The Baker Street Blog

"You Appeared to Read a Good Deal" [CASE]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Tue, 30 Jun 2009 21:32:19 PDT

If you haven't followed the publications of the Baker Street Irregulars, here's a chance to get in on one of the earlier publications for a pretty reasonable price.

Michael Kean, the marketing manager for BSI publications, is promoting a special clearance sale starting NOW over at The Baker Street Journal web site. You'll find the BSI Manuscript Series volume The Hound of the Baskervilles: Chapter XI
discounted to $25.00. It can be found at the Deal Table section of the bakerstreetjournal.com.

It's in your best interest to act quickly - the sale is valid only while supplies last.

And for your reference, other titles in the BSI Manuscript Series include:

Angels of Darkness
G.K. Chesterton's Sherlock Holmes
The Napoleon Bust Business Again
Mandate for Murder
So Painful a Scandal

"We Have, Of Course, Wired" [CARD]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Tue, 26 May 2009 22:09:00 PDT

There's a new article out in Wired magazine that takes a look at our little hobby: Scott Brown on Sherlock Holmes, Obsessed Nerds, and Fan Fiction.

He mentions the cult-like approach of other fans - namely invoking Lost and Star Trek as examples of enthusiasts gone wild. But he notes that before any of those came along, there was the cult of Sherlock Holmes, in which these "19th century proto-nerds" sought out parodies and pastiches and obsessed over details and continuity in the 60 tales.

It makes for an interesting read, but I'm not sure if I object more to the "nerd" or the "obsessed" label.

"A Man of Excellent Birth and Education" [SILV]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Sat, 23 May 2009 22:48:46 PDT

Today marks a very special day: May 22, 2009 is the 150th anniversary of the birth of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

Recent Happenings:
Daniel Stashower, BSI ("Thurston") and Peter Blau, BSI, ASH ("Black Peter") were both on NPR's The Diane Rehm Show to discuss The Hound of the Baskervilles in the lead-up to Conan Doyle's birthday. You can listen to the show by clicking on the link above.

In the news, the Telegraph reminds us that We still believe in Sherlock Holmes, even in the age of DNA; the Scotsman remembers its native son with Elementary, my dear Edinburgh; and Harvard follows up on the Sesquicentennial proceedings with Symposium Studies Doyle's Contributions to Literature.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle: a Sesquicentennial Assessment

A major symposium was held from May 7 - May 9, 2009, at which about 125 people gathered from around the world to hold forth on Conan Doyle's life, influence and output. While it was co-sponsored by the Baker Street Irregulars, it was about more than just Sherlock Holmes. Here are some of the highlights.

Dan Stashower talked about the buzz around the new movie, "Sherlock Holmes," coming out later this year (see the trailer here). He suggested some other other movie titles:

Last Tonga in Paris
My Big Fat Greek Interpreter
The Engineer's Thumbelina
Reichenbach to the Future

Dr. Giles Constable, former H.C. Lea Professor of Medieval of History at Princeton's Institute for Advanced Studies, made an interesting observation about Holmes that could equally apply to Conan Doyle. While many people gave credit to each for their prescience in divining the future, Dr. Constable noted: "Foresight is not the ability to predict the future, but a keen understanding of the present."

Tom Francis, BSI ("The Imperial Opera at Warsaw") gave a tour de force on the breadth of Conan Doyle's writing. Tom was introduced by Costa Rossakis, who noted that Tom collects lots of non-Sherlockian Doyle – many of which were bought by his wife Diana. As an aside, Costa said it was entirely appropriate, as Diana was the Greek goddess of the hunt. Tom noted that Sherlock Holmes material only represented only about 10-12% of Doyle's total literary output.

Historical novels
In Conan Doyle's historical work, characters come alive, descriptions are vivid, sense of humor is evident. During the war, the government made sure there was enough paper in supply to keep the White Company in print, to keep up morale.

Spiritualism
He still writes well on spiritualism, Tom says. While we may be resentful that this topic took him away from the other areas that we enjoy, spiritualism was a major movement during his time, and Doyle's writing on the topic was detailed and methodical.

Science fiction
An area where Doyle excels: science fiction. "Lot No. 249" & the "Ring of Thoth" inspired "The Mummy". The Lost World was written after he researched fossils, science and paleontology, and the realism of the book was made more real by the inclusion of maps and drawings. This further influenced movies and books such as Planet of the Apes and Jurassic Park. When Doyle wrote The Land of Mist, he used Professor Challenger to bring together his interests in science fiction and spiritualism.

Poetry
Tom read a couple of poems by Doyle – an area that the author doesn't get much credit for but that he was very proficient in.

Dan Posnansky, BSI ("Colonel Hayter") gave a talk titled America, America Here I Come – on Doyle's 1894 tour of the United States. Dan noted that Doyle had a great love of America, best represented in this letter than Conan Doyle wrote in 1894:
"The people are far more loveable than I expected…more affable than our own folk. There never was a country so maligned than this one. We have got to go into partnership with them, or else be overshadowed by them. The center of gravity has shifted and we have got to readjust ourselves."

Eve Mayer, a graduate student at Harvard, compared history with fiction as she covered Conan Doyle's Mormons: A Study in Black, White and Scarlet. She noted the many inconsistencies with fact, but also posited that rather than accidentally misrepresenting the facts, it could have been deliberate on Doyle's part – in fact, it was common in the late 19th century to misconstrue Mormon culture.

