"The Gleam of an Electric Switch" [CHAS]

Over a decade ago, The Baker Street Journal did the unthinkable: it entered into the electronic age. That is to say, it released a CD-ROM containing every issue from 1946-2000, debuted its web site and introduced an online ordering system.

And while the Baker Street Irregulars are not yet offering an electronic subscription option to the BSJ (we believe it to be inevitable, considering what's been happening in the news and book industry over the course of the last, oh decade or so, but we certainly don't expect it in the near term), the Journal has come a long way in its recent history. From updating the style of the wrappers to including a different cover image on each new issue, the physical version is much more pleasing to the eyes and hands.

And the Journal, which has for years offered advertising space within its own pages, has begun sponsoring other outlets worthy of association, such as The Baker Street Babes and I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere podcasts. We trust that those affiliations have garnered the attention of a new swath of fans who have discovered Sherlock Holmes in a variety of manners.

For those interested in understanding what happens between the yellow covers can get a sample by clicking on the Current Contents section of the site, which at minimum will show the Editor's Gas-Lamp.

Read more...

"A Tinge of Colour" [VALL]

The new BSJ 

The Spring 2011 issue of the Baker Street Journal has arrived on our doorstep. This is Vol. 61 No. 1 and it's a significant one. If you're a regular subscriber (if you're not, you need to get thee to the subscription page now - this is The. Definitive. Publication.), you may have noticed that over the last couple of years, there have been some changes afoot. We announced the arrival of the perfect binding last May with "Perfectly Fresh" [SPEC].

The more noticeable change over this same time period has been the rotating images on the cover. Previously, the BSJ simply had the profile of Sherlock Holmes as drawn by Frederick Dorr Steele. But each new piece of cover art has been selected to support the content of each issue. And with the current issue, we can see a very marked difference in the cover of the Journal.

This is the first time a color image has been used on the Baker Street Journal.

The image is the famous struggle between Sherlock Holmes and Professor Moriarty, who battled each other over the Reichenbach Falls. For those of us who are accustomed to seeing Sidney Paget's work in black and white, this color version is quite arresting: Holmes's charcoal grey suit against the black of Moriarty's; the tufts of green grass on the edge of the narrow path; and the blue backdrop of the falls behind them as they struggle.

The reason this particular image was chose for the Spring 2011 issue is that Jim Zych's winning entry in the BSI's 2010 Essay Contest ("How Moriarty Survived the Reichenbach Falls") appears, along with a plethora of coverage from the Baker Street Irregulars weekend. In addition, you can take a look at Nicholas Utechin's recounting of the first reading of Ronald Knox's seminal paper "Studies in the Literature of Sherlock Holmes" - did it take place at the Gryphon Club, as we long believed? Paul Singleton takes a look at the curious lot of Americans that made their way into the Canon.

All this and more are in the current issue of the BSJ, which you can read if you subscribe now. It's only $37.50 a year in the U.S.; $47.50 elsewhere. If you do subscribe, please encourage at least one other person to do so as well. It's a fine publication that deserves more readers.

Please consider visiting our sponsors (in the right column and footer of the site) from time to time. It helps defray the costs associated with running this site.
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"The Snow of the Day Before" [BERY]

How's the weather where you are? Odds are that at some point this season, the fluctuating weather patterns have resulted in some extreme weather. And here in the United States at the moment, a good portion of the country is experiencing a fairly severe snowstorm working its way from the midwest to the northeast.

But how much of the Baker Street scene take place in the wintry months - or more pointedly, involve snow? Our searches show that "snow" or a variation on that word appear only 28 times in the entire canon of some 650,000 words. And the only story in which snow itself is featured is "The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet," with its very memorable opening:

It was a bright, crisp February morning, and the snow of the day before still lay deep upon the ground, shimmering brightly in the wintry sun. Down the centre of Baker Street it had been ploughed into a brown crumbly band by the traffic, but at either side and on the heaped-up edges of the foot-paths it still lay as white as when it fell. The gray pavement had been cleaned and scraped, but was still dangerously slippery, so that there were fewer passengers than usual. Indeed, from the direction of the Metropolitan Station no one was coming save the single gentleman whose eccentric conduct had drawn my attention.

In the Autumn 2010 issue (Vol. 60, No. 3) of The Baker Street Journal (you do subscribe, don't you?), the Editor's Gas-Lamp - the editorial that precedes each issue - Steve Rothman, BSI ("The Valley of Fear") mentioned Canonical weather conditions as part of some of his earliest memories of experiencing the Sherlock Holmes stories:

"As we dream by the fire"

Now that the autumnal equinox has passed and days are getting shorter, our thoughts turn - more than ever - to Baker Street. Something about the Canon gives off a greyish tone: a hint of clouds and cold, mixed with a desire to be indoors. Yet a quick leaf through Andrew Peck's and Leslie Klinger's invaluable compendium of chronological data "The Date Being --?" shows that only about half of the stories in the Canon occur during the six darker months. We might just as well imagine Holmes shining forth in the most glorious summer, striding through sunny days, shedding light on the darkest of human events. Why don't we?

The most evocative scenes in the Canon are those that are set in the Baker Street sitting room. Watson draws us in by recounting his banter with Holmes and we, having entered 221B, are loathe to go out again. Also, we get to know Holmes best (not always first) in books and reading; and even sitting on a tree branch in midsummer is very much an interior activity.

Our fondest personal memory of reading the Canon for the first time is of a Saturday afternoon in early January. We had just checked out The Valley of Fear from the library. As we opened the book, the skies went from brilliant, if weak, winter sunlight to dark grey clouds. Prone on the floor by the radiator, we learned of Porlock and the doings at Birlstone Manor. Slowly large snowflakes came down and continued to do so for the rest of the day and well into the night. But we cared not at all; we were upstate in the Vermissa Valley and needed to know just what evil the Scowerers were doing. The snow was shoveled late that Sunday; Bakerstreeting came first.

So for us, Baker Street is Holmes and Watson by their fireside discussing some hideous crime in the newspapers just before learning that a new unfortunate seeks their aid. Scholars have allowed mere facts to get in the way of truer perceptions. And that, of course, is the very core of Sherlockian scholarship: "Only those things the heart believes are true."

Whether the snow covers your landscape or the sun is shining today, we hope that Holmes is where the heart is. And please consider subscribing to the Baker Street Journal - it's the premier publication for Sherlockian scholarship, going strong since 1946. If not for yourself, consider it as a gift for the Sherlock Holmes enthusiast in your life.

Related items:
 


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"I Did a Good Deal of Shopping" [HOUN]

It's that time of the year again - when a young man's fancy turns to Sherlock Holmes-related holiday gifts. Or for that matter, a young woman's as well.

This year, thanks to a new movie and television show, not to mention one of the best Sherlock Holmes reference books around, you should have no problem finding appropriate gifts for the Sherlock Holmes fan in your life. For example, you might find:

• A Sherlock Holmes action figure
• Or perhaps a Star Trek Lt. Commander Data as Sherlock Holmes is more your style.
• For the clever, a Sherlock Holmes Mystery Jigsaw Puzzle might do.
• Or The Sherlock Holmes Handpainted Chess Set for the more strategic mind.
• Those inclined to play computer video games might prefer these: Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper, Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened, or Sherlock Holmes versus Arsene Lupin.

For a fuller list of Sherlock Holmes gift ideas such as books, DVDs, mp3 files, other mysteries and more, please visit our store by clicking here. Every purchase helps to support this site.

And as if that's not enough, The Baker Street Irregulars are running a holiday special as well. If you pop on over to the Baker Street Journal site, where you'll find an offer on the Deal Table section: 25% off of one of the classic titles from the Baker Street Irregulars International Series: Scandinavia and Sherlock Holmes. This book translates the best Holmesian writings of Denmark, Sweden and Norway into English, with essays from the 1950s to the present day. Edited by Bjarne Nielsen, longtime Baker Street Irregular and President of The Sherlock Holmes Klubben i Danmark. Regularly priced at $39.95, you can have it for $29.95 plus shipping. Please click through for full information.

And finally, we'd like to leave you with this Sherlockian version of the Perry Como classic "Home for the Holidays." We creatively call it "Holmes for the Holidays."

Oh there's no one like
Holmes for the holidays
'Cause no matter how far away you roam,
When you pine for the genius
Of deductive grace
For the holidays you can't beat
Holmes sweet Holmes.

I met a man who lived in Baker Street
And he was headin' for Baskerville Hall
To track a ghostly hound.
From Baskerville Hall folks are travelin’ down
To chases on the moor.
While Grimpen is prolific, gee
The howling is terrific.

Oh there's no one like Holmes
For the holidays, ‘cause no matter
How far away you roam
If you want
To be happy in a million ways
For the holidays, you can’t beat
Holmes, sweet Holmes.

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"The Rooms at No. 221B, Baker Street" [STUD]

"I have my eye on a suite in Baker Street," he said, "which would suit us down to the ground."

The new 221B Baker Street is here.

If you're tuning in to the new series "Sherlock" on PBS, you'll note the exterior shot that represents one of the most famous addresses in literature. It looks familiar, but it wasn't shot on Baker Street. More on the actual location in a moment.

As we all know, Baker Street of today doesn't look quite as cozy as the television version. Officially, Upper Baker Street didn't exist in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's time, and the original location of 221B has been debated for decades in a number of Sherlockian publications, including The Baker Street Journal. Tourists, residents and Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts alike have strolled up and down that famous Westminster thoroughfare in search of the residence of the famous consulting detective.

The character of Sherlock Holmes was such a part of the public consciousness that even in Conan Doyle's time, correspondence would be addressed to 221B Baker Street. When the Abbey National Building company was housed in a section of the street that included 221, they employed a secretary that did nothing but answer the hundreds of letters that arrived there annually. They've since vacated the building, leaving the Sherlock Holmes Museum (officially at 239 Baker Street) to claim the letters addressed to 221B.

So, back to our new location. The producers of "Sherlock" selected 187 North Gower Street, London NW1 as the official home to our 21st century Holmes. You can see a real street view of the location below, courtesy of Google Maps - complete with Speedy's Snack Bar, which also appeared in the new TV series.






View Larger Map

North Gower Street is actually an ideal location for our hero. It's not far from Euston Station (which saw some activity in A Study in Scarlet, the story on which the first episode, "A Study in Pink," is based). This is a fairly academic area of the City - you'll find the British Library and British Museum not terribly far away, and University College London is directly there as well. This area also includes Montague Street, which is where Sherlock Holmes first settled when he came to London (mentioned in "The Musgrave Ritual").

You may note the blue plaque on 183 Gower Street in the photo above. It's actually a plaque dedicated to the memory of Giuseppe Mazzini, the Italian philosopher, politician and patriot who spent a few years in London in the 1850s. While there's no direct connection between him and the Sherlock Holmes Canon, there are a number of Italian references in the stories, including "The Six Napoleons" and "The Red Circle," primarily. If you haven't already done so, pick up a copy of Mandate for Murder from the Baker Street Irregulars' Manuscript Series. This volume looks at the influence of Italians in the Canon.

Finally, if you're at all interested, we have a limited supply of "221B" oval stickers for your car, laptop, desk, or wherever else you might like to slap one on. You can grab one for yourself or as a holiday gift for the Sherlock Holmes fan in your life by clicking on the PayPal link below.

Do you have any interesting photos of Baker Street (221B or not)? Please consider sharing them with us on our Facebook Page at http://www.facebook.com/IHearofSherlock. Just click on the "photo" link or the camera icon to add them. Let's see how many shots - interior and exterior - we can collect to help visually define the location that's synonymous with Sherlock Holmes.

Please consider visiting our sponsors (in the right columns or in the footer) from time to time. It helps defray the costs associated with running this site.

"Do You Know Anything of the Commissionaire?" [NAVA]

If you haven't yet had the opportunity to read up on the history of the Baker Street Irregulars, you're missing out. It's a fascinating series of reads - you're not only treated to larger-than-life personalities, but a glimpse into the history of Sherlock Holmes societies around the country, New York of the 1930s and 1940s, and the challenges in keeping such an interest alive in times that were economically and martially uncertain.

You can pick up a copy of the Nos. 4 & 5 in the BSI Archival Series at the BSJ website. Previous volumes are out of print, but you can occasionally pick them up on eBay or from rare book dealers on Amazon.

The BSI Archival series continues, and there's always need for information, should you come across it. In fact, we noticed a request that was posted on the HOUNDS-L listserv by Leslie Klinger, BSI ("The Abbey Grange"):

WANTED FOR A HISTORY OF THE BSI: Letters, writing, or biographical information of any variety on Julian Wolff, Commissionaire of the Baker Street Irregulars from 1960 to 1986 and publisher of The Baker Street Journal until 1977. Copies of letters and anecdotes are especially welcome. Please contact Susan Rice at susan221bee AT gmail DOT com.

If you knew Julian, or had some correspondence with him, or knew someone who did, please get in touch with Susan Rice, BSI, 2s ("Beeswing"). As stated in NAVA: "It is of the utmost importance that you should notice this point."

Please consider visiting our sponsors from time to time. It helps defray the costs associated with running this site.

"Perfectly Fresh" [SPEC]

One of the mainstays of scholarship of the world of Sherlock Holmes has always been the The Baker Street Journal. Since 1946, this "Irregular" quarterly has been consistently offering the best of Holmesian essays, commentary, news and activity. And while it is published by the Baker Street Irregulars, you don't need to be a member of the BSI to subscribe - it's open to anyone who has a passing interest in the world of Sherlock Holmes.

If you're a subscriber and you received your Spring 2010 issue (Vol. 60, No. 1) of the BSJ, you may find that the old cliché "the more things change, the more they stay the same" can now applies to the Journal, as a few changes were recently instituted - and change is not something that's been welcomed at the BSJ.

Last year, under the able guidance of the team at the Wessex Press, the cover of the Journal got a much-needed update when the traditional profile of Holmes by Frederic Dorr Steele was replaced by an ever-rotating image that was consistent with the content inside each issue. That has been continued with the latest issue, featuring Jude Law and Robert Downey, Jr. as Watson and Holmes:

In addition, an enclosed letter from the publisher enumerates some of the differences at the Baker Street Journal:

Dear Baker Street Journal Subscriber:

As you undoubtedly realize, this Spring 2010 issue of the BSJ arrives in your mailbox approximately six weeks later than usual. We thank all our subscribers for their patience.

We have been undergoing some changes here at the Journal. Times change, technology changes, and as inconvenient as this can sometimes be, these changes also bring new opportunities. This year, we have changed printers after a long 18-year run with our Sheridan Press.It seemed like a good time to make other changes as well, including returning The Baker Street Journal to the perfect binding of the Original Series, as well as an upgrade in the typesetting and production of the interior changes. This all begins with this issue at hand, but it took a little extra time to get in place. We trust you find it all worth the wait.

One thing that hasn't changed is the quality of the contents. Steven Rothman is still the guiding spirit of  The Baker Street Journal and his leadership insures that the BSJ remains the Sherlockian publication of record.

Here you can see the difference between the Winter 2009 issue and the Spring 2010 issue:

We've also given you a side view of what a perfect binding means - something especially essential for you collectors (or accumulators) who like to put the BSJ on your bookshelf.

    

As to the content of the Spring 2010, you can check that out on the Baker Street Journal site (Articles & Extras --> Current Contents). This link changes quarterly, always giving you the table of contents of the most current issue, as well as the Editor's Gas-Lamp to read online. And if you'd like to see what some of the best articles have been, check out the links on the Morley-Montgomery Award section, where some of the decade's most recent highly acclaimed scholarship lives.

If all of this moves you, we encourage you to subscribe to the Journal. This is the premier publication of Sherlockian scholarship, and you get five issues - all four quarterly issues plus the Christmas Annual - for just $37.50 a year in the U.S. and $47.50 outside of the U.S.

And now the Baker Street Journal has an official Facebook page at http://facebook.com/BakerStreetJournal. If you're so inclined, please "like" it here:

The more people we encourage to recommend or like the BSJ Facebook page, the more we'll be able to share our unique and singular hobby with the world and encourage the next generation of Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts to join the Game.

"Irregularity at Meals" [3STU]

The Friday of the BSI Weekend is typically spent running from meal to meal. By the end of it, one begins to wonder if it was even a wise thing to do to commit to a breakfast, large lunch, and catered dinner all in a single day. But then one thinks back on the conversations had, friendships rekindled, and new faces met, and one realizes that it's well worth the expanding waistline.

The William Gillette Memorial Lunch has been in existence for over 60 years. Currently held at Moran's Chelsea Restaurant, it originated as a lunch for out-of-towners who arrived early for the BSI dinner. Now, it's open to everyone who would like to attend, so you'll see a strong contingent of locals as well as travelers. The locals also include the Friends of Bogey's of Baker Street, a stage troupe who always have an humorous skit that incorporates William Gillette. This year, hilarity ensued as they took a Holmesian approach to nursery rhymes and we were treated to Peter Peter Amberley, the Adventure of the Christmas Pie, the Three Rubadubs, the 24 Black Peeps, and a Cardboard Box containing the severed tails of three vision-impaired mice.

Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

The BSI Dinner
The highlight of the weekend for those who are invited to attend is always the annual dinner of the Baker Street Irregulars - the very event that that got this entire movement started. This year, there was plenty to be excited about, including some celebrity sightings such as Neil Gaiman, Laurie R. King and Curtis Armstrong, to name a few. But the real stars are the Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts who make it such an interesting place to be.

This year, the dinner was held at a new venue for the BSI - the Yale Club, just a couple of blocks from the Algonquin Hotel. It was the equivalent of the Union League Club, The Woman for 2010 - typically the (long-suffering) wife of a long-standing BSI member was Karen Gurion, wife of Andrew J. Peck, BSI ("Inspector Baynes, Surrey Constabulary"). She was toasted by Jerry Margolin ("Hilton Cubitt") and then she gave her own remarks. Of Andy's acquisition of an original Frederic Dorr Steele illustration of Sherlock Holmes, she remarked, "That's art?" To which, noted dealer Otto Penzler, who was in attendance replied, "So sell it back!" Karen clearly warmed up to the group, saying that she felt like Sally Field: "You like me! You really like me!" And indeed, we do.

Following the cocktail party, we wound our way upstairs to the dining room and began the proceedