has won handily, 8-3. She was able to process renewals for eight society members during February, and I collected three interviews for the Friend & Biographer series. I will not be eating any potatoes in March, as I intend to honor the bet. [I see cauliflower and leeks in my future.]
Thanks for your patience with all this silliness; we had some fun with it while bringing attention to the need for Watsonians to renew their memberships. The Friend & Biographer series is an enjoyable extra but only memberships make the society, this website, and our journal possible.
If your membership is expired, or will lapse during 2017, please consider renewing now in the shop. If you are unsure about your expiration date, it can be easily found on the membership tab. If you have questions about renewing, please email “Selena Buttons”.
I hope to continue the Friend & Biographer series. I am reaching out to society members by email to participate. If you are interested, please feel free to answer these questions, and email them to me.
[After last week’s Forum topic of “Villainesses, Adventuresses, and Other Canonical Women“, Ron Lies (JHWS “Chips”) sent this paper he wrote a couple of years ago for further consideration. Please do add your thoughts in the comments! –Selena Buttons]
Morton Lowry and Wendy Barrie as the Stapletons in The Hound of the Baskervilles (1939)
A question posted on the Welcome Holmes discussion site started it all. “Isn’t it rare in the Canon to have a male and female act jointly for a criminal purpose?”
I came up with the following list and added some of my thoughts about the pairings. What is a team? The first definition I come to is a group of people banded together to accomplish a common goal. But can a group of people with different reasons for being in that group be called a team? Can someone be forced by fear or blackmail to be in that group be a member of such a team? I say yes, how about you dear reader? Let me know what you think? I would welcome your thoughts along with any pairing I missed.
Teams Consisting of One Male and One Female
1. My first pairing is Barney and Susan Stockdale in 3GAB. From the words of their employer in this case “They are good hounds who run silent.”—- “They will take what comes to them. “That is what they are paid for.”, All 3 of the above quotes are from Isadora Klein, their current employer. I shudder to have be the target of their services or have crossed their Employer.
2. Next is Mr. Jethro Rucastle and his second wife in COPP. This odious couple is working for the same purpose and result. A father and a stepmother working against the father’s own daughter. What will their son turn to be with such parental figures to look up to?
3. Our third team is the butler Brunton and Rachel Howells in MUSG. This duo could be proof of the old adage “Hell has no fury like a woman scorned”. Or was the outcome of the case a tragic accident? I find it hard to feel sympathy for Brunton. Yet Brunton feeling his life dying with each breath he takes, so horrible!
4. Anna Sergius (wife of Sergius/Professor Corum) and the unnamed second secretary of Professor Corum, in GOLD. He was an agent of a private detective firm who provided Anna with what she needed to break into the Professor’s. Then the unnamed agent quit before he was involved any further in Anna’s plot. So she is forced to go into the Professor’s on her own. Blind so to speak.
5. There is Anna Sergius and Professor Corum, in GOLD. They acted together to hide Anna from discovery by Holmes and The authorities. They hated each other and wanted the other dead but they acted together for a common purpose, I wonder what would have happened if they would deceived Holmes and Authorities who have left Professor and Anna alone to their own devices.
Anna Sergius is one for which it can be said that she was in the wrong places at the wrong times. She strikes me as a female Joe Btfsplk: The world’s worst Jinx (Check out the Cartoon strip Li’l Abner by Al Capp for background)
6. In the HOUN, we have Beryl Garcia, aka Vandeleur, aka Stapleton. In addition, there is Jack Baskerville aka, Vandeleur aka Stapleton.
Beryl composed and sent the letter warning Sir Henry not to go to Baskerville Hall. She tries to warn who she thought was Sir Henry on the moor. Beryl seems not to be a willing participant yet she is willing to risk her life to warn a stranger?
7. Sir George Burnwell and Mary Holder are next, in the Beryl Coronet. Here are a combination of the wolf and the sheep. They are one of the best examples I know of love being blind.
8. A mean team is James Ryder and Catherine Cusack, in BLUE. To do the crime and try to pin it on an innocent party and at Christmas time! They are my candidates for The Marley Scrooge, Snidely Whiplash award for the nastiest at Christmas Time. (For background, if needed on Whiplash see the Adventures of Dudley Do Right on the Rocky and Bullwinkle show.) If background needed on Marley and Scrooge, you have to be kidding!
9. Next up is Jonas Oldacre and his housekeeper Mrs. Lexington, in the Norwood Builder. Talk about there being a fine line between love and hate. His housekeeper could fill in for Mrs. Danvers at Manderley. (See the novel Rebecca by Daphne du Maurier if background is required)
10. James Windibank aka Hosmer and Mrs. Windibank, in IDEN. What a pair! I have heard of evil stepparents but an evil stepfather and the victims own mother. That is a new one on me.
11. Then there is Mrs. Eugenia Ronder and Leonardo the strong man, in VEIL. Mrs. Ronder is one for whom I have sympathy for. Holmes was extremely kind and sympathetic to her. To me, this is an example of what Holmes had learned about people over the years and how he changed.
12. We have The Lady Trelawney Hope and Eduardo Lucas, in SECO. The expression of “being caught between a rock and a hard place” fits this Lady Hope to a T. I have my suspicions about the lady herself. She showed a clever mind later on in the story. Yet for her to believe that she was being forced to steal only minor papers at the start?
13. We have Holy Peters and Annie Frasier aka Peters, aka Schlesinger, in SOLI. They are another pair of really, really, nasty people. I wonder if there has ever been a pastiche written about these two.
14. Next come the Butler Barrymore and his wife Elisa in HOUN. I imagine Barrymore as a man in a difficult situation. On one hand, he has an obligation to turn in a viscous killer, on the other destroying his wife and possibly his marriage.
15. We have Von Bork and his wife, in LAST. His wife acted as a funnel for minor papers while protected by her diplomatic immunity. Von Bork had one very bad evening.
16. Then we have Reuben Hayes and his wife in PRIO. This unnamed wife had a reputation in the neighborhood as a good person. Yet she could not do anything and would not do anything without her husband’s permission for fear of her husband.
17 We have the unnamed Man, who acted as carriage driver and his equally unnamed wife in GREE. Surely, that must be a pastiche written involving these two characters. On the other hand, maybe posting this will give someone the idea to write one.
Teams Consisting of One Female and Two Males
18. We come to a trio who very little is known about. We have Elsie, Stark and Ferguson from ENGR. Elsie is opposed to Stark using violence again so she has been with the team at least a year. If so why does she stay? Family love, Romantic Love, Fear, or another reason? She warns our Engineer, helps him escape. So why leave our maimed and bleeding helpless Engineer laying in the garden? Short of a confession from one of the three we will never know.
19. Here are Carrie Evans and her husband, who practiced his trade as an actor, and Sir Robert Norberton from SHOS. The old saying that money is the root of all-evil applies in this case. That must have been quite a brother sister relationship in the Norberton family.
20. Next we have Ivy Douglas, her husband John Douglas aka Bertie Edwards and Cecil Barker in VALL. Mrs. Douglas was trying to protect her husband. I have wondered, based on my reading the story, were Cecil Barker’s motives really, what they seemed to be on the surface?
Teams Consisting of Two Females and One Male
21. Lady Eva Brackenstall, her personal maid Theresa Wright and Captain Jack Crocker in ABBE.A plot device that Sir Arthur Conan Doyle used so well in this and the next case on this list.
22. Hatty Doran/Mouton, her personal maid Alice, and Frank Mouton in NOBL. To marry another man while seeing her first husband in attendance. Wow! What a lady who can think so fast on her feet.
Teams Consisting of a Female as Leader of a Group of Males
23. Signora Victor Durando/Miss Bernet and the society who conspired against Don Murillo in WIST: Revenge in this case is one I can sympathize with and hope she was able to find peace.
24. Isadora Klein and The Spencer John gang in 3GAB. This Villainess reminds of Cruella De Ville of The original Disney cartoon movie “One Hundred and One Dalmatians.” To paraphrase the song about Ms. De Ville:
“At first you think Isadora is a devil, but after time has worn away the shock, you come to realize you’ve seen those kinds of eyes watching you from underneath a rock. A vampire bat, an inhuman beast! She ought to be locked up and never released. She’s like a spider waiting for the kill,” look out for Isadora Klein!
Finally, There is my Favorite One of All
25. A female or is it a male impersonating an old woman and Jefferson Hope in STUD? Did this person give Jefferson Hope help in other ways that Watson and Holmes were not aware? How about the ideas that the fellow actor helping Hope was John Clay or a member of the Moriarty organization helped Hope in return for a promise to help the Professor when the Professor called the favor in.
The opportunities for Sherlockian research theories will continue for as long people can read and think “what if?” May the Canon always be with us!
At the annual dinner gathering of the Baker Street Irregulars in 1941, Rex Stout delivered a paper with a shocking premise to the members of what was at that time a men-only organization.
On March 1, 1941, the paper was published for general consumption in The Saturday Review of Literature:
WATSON WAS A WOMAN
It created a huge stir amongst the members of the BSI. (Legend says the assembled membership carried Stout out of the building and dumped him in the snow!) Stout concluded both his speech and paper with a promise to produce results of future research study in a two volume study. It never materialized.
Source
Information came from the volume A Curious Collection of Dates, by Leah Guinn (JHWS “Amber”) and Jaime N Mahoney (JHWS “Tressa”)
Posted by The Dynamic Duo Co-columnists Ron (JHWS “Chips”) and Beth (JHWS “Selena”).
Speaking of my old friend and biographer, I would take this opportunity to remark….Watson has some remarkable characteristics of his own, to which in his modesty he has given small attention…
Hello Watsonians,
Today we add to our series of brief biographic interviews with some of the members of JHWS. Our members, like the good Dr. Watson, have some remarkable characteristics of their own, and we would like to give some small attention to them.
I hope you enjoy our interview with Canadian author and editor Charles Prepolec.
Margie/ JHWS ‘Mopsy’
Name, with bull pup moniker—
Charles Prepolec / ‘Jasper’
2. Current location—
Calgary, AB, Canada
3.How long have you been a devotee of Dr. Watson?
Roughly 30 years.
4. Do you have a favorite canonical story?
The Sign of Four
5.What is your favorite quote from the canon?
“Mediocrity knows nothing higher than itself, but talent instantly recognizes genius.”
6. If you could speak directly to anyone in the canon, who would you choose and why?
Easy. JHW himself. I’d very much like to know why he felt the need to report the less than kind comments Holmes made about his observational failings. Surely some judicious self-editing would have been in order.
7. Are you fond of any particular canon adaptations—pastiche, radio, film?
The Granada television adaption of ‘The Sign of Four’ is to me the single best television/film adaptation of any of Watson’s stories. Period. Full stop. The only elements that could have improved it were if David Burke had played Watson and if Watson had ‘got the girl’ as he did in the Canon.
8. Do you have a local Watsonian/Sherlockian/Holmesian group you meet with on a regular basis?
Since 1987 I’ve enjoyed attending meetings of our local Calgary scion society The Singular Society of the Baker Street Dozen, however the group has fallen into limbo within the last year and is now on indefinite hiatus.
9. Do you have any recent Watsonian/Sherlockian/Holmesian projects/events you would like to tell us about?
In 2016 I was a guest speaker at The Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes Triennial Conference in Minneapolis, contributed an essay on ‘The Sign of Four’ to Chris Redmond’s wonderful non-fiction ‘About Sixty’ anthology, as well as a foreword to the first US release of the ‘Sherlock Holmes: Dark Detective’ graphic novel for Caliber Comics. As of November 2016, I’ve begun work on editing my 4th professional anthology of new Sherlock Holmes/horror stories – Gaslight Gothic: Eerie Tales of Sherlock Holmes – for Edge Science Fiction and Fantasy Publishing for release in 2018. Last, but certainly not least, on January 6, 2017 I received the Investiture of “The Man with the Twisted Lip” in The Baker Street Irregulars.
10. If you could change one thing in the greater Watsonian/Sherlockian/Holmesian world, what would it be?
Hmm, tough call, but I think I’d like to see less criticism or discussion of media adaptations, or new material, whether of screen, stage, radio or in pastiches, that leads anyone to use ‘…but that’s not the canonical Holmes…’ or ‘…that wasn’t the author’s original intent…’ as the basis of their argument. One is an invalid argument, as there is no objectively right or wrong interpretation of the characters or stories, since we each bring our own very subjective experiences to our reading of a text; and the second is simply irrelevant as it isn’t the writer or creator who determines the success or failure of a work, but the audience who interprets it on their own respective terms. I suppose what I’m naively asking for, and it applies not just to the Watsonian/Sherlockian/Holmesian world, is that we all strive for greater patience, respect and understanding when encountering viewpoints different from our own.
“On the quarterdeck” [from Life on a Greenland Whaler]On February 28, 1880, Arthur Conan Doyle, still a medical student, set sail from Peterhead on the Hope, a whaling ship bound for seven months in the Arctic. He was to be the ship’s surgeon taking the place of a friend who could not make at the last moment.
He published an account of his journey in The Strand magazine in January, 1897, under the title “Life on a Greenland Whaler”.
It is brutal work, though not more brutal than that which goes onto supply every dinner-table in the country. And yet those glaring crimson pools upon the dazzling white of the ice-fields, under the peaceful silence of a blue Arctic sky, did seem a horrible intrusion. But an inexorable demand creates an inexorable supply, and the seals, by their death, help to give a living to the long line of seamen, dockers, tanners, curers, triers, chandlers, leather merchants, and oil-sellers, who stand between this annual butchery on the one hand, and the exquisite, with his soft leather boots, or the savant using a delicate oil for his philosophical instruments, upon the other.
He kept a journal of his experiences. That handwritten journal, complete with illustration sketches, can be seen in Dangerous Work: Diary of an Arctic Adventure (2012), edited by Jon Lellenberg (JHWS “Towser”) and Daniel Stashower. It’s a fascinating glimpse into Arthur Conan Doyle’s personality as well as his adventures. In an interview for NPR, Lellenberg says:
I remember there’s one entry where he says, ‘We had nothing to do, and we did it.’ And another entry, he talks about spending the night with the crew, which is basically an evening of music, song, drinking — he says, ‘gin and tobacco in the crew’s berths.’ And the next entry starts, ‘Suffered for the gin and tobacco.’ … He’s a young man reporting what he’s seeing and hearing and experiencing in quite a remarkable way.
Two years later, on February 28, 1900, Arthur Conan Doyle boarded the troop transport Oriental for the 3 week voyage to South Africa. He had been waiting for his orders to come he asked by a friend to go to the South African town of Bloemfontein. He was to help set up a hospital. He was help pick personnel, work as a physician and be unofficial supervisor.
Source
Information for this post comes from the excellent A Curious Collection of Dates by Leah Guinn (JHWS “Amber”) and Jaime N Mahoney (JHWS “Tressa”)
The actress Joanne Woodward was born Joanne Gignilliat Trimmier Woodward on February 27th, 1930, in Thomasville, Georgia. This famous actress – one of Chips’ favorites – played the role of Dr Mildred Watson in the underrated Sherlockian movie “THEY MIGHT BE GIANTS“. As a Watson-like character, if not a traditional version of the good doctor, Woodward manages to capture the essential elements of Watson. Her role is neither canonical nor pastiche, but instead occupies some delightful middle-ground.
Sources
Information came from the volume A Curious Collection of Dates, by Leah Guinn (JHWS “Amber”) and Jaime N Mahoney (JHWS “Tressa”). [Additional biographical information from IMDB –Selena Buttons]
Posted by The Dynamic Duo Co-columnists (JHWS “Chips”) aka Ron and (JHWS “Selena Buttons”) aka Beth. [You are far too kind, Chips! –Selena Buttons]
Illustration by F H Townsend for The Sign of Four (1913)
Illustrator Fredrick Henry Townsend was born in London on February 26, 1868.
He is one of the lesser known artists who drew Sherlock Holmes illustrations for Sherlockian stories and other magazines and books. Mr Townsend also illustrated works by other authors of the era, including Oscar Wilde, Charles Dickens, and Charlotte Bronte. He is perhaps best known for having been the first Art Editor of Punch magazine.
Sources
Information came from the volume A Curious Collection of Dates, by Leah Guinn (JHWS “Amber”) and Jaime N Mahoney (JHWS “Tressa”), with additional information from Spartacus Educational.
Posted by The Dynamic Duo Co-columnists, Ron (JHWS “Chips”) and Beth (JHWS “Selena”).
[The recent review of The Great Shelby Holmes posted by Elise Elliot (JHWS “Lucy”) piqued Chips’s interest. He read the book and shares his thoughts here. -Selena Buttons]
I love to read books that capture my attention and bring me into the book’s world. This book did that. I have friends who believe my world is the world of nine-year-old Shelby Holmes and her 11-year-old companion-to-be, John Watson. And they are right.
I was at the point of wanting a story to remember in, and this is one. My growing up years were not in New York. I come from a totally different background.
This book drew me in just like in the adult Canon. I became 11 year old John Watson and had a great time. I experienced how to accept and be a friend.
The mystery does resemble one from the Canon and is done well. I felt refreshed and ready to read the next one that I hope will follow.
So, to all 11-year-olds and 9-year-olds, you will like this story. Be prepared to explain it to all the adults who ask you to read this story to them. I hope you find the ones who are half Men and Women and still half Boys and Girls. The rest do not count.
Charles Peace, English burglar and murderer, was executed on February 25, 1879.
Why is this important to us? Because of the following quote from the Canon:
“A complex mind,” said Holmes. “All great criminals have that. My old friend Charlie Peace was a violin virtuoso.”
The case the quote is from ______________________. Please fill in the blank or ask us and we will tell you.
Charles Peace embarked on a life of crime after being maimed in an industrial accident as a boy. After killing a policeman in Manchester, he fled to his home-town of Sheffield, where he became obsessed with his neighbour’s wife and shot the husband dead. Settling in London, he carried out multiple burglaries before being caught in the prosperous suburb of Blackheath, wounding the policeman who arrested him. He was linked to the Sheffield murder and tried at Leeds Assizes. Found guilty, he was hanged at Armley Prison.
Sources
This information is from Wikipedia, the free online encyclopedia.
The idea to use this story came from the volume A Curious Collection of Dates by Leah Guinn (JHWS “Amber”) and Jaime N Mahoney (JHWS “Tressa”). Their story is more detailed and interesting. Look it up. You will enjoy. Leah and Jaime speculate that Holmes as a young man may have been one of the visitors that Peace entertained before Peace was hanged. Since they both had crime interests and violins in common.
Posted by The Dynamic Duo Co-columnists Ron (JHWS “Chips”) Beth (JHWS “Selena”).
The actress 
I love to read books that capture my attention and bring me into the book’s world. This book did that. I have friends who believe my world is the world of nine-year-old Shelby Holmes and her 11-year-old companion-to-be, John Watson. And they are right.