Glen Miranker, BSI ("The Origin of Tree Worship") took a long look at Sherlock Holmes in American Popular Culture. How pervasive is it? Glen compared references to Sherlock (8.7 million) and "New Testament" (20.3 million) on Google. There are 8,000 books on or about Sherlock Holmes on Amazon. The Canon has been translated into more than 83 different languages (including Klingon and Pitman Shorthand – "a vital part of running Britain's empire").

The Dramatic Holmes: uncountable stage productions and radio appearances; 150+ TV shows, 130+ appearances on movie screens. Made an appearance in a Harvard club play in 1894 with one character being named as "a disciple of Sherlock Holmes." The ver first film, Sherlock Holmes Baffled, was made in 1900, distributed in 1903.

On the screen, we see Sherlock Holmes portrayed by (among others): William Gillette, Eille Norwood, John Barrymore, Arthur Wontner, Clive Brook, Basil Rathbone, Peter Cushing. Jeremy Brett are most well known. Others: Maurice Costello, Raymond Massey, Peter Granger, Ronald Howard, Leonard Nimoy, Michael Caine, Robert Hardy, Nicol Williamson, Tom Baker, Robert Stephens, Roger Moore, Charlton Heston, Ian Richardson, Rupert Everett, Robert Downey, Jr., Edgar Bergen & Charlie McCarthy, the Three Stooges, Bob Hope, Abbott & Costello, George C. Scott, John Cleese, Brent Spiner animated versions.

On television today, Holmes informs today's detectives. House, CSI, Law & Order Criminal Intent, Monk - even The Simpsons, where Lisa investigated the Mutton Chop murderer as Sherlock Holmes.

In advertising, we see the image of Holmes used for soda, clothing, shoes, head lice, enemas, food, tobacco (including cigarette cards, cigar box labels, cigar bands, pipes, chewing tobacco, etc.), home inspection, gas companies, insurance, detective services, automotive products, games (the Parker Bros card game appeared in 1904 and stayed on the market until 1923), balloon animal modeling, computer games, video games.

Glen concluded that the only areas not yet affected by Sherlock Holmes are NASCAR, rap music and baseball.

We also heard from Andrew Lycett, the biographer of Conan Doyle on a survey of Conan Doyle's Biographers. Leslie Klinger, BSI ("The Abbey Grange") shared the connection between Dr. Watson and his literary agent: Partners in Crime: Arthur Conan Doyle and John H. Watson. And Boston University English professor Charles Rzepka analyzed the Canon for influences of Homer's Odyssey in Holmes-Coming for What-Son. It was a fascinating talk that I was too ensconced in to even take notes.

John Bergquist, BSI ("The King of Scandinavia") ran through the Baker Street Irregulars' publishing history, especially looking at the BSI's International Series and Manuscript Series, the newest volume of which is now available.

Randall Stock, BSI ("South African Securities") did A Sherlock Holmes Census: What's Really Out There?, where he led us through the whereabouts of the manuscripts and Sidney Paget illustrations. If you've never visited Randall's very comprehensive and informative web site, The Best of Sherlock Holmes, you're missing out.

Looking at some of the early enthusiasts who gave Conan Doyle his due and worshipped at the altar of Sherlock Holmes, Steve Rothman, BSI ("The Valley of Fear") reminisced on Christopher Morley: Reading, Reviewing and Reichenbach and Peter X. Accardo, the Houghton Library specialist who put together the symposium, remembered Boston's own H.W. Bell: A Chronology of His Adventures.

Finally, Richard Olken, BSI ("Bob Carruthers") took a page from the Beacon Society with 'Children Yet Unborn' (How We Envy Them!): Teaching Conan Doyle. I understand the Beacon Society has published Richard's paper - you can download the PDF directly here.

If you're remotely interested in more of what went on at the truly fascinating symposium, all of the papers will be published and you can place your order for a hardcover edition. They will also be part of a limited edition box set that comes with a gold-stamped slipcase and includes:

So Painful a Scandal - the manuscript for "The Three Students". This is also available in a standard edition.
Papers at an Exhibition - the proceedings from the symposium
Ever Westward: Arthur Conan Doyle and American Culture - an annotated catalog of the exhibition edited by Peter Accardo.

More information is available on the Baker Street Journal website.

Not a bad way to celebrate 150 years, is it?

"I Was Sure You Would Pick Up the Trail" [VEIL]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Sat, 23 May 2009 19:32:07 PDT

Every generation has its definitive Sherlock Holmes on stage or screen. In the early 1900s it was William Gillette; the 1920s brought us Eille Norwood; the '40s was Basil Rathbone's time to shine, followed by Peter Cushing in the late '50s / early '60s. Most recently, Jeremy Brett had our attention in the '80s and '90s.

As Sherlockians, our interest has been constant for the past 75 years or so (let's recall that the Baker Street Journal has now been published for some six decades), but to the general public, there have been times when interest waned. The late 1960s was one time, as was the early 1980s. In the first instance, we saw vast public interest in Sherlock Holmes resurrected thanks to Nicholas Meyer, BSI ("A Fine Morocco Case") and his novel/screenplay The Seven-Per-Cent Solution.

And here we stand, late in the first decade of 2000. Jeremy Brett has been gone for some 15 years, and while there have been no lack of novels, serious scholarship or one-off small screen productions, nothing has yet capitivated the collective mind.

Today, I bring you the first of two things that I believe will bring a renaissance to the Sherlock Holmes movement. Coming this Christmas is the long-awaited film by Guy Ritchie, Sherlock Holmes. While the casting of Robert Downey, Jr. has brought "a chorus of groans, cries, and bleatings" from the purists, there are some who are waiting to pass final judgment until the movie is released.

Today, I bring you the world premiere of the official trailer for the new movie (via First Showing).

Personally, I think the trailer looks damn good. I'd be intrested to hear your opinions - in the comment section below.

P.S. I listened to the trailer on these - it was phenomenal.

Amazon.com Widgets

"The Martrydom of Man" [SIGN]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Sun, 10 May 2009 00:31:33 PDT

The Irregulars have lost another one of our own. Joe Fink, BSI ("The Martyrdom of Man") passed away yesterday after many years of declining health. I first met Joe many years ago at an "Autumn in Baker Street" weekend, where I was impressed with his rapier wit and deadpan delivery. To say Joe had a dry sense of humor is akin to saying that Sherlock Holmes liked tobacco.

One of the things that always struck me about Joe was that he as such an unassuming, seemingly retiring and quiet man, yet he could bring the house down with a single line or an unexpected quip that everyone could appreciate. He was a giant in the world of humor. Unfortunately, it's been too long since I actually witnessed him in action, so I don't have a specific anecdote to share - perhaps someone reading this would like to contribute?

Speaking of anecdotes, Joe had plenty to say, and he made some of his talks and papers available in 1998 when he wrote Joe Fink Tells Tall Sherlockian Tales, published by the Battered Silicon Dispatch Box.

Joe was a member of a number of Sherlockian societies - most notably the Baker Street Irregulars and the Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes (investitured as "Tonga") - as well as a few local societies such as the Epilogues of Sherlock Holmes, Mrs. Hudson's Clifdwellers of New York and the Montague Street Lodgers of Brooklyn.

Please share a story (the funnier the better) about Joe below in the comments section. Our collective memories will help him live on for future generations.

"The Likeness, Which You Could Not Fail to Observe" [STOC]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Mon, 30 Mar 2009 15:37:00 PDT

If you've been following the movie news lately, you probably couldn't help but see the publicity that Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey, Jr. has been getting. You may have seen some still images or read the coverage, but now we've finally got the official movie poster to look at.

Merry Christmas, Holmes. Now get a shave.

"A Strange Ship" [HOUN]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Wed, 04 Mar 2009 19:34:07 PST

Here's an opportunity that might interest a number of aspiring playwrights. I received a query from a publicist who is looking for someone to write a mystery-themed play for a cruise ship audience - and there's some money involved.

Here's the official description of what they're looking for:

My company provides entertainment for several cruise lines. I have a cruise line client that is looking for a writer who can put together a Sherlock Holmes Mystery play for a cruise ship audience – this play would be performed during the cruise by the onboard cast of singers and dancers and cruise staff and would repeat every cruise. It could either take place all in one evening (like a typical Murder Mystery Event) or spread out over the course of the cruise with different things happening each day culminating at the end of the cruise. The line is initially interested in placing this show on one ship with a 12 night itinerary in Europe.

The cruise line would prefer to purchase this as a one time cost and then hire a choreographer to stage it on onboard. If it goes well, they may want to purchase additional shows down the road.

Think you've got what it takes? The contact for this is Robin Cahill and she can be reached at robin [AT] doncasino [DOT] com or (305) 931-7552.

If you know of anyone with the talent to pull this off, please let them know by clicking on that little green "Share This" button below the post - you'll be able to email them, bookmark it, or post it on other sites. What a great opportunity this is for the right person!

"Taking the Queen's Shilling" [SIGN]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Sat, 10 Jan 2009 09:17:33 PST

As you may have seen in the Twitter stream (the section on the right titled "Holmes Was a Very Busy Man"), the coveted Baker Street Irregulars investitures were awarded tonight at the BSI Dinner. It was a banner evening, celebrating 75 years of the BSI being in existence, and saying farewell to a large number of Irregulars who left us over the past year.

Mike Whelan, the current "Wiggins" of the BSI, states that it's his favorite part of the dinner - and I can certainly believe him. Much joy was given, much joy was received.

While the dinner is about much more than the investitures, it's clearly the thing on everyone's mind at the dinner. Having been someone who attended a number of dinners before I was called up to the podium, I can honestly say that the old Oscars cliche "it's an honor just to be nominated" does in fact ring true. I hope that this year's attendees feel the same.

This year, all of the Investitures were story titles - coveted titular investitures to be sure - and Wiggins spent some time discussing who previously held each title and in what year.

In the order they were announced, here are the latest Baker Street Irregulars:

Bill Barnes, "The Gloria Scott"
Susan Dahlinger, "The Bruce-Partington Plans"
Robert Ellis, "The Illustrious Client"
Walter Jaffee, "The Resident Patient"
Allan Devitt, "The Dancing Men"
Greg Darak, "The Engineer's Thumb"
Jeff Bradway, "A Case of Identity"
Michael Pollock, "The Blue Carbuncle"
Sebastian LePage, "The Six Napoleons"
Jens Byskov Jensen, "The Blanched Soldier
Joel Schwartz, "The Three Students"
Barbara Rusch, "The Mazarin Stone"

And this year, Mike gave the coveted Two-Shilling Award to an individual who has gone above and beyond the call of duty in service to the BSI. The Two-Shilling Award went to:

Dan Posnansky, for his incredible work with the BSI Trust and Archives.

In addition, Mike also presented a special golden door encrusted with diamonds to his wife, Mary Ann Bradley, for her assistance with the BSI weekend administrative work for the last 12 years.For anyone who knows the hard work that Mary Ann puts into all of the BSI events, ensuring registration and organization, it's a well-deseeved honor.

All of the recipients of shillings were people who have been at this for years and were incredibly worthy of the honor. And Wiggins noted that much would be expected of them in the future.

My hope is that all of the new BSIs already subscribe to The Baker Street Journal. It's not a requirement to become an Irregular, nor are all Irregulars required to subscribe. But it's something everyone should consider. You subscribe to the BSJ, don't you?

"The Night of January 6th" [VALL]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Mon, 05 Jan 2009 23:21:00 PST

Well, that time of year is upon us again! Today marks the 155th birthday of the world's first unofficial consulting detective, Mr. Sherlock Holmes.

You may recall that in "His Last Bow," Holmes was described as "...a tall, gaunt man of sixty..." and that the story took place in 1914. In addition, of the Shakespearean plays he quoted, Holmes referenced Twelfth Night twice. These facts taken together have led scholars to believe that Holmes was born on January 6, 1854.

To help celebrate this event, I'll be in New York City later this week - but only for the BSI dinner, and not the entire weekend festivities. My work schedule is keeping me otherwise occupied.

And while that means I won't be on hand to document the entire weekend, I'll be posting the latest recipients of BSI investitures on this blog late Friday night/early Saturday morning - and, for those of you interested following along live, right below in the graphical widget. Expect the news to break around 9:30 - 10:00 p.m. EST on Friday, January 9.

If you don't follow along here, you can watch http://twitter.com/S_Holmes

follow S_Holmes at http://twitter.com
developed by korelab

"The Second Morning After Christmas" [BLUE]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Fri, 26 Dec 2008 21:01:00 PST

This is a repost of an entry from 12/27/2006. I've decided to make it a regular annual feature here.

In 1995 I penned a seasonal ode to The Blue Carbuncle in the style of Clement Moore's A Visit from St. Nick. Since then, it has been an annual tradition to share this gem (sorry, I couldn't help myself) in my Sherlockian circles.

Enjoy. Please note that you are free to use this at your own society meetings; according to the Creative Commons license below, you just have to give attribution for for it.

And allow me to wish you "compliments of the season." May all your carbuncles be blue.

Two Days After Christmas

'Twas two days after Christmas and in one part of town,
Sherlock Holmes was lounging in his purple dressing gown.
A felt hat was hung on the wood chair with care,
Looking seedy and cracked and much worse for the wear.
The forceps and lens were an arm’s length away,
So Sherlock Holmes was engaged well today.
Peterson was the giver, Holmes was the taker
Of the hat and goose, "For Mrs. Henry Baker."
Holmes began to infer from the battered old hat
Grizzled hair, self-respect, and odd things like that.

Then Peterson entered, astonished and dazed,
And showed us upon what the goose must have grazed.
When what to my wondering eyes should appear,
But a bonny blue thing in the shape of a tear.
With facets that twinkled, sparkled, and shone,
I knew in a moment it was the Countess’ stone.

Holmes sprang to the Times to review all the history
Of the Hotel Cosmopolitan jewel thief mystery.
The crime was fixed on a plumber named Horner.
No Christmas pie, no plumb; for him, a corner.
More rapid than lightening, Holmes’s orders now came,
As he wrote an advert and called the papers by name:
"Evening News, the Star, Globe, and Pall Mall!
St. James’s Gazette, Standard, Echo, et al."

The stone which Holmes held was the devil’s pet bait,
With a sinister history for a forty-grain weight.
Robberies, vitriol, three people now dead;
And all for a stone which should have been red.

Henry Baker called on the street with his name,
Wearing a tam o’shanter, much to his shame.
Holmes gave him his hat and then the bad news:
That we were compelled to eat his fine goose.

"To eat it!" said he, as he rose from his chair,

"Do not fret, Mr. Baker, we have one more there."
Holmes offered to him the disjecta membra,
Relics of an adventure he still could remember.

And taking his items, Baker turned with a jerk,
As Holmes and I set straight to work.
To the Alpha we went, then on to Covent Garden
Where Breckinridge against our pleas seemed to harden.
But finally we found the origin of the geese,
From one Mrs. Oakshott of Brixton Road, east.
We overheard Ryder, who was hot on the trail,

So as a four-wheeler passed, we decided to hail.
Riding to Baker Street, of the mystery, no mention,
But all the way there, we could sense Ryder’s tension.
As he saw the truth, our guest stifled a howl:
The stone had been rescued from his bar-tailed fowl.
At Holmes’s request, I helped the small imp,
To whom Holmes referred as simply "a shrimp."
The little man clutched at the detective’s knees,
Shrieking and begging and putting forth pleas.

For Sherlock Holmes, the case held no glory,
He was simply looking for an end to the story.
Cusack, the maid and Maudsely, who went bad -
Both wanted the stone that Holmes just now had.
The hotel attendant did the deed of evil,
Fed the stone to a goose, in the hopes of retrieval .
There were two that matched, but he hadn’t looked.
So now it seemed that Ryder’s goose was cooked.

Holmes said "No more words," and turned to the lout,
Ryder opened the door and then ran straight out.
The crisp rattle of footfalls, up from the street,
Told me Ryder knew that Holmes had him beat.
"I am not here to perform the policeman's role,
But it is just possible that I’m saving a soul.
It’s the season of forgiveness, a time to have heart,
Let us begin another case, in which a bird will take part."

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 2.5 License.

"We Are in Camden House" [EMPT]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Sun, 23 Nov 2008 11:50:00 PST

For anyone who's spent some time poking around this site, you may have frequented one of the links in the References section on the sidebar (aptly titled "His Encyclopedia of Reference"). And there, for a long time, I had linked to Camden House, a site that contained images and text from the Canon.

At some point over the last year, the site went down with no explanation. Many online Sherlockians were concerned that something might have happened to the site owner or that there were unpaid bills that they might be able to assist with. It was a site that clearly meant a great deal to people.

I'm happy to say that Camden House is no longer an Empty House. It has reopened under the same management. The site administrators share this message on the sidebar of their site:

We're back online!

For reasons I still haven't been able to get an answer on, my web provider had locked this site out. I got tired of trying to get them to respond and just wiped it out and restarted.

It's been too long.

To which I say, hear, hear! If you haven't had a chance to explore the site, please do so. There you'll find the largest collection of Holmesian graphics online, a comprehensive listing of all stories that are in the public domain, as well as a number of other nifty features that may inspire you.

It's good to see the site back again. I can think of no better quote to honor the reopening than what Sherlock Holmes himself said in"The Adventure of the Empty House,"

"Once again Mr. Sherlock Holmes is free to devote his life to examining those interesting little problems which the complex life of London so plentifully presents."

Only I'd put it this way: "Once again we are free to devote our lives to examining those interesting little pages which the comprehensive site of Camden House so plentifully presents."

"Getting Some Information" [SILV]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Sun, 16 Nov 2008 05:21:00 PST

The founder of the Baker Street Irregulars, Christopher Morley,BSI ("The Sign of the Four") was a man of many interests and talents. And while he may be known in these parts for his whiskey-and-sodality through the BSI, he was more widely known and appreciated than that in his time.

He was probably most widely known for his novels Parnassus on Wheels, The Haunted Bookshop
and Kitty Foyle, which became an Oscar-winning film. As a founder of The Saturday Review of Books, he was in a unique position to be able to see and observe much of the literary world. This is in part what led to him being one of the first judges for the Book-of-the-Month Club.

If you'd like to hear Morley's voice, it's available on an old-time radio recording of Information, Please. Click on the link and scroll down until you find Morley's name on the Sept. 18, 1942 show (it's a .ram file, so you'll need the free version of Real Audio to listen).

"Information, Please" was a radio quiz show that was extremely popular in the Golden Age of radio. The fact that it was hosted by Morley's contemporary, Clifton Fadiman, the book review editor for The New Yorker, made Morley's appearance a near certainty. It probably didn't hurt that Fadiman was an early attendee of the BSI dinners, either.

What makes this find even more interesting is that the Irregulars are hosting a mini-excursion to Morley's cottage "The Knothole" on Sunday January 11, 2009. The radio program above should put his life into that much more perspective.

"A Genuine Corot" [SIGN]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 19:00:03 PST

In his annual letter to all Irregulars, the current "Wiggins" Mike Whelan noted that the Baker Street Irregulars have lost 16 of our own in the last 15 months. I know I've detailed many (but not all) of them here. And today I'm tasked with documenting another.

Only this time, it's someone I knew fairly well.

Paul Churchill ("Corot") passed beyond the Reichenbach over the weekend. He had announced earlier this year that he was suffering from incurable cancer; the end came much too quickly for anyone who knew Paul.

Paul received his investiture in the BSI in 2006, but for anyone who knew him, it was a long time coming. He was involved in many Sherlockian societies from the mid-Atlantic states to New England, and his presence was always a jovial and warm one.

Among Paul's many talents was illustration, document creation, and the compilation of "evidence boxes" - his term for artifacts he found, created, and assembled into collections that supported each of the 60 Canonical stories.

In Paul's own words:

I have illustrated several Sherlockian books by authors such as Steve Clarkson, Steve Tollins, Joe Fink, Don Izban Susan Diamond, David Hammer, Patrick Campbell and Chris Redmond, and did covers for a reprint boxed set of August Derleth's Mill Creek Irregulars. With a colleague, I translated the story The Musgrave Ritual into Latin, the first and, so far, only Latin translation of an entire Sherlock Holmes story to be published.

My main specialism is the amassing of Canonical evidence boxes. There is a box for each of the sixty tales. The boxes contain any letter, telegram, weapon, note, receipt, newspaper clipping, or piece of realia mentioned or hinted at in the Canon. My secondary specialism is the creation of genuine faux documents, many of which have seen their way into the packets given out at the annual BSI dinner in NY. Among these documents are Watson's commission, the charter of The Diogenes Club, the citation for Holmes' Legion of Honour Medal, the Bruce Partington plans and a patent for same, the hack licence for John Clayton, the Hotel Cosmopolitan receipt for the Countess of Morcar, the Stapletons' receipt for the Mexborough Hotel in Craven Street, one for the New Street, Birmingham hotel where Hall Pycroft stayed, Watson's chequebook which Holmes kept locked in his desk, the Capital and Counties Woolwich Branch chequebook belonging to Cadogan West and the very naval treaty copied by Percy Phelps.

He was a longtime friend of Steve Clarkson, another Irregular (author of the 2003 BSJ Christmas Annual) who was taken from us too early by cancer. He spent many long hours with Steve, sharing memories and just being a friend. Paul was like that. He was a friend to many, and was never too busy or too involved to chat with or make time for fellow Sherlockians.

Jacqueline Morris, Gasogene XIX of Watson's Tin Box shared the details of Paul's memorial service:

Saturday, November 15, 1:00 p.m.
Burrier-Queen Funeral Home
1212 W. Old Liberty Road
Winfield, MD

Following the service there will be a gathering at American Legion 223 in Sykesville. Directions from the funeral home will be provided at the memorial service.

Greg has asked that in lieu of flowers you might choose to donate to one of Paul's favorite charities, the ALS Association. Many of you know that Paul's beloved wife died from ALS/Lou Gehrig's Disease many years ago.

For those who would like to send cards of condolence:
Greg Churchill
Mark Churchill (Mark lives in Nebraska)
3300 Appleton Avenue
Parkville, MD 21234

This January at the BSI dinner, the task that has traditionally been solemnly and dutifully performed by Irv Kamil will twice as difficult one as the volume of Irregular deaths has nearly doubled. More than that, the prestige, magnitude and general likability of these Irregulars makes these passings that much more doleful.

UPDATED: Paul's obituary from the Baltimore Sun.

Do you have memories of Paul that you'd like to share? Please consider adding a comment below. It's free and you don't need to register.

"In the Aggregate" [SIGN]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Sat, 08 Nov 2008 08:24:00 PST

There are a number of videos and programs that have explored the various actors who have portrayed Sherlock Holmes over the years. Here's a nice 6-minute summary with a music soundtrack that features some of the favorites.

As featured on YouTube, the creator describes A Sherlock Holmes Symphony as:

So, on this video you can see several various moments (films, cartoon, TV series, etc..) & a lot of various actors played the Great Detective, like Jeremy Brett, Ian Richardson, Christopher Lee, Basil Rathbone, Peter Cushing, Ronald Howard, Rupert Everett, Michael Pennington, Matt Frewer & others & others surprises ...

"All This is Amusing" [IDEN]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 11:47:00 PST

Even though I haven't been posting here regularly, there have been a number of items that have come to my attention that I've either bookmarked or archived for future publication. A number of them have been humorous in nature, so I'm lumping them together for you here.

"No Ghosts Need Apply" [SUSS]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Mon, 03 Nov 2008 16:31:01 PST

I hope you had an enjoyable Halloween, whether you were out in costume or home handing out freebies to the little folk who wandered by.

With any luck, it was more successful than what Phil Cornell, of the Sydney Passengers represents here.

"A Week-End Gathering" [LAST]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Sun, 02 Nov 2008 14:16:37 PST

Even though professional life has occupied my daily routine for the past 5 months or so and my commitment to various Sherlockian pursuits has suffered, my interest has not abated.

When one receives an invitation in the mail to the annual Baker Street Irregulars weekend, the thrill of your first time comes flooding back. So if you've not yet had the opportunity to attend, I suggest you take note.

For many of us, it's been nearly a year since we rubbed shoulders with each other from venues such as the Algonquin Hotel, Ollie's Noodle House, a city club or two, or just the streets of New York.

As I did last year, rather than reproduce the entire schedule on this blog, I've posted all of the information on a separate site where you can find all of your BSI Weekend information - from schedules, to maps, to links to travel site and the general RSVP form for download. You can find this and more at the Baker Street Irregulars Weekend site.

Because of my day job, I'll only be attending the BSI Dinner, so I won't be giving updates from all of the events, but you can still follow along on Friday evening in real-time if you'd like to see who the investitures go to. These updates can be found in the upper-left section of the BSI Weekend site. Just think- if you can't make it to the event, you can be the first to know who receives their BSI Investitures, without having to wait for the listserv, Yahoo groups, or disussion forums to update.

I hope to see you in New York in January. If you have any suggestions as to how to improve the BSI Weekend site, or if you have questions about the weekend, please drop me a line.

"I Can Tell a Moriarty When I See One" [VALL]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 16:11:03 PDT

You may recall the death of author John Gardner, BSI ("Moriarty") in August of 2007. He was well known for where he picked up with the James Bond novels, as commissioned by the Ian Fleming estate.

Of course, one of the reasons he was inducted into the Baker Street Irregulars was his Sherlockian work in the 1970s, in which he looked at life as a Victorian criminal through the eyes of Professor James Moriarty. His first entry in this series was The Return Of Moriarty; the second was The Revenge Of Moriarty, which picked up where the Return left off. There were rumors of a manuscript for a third installment in the series, but the book never made it to bookstore shelves before Gardner's demise.

Well, the wait is over - the final installment in the trilogy is titled Moriarty and will be available in November 2008. You can pre-order it from Amazon.com by clicking here. You can also pre-order it from Amazon.co.uk by clicking here. The description of the book, courtesy of Amazon:

It is the turn of the century and, having survived the struggle with Sherlock Holmes at the Reichenbach Falls, Professor James Moriarty is alive and well and about to realize his plans to establish crime syndicates in the major cities of the United States. But suddenly he is called back to London, where his vast criminal society has been overrun by a rival concern led by the shadowy Sir Jordan Jack Idell—or Idle Jack—a supposed gentleman hoodlum acting on behalf of criminal elements in France, Italy, Spain, and Germany.

As Moriarty fights back—against both the unruly crime families and the forces of law and order—readers are thrown in among the lurkers, punishers, dippers, cracksmen, and the professor�s elite guard.

Moriarty lives again and revolts against those who attempt to oust him from his rightful place as king of “Napoleon of Crime.”

While you won't be able to get a signed copy, you might want to act early on this, as it's likely to capture a lot of attention and fly off the shelves early. This is yet another piece in what I like to think is a Sherlockian Renaissance that's about to begin.

"The Colossal Schemes of Baron" [REIG]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Wed, 02 Jul 2008 11:44:24 PDT

While it's encouraging to know that Sherlock Holmes is being considered for cinematic outings from time to time - the last big screen flourishes having occurred with Young Sherlock Holmes and Without a Clue - the latest round of Hollywood rumors leaves a little to be desired.

Sherlock Holmes Reinvented
The first announcement occurred a couple of weeks ago when it was announced that none other than Warner Bros. were interested in backing a film by Madonna's soon-to-be-ex Guy Ritchie. In this gritty, action-based dramatization, we'll see a "reinvention" of the character as Ritchie rewrites an upcoming comic book by Lionel Wigram. According to the article, the focus will be on adventure, with Holmes's skills as a boxer and swordsman being highlighted. Rumor has it that Robert Downey, Jr. will take the lead.

If you ask me, the stories already have a good deal of adventure to them, and Holmes is already imbued with superhero-like powers that he doesn't need to be rewritten or sexed-up for the big screen. When will screenwriters and directors realize that they've got the makings of the perfect hero the way the character was written?

"Frankly Hilarious"?
The latest ugly rumor is that none other than Sacha Baron Cohen - yes, that's right, Borat - will team up with Will Ferrell to play Holmes and Watson in a comedy. How they'll manage to work the potty humor for which they're known into a treatment about the detective and his colleague is a mystery to me. One of the producers is Judd Apatow, who's been responsible for recent comedies such as Walk Hard, Knocked Up, Talledega Nights, and the 40 Year-Old Virgin (all titles meant to inspire confidence in his comedic judgment, I suppose).

But according to the co-president of Columbia Pictures, "Sacha and Will are two of the funniest and most talented guys on the planet, and having them take on these two iconic characters is frankly hilarious."

At least they're sticking to the right genre.

Has It Come to This?
I'm not trying to be a spoilsport here - publicity for the great detective is important as we try to keep his name in the spotlight - but think of the children! In these days when books are getting less attention and kids get more information through video games, the Web, multimedia and text messaging, we need to be circumspect with the material we're presenting to them.

What will coming generations think if they're introduced to Holmes and Watson via recent questionable productions like Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stockingand Sherlock Holmes and Baker Street Irregulars, or the above-mentioned projects? We can only hope that creative devotees will find a way to integrate more Canonically faithful movies.

Think of what the world would have been like if the Granada Television series with Jeremy Brett hadn't come along in the early 1980s. We would have been relegated to memories of John Cleese in The Strange Case of the End of Civilization as We Know It and Dudley Moore & Peter Cook in The Hound Of The Baskervilles. I shudder at the thought.

What do you think? Chime in with a comment below.

P.S. In case you're wondering, this is no joke, unlike my successful hoodwinking of many outlets with my April Fool's Day prank.

"A Remarkably Rich Tenor Voice" [VALL]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:45:26 PST

It came as a great surprise and shock to me to receive notice of the passing of Bruce Montgomery, BSI ("The Red Circle") on Saturday, June 21. He was, for many years, the voice and spirit of the Baker Street Irregulars annual dinner in New York, where he would invariably sing the BSI's unofficial anthem, "Aunt Clara."

Monty, as he was known by all (a name we both shared) picked up where his father, James Montgomery, BSI ("The Red Circle") left off. The elder Montgomery was also a gifted tenor and provided musical entertainment during the BSI's early years. He passed away very suddenly and very prematurely in 1955, as his Christmas Annual was being printed. As a side note, I actually own a copy of that annual, with a note from Jim's wife:

"My husband died very suddenly on November 9th. It was his expressed wish, however, that I should get out this little booklet in the envelopes which he had already addressed."
Constance P. Montgomery
Christmas, 1955

Like his father before him, Monty was a victim of heart failure - which is ironic, because he had a big heart that was dedicated to bringing joy to all around him. A more upbeat and friendly man I have yet to meet. He brought his special variety of joy in a variety of settings, from the University of Pennsylvania Glee Club (which he brought to a BSI dinner one year), to the Gilbert & Sullivan Players of Philadelphia, to the artwork he took up upon his retirement.

An example of his artwork, which can be ordered as notecards, reminds me of one of the illustrations from "The Lion's Mane":

Thankfully, Monty's contributions will not be forgotten. His artwork lives on, and his voice will live on in the BSI's archives - which will now include digital media. Click on the arrow below to hear Bruce give his last BSI performance, recorded at the BSI dinner in New York City on January 11, 2008.

I was honored to stand in his presence on a number of occasions and share the microphone with him. While my singing voice is fairly good, it paled in comparison to the consummate professional who stood beside me. Good night, Monty. You'll be terribly missed.

You can read his obituary from the Philadelphia Inquirer here.

Do you have your own memories of Bruce Montgomery? Please share them as a comment below.

"In a Flash We Caught a Glimpse" [RETI]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Sun, 22 Jun 2008 22:09:22 PDT

I recently shared a short video with you that described social media. As you may know, the essence behind social media is sharing information - text, audio, video, photos, etc.

I just found an interesting application that allows me to share a stream of mentions of anything on Twitter with a background of Flickr photos. I've set it to stream mentions of "Sherlock" while backed with images tagged with Sherlockian. See what people are saying and what images show up:

This is also a good time to remind you: if you take photos at any Sherlockian events, please consider uploading them to Flickr and tagging them with "Sherlockian," to share them with other like-minded individuals. You might find that you'll connect with some interesting people that way.

"Nearly Passed Over a Little Ford" [LAST]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:45:26 PST

One of the reasons you've been hearing less from me in these parts is that my professional life has been keeping me very busy. For the last year or so, I've been working for a small start-up that specializes in social media - all of the fancy schmancy stuff you see here, like social networks, podcasts, blogs, etc. Think of it as new technology that makes communicating easier.

After some very long and difficult days this year, I was feeling burned out. As fate would have it, I was approached by one of the most storied brands in America - and quite possibly the world. Ford Motor Company asked me to become the head of social media in their Global Communications department.

As you may know, there are some Sherlockian connections to Ford. There's the reference in the headline above, from "His Last Bow," where Von Bork's secretary is leaving the seaside cottage:

"The secretary lay back in the cushions of the luxurious limousine, with his thoughts so full of the impending European tragedy that he hardly observed that as his car swung round the village street it nearly passed over a little Ford coming in the opposite direction."

And if you've been to a society meeting or two, you may have heard "We Never Mention Aunt Clara." If so, you'll recall that Aunt Clara's sister drove in a second-hand Ford. Let's just say that the Ford I'll be driving will be anything but second-hand.

Moving to Michigan is going to be an adventure, but I won't be leaving my Sherlockian pursuits behind. I know I'll be in good hands with the likes of the Amateur Mendicant Society and the blog and podcast will continue.

And if you'd like a quick run-through of what social media is all about, take a look at this:

Photo courtesy of Andrew Dunn

"Vampires in Transylvania" [SUSS]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Wed, 11 Jun 2008 22:18:41 PDT

One of the most intriguing of the later Sherlock Holmes stories - those from the collections known as His Last Bow and The Casebook of Sherlock Holmes - has to be "The Sussex Vampire." The title alone arouses interest and imagination of a morbid gothic scene.

Certainly vampires have been right up there in popularity with Sherlock Holmes, with plenty of movies, novels and popular culture that center on Dracula and the like. And when you consider that Bram Stoker was an acquaintance of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and that his novel was released in the spring of 1897 - in the midst of Doyle's hiatus from writing the Holmes stories - it fits right in with the time and place of our hero.

If you have even the most passing interest in Dracula, then you'll be happy know know this news: Leslie Klinger, BSI ("The Abbey Grange") - probably most well-known for his three-volume series The New Annotated Sherlock Holmes (which if you don't own, you should; just click the link) - just announced that his latest opus, The Annotated Dracula, is now available for preorder on Amazon.

If you're familiar with Les's fine and thorough work in NASH, you'll know what to expect from his new book. Personally, I don't know enough about Dracula or vampires - just the usual stake-in-the-heart and garlic stuff - so this will be an interesting volume to peruse.

"Took Out His Manuscript" [MUSG]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:45:27 PST

Every once in a while, there's an item that puts Sherlockian collectors into a fervor. Whether or not the item is within everyone's reach, it creates an aura of excitement and anticipation, wondering what the market will bear. And it almost certainly ends in a battle at the auction house (maybe not as physically violent as the image on the left, but definitely an emotional one).

The most recent item to undergo such scrutiny was an original 1887 Beeton's Christmas Annual - famous for A Study in Scarlet, the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes in print. A copy was found in a pile of books at an Oxfam shop in the U.K. and subsequently was put up for auction, eventually bringing in £18,600 (approx. US$36,500). You can read about the entire backstory as well as the auction results here.

Now it seems that there's an original manuscript of one of the Holmes stories up for sale. The 28-page manuscript for "The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax" is expected to bring nearly £250,000 when it goes under the hammer, according to an article in the Times.

I'm not so certain. The comparable sale they reference is the manuscript for The Sign of Four, which sold for $470,000 (£243,000) at Sotheby's in New York in 1996. I would think that the novels - remember there are only four, and the MSS of The Hound of the Baskervilles was divided up for publicity purposes when the book went on sale - would command a higher premium than any of the 56 short stories. Then again, when collectors have a shot at a true rarity, sanity often times is checked at the door.

For more information about original Doyle manuscripts - Sherlock Holmes-related and otherwise - the definitive resource is Randall Stock's web site. There's a wealth of information available there.

"Like a Little Empty Attic" [STUD]

wsmonty@gmail.com (Scott Monty) — Thu, 13 Nov 2008 16:45:27 PST

In A Study in Scarlet, Sherlock Holmes opined that he had no room for useless knowledge (in that particular case, it was the fact that the Earth revolves around the Sun). He remarked to Watson:

"You appear to be astonished," he said, smiling at my expression of surprise. "Now that I do know it I shall do my best to forget it."

"To forget it!"

"You see," he explained, "I consider that a man's brain originally is like a little empty attic, and you have to stock it with such furniture as you choose. A fool takes in all the lumber of every sort that he comes across, so that the knowledge which might be useful to him gets crowded out, or at best is jumbled up with a lot of other things, so that he has a difficulty in laying his hands upon it...It is of the highest importance, therefore, not to have useless facts elbowing out the useful ones."

We're all familiar with information overload (especially these days), but I wonder if this was the hubris of a younger Holmes speaking. Recent research shows that the older brain can actually process information much better than previously thought, and is better at filtering out distractions than a younger brain.

From a recent New York Times article:

Such tendencies can yield big advantages in the real world, where it is not always clear what information is important, or will become important. A seemingly irrelevant point or suggestion in a memo can take on new meaning if the original plan changes...
"A broad attention span may enable older adults to ultimately know more about a situation and the indirect message of what’s going on than their younger peers," Dr. Hasher said. "We believe that this characteristic may play a significant role in why we think of older people as wiser."

What do you think? Does this match with your experience? Does Holmes's claim seem like juvenile boasting to his easily-astonished new friend? Would the older Holmes agree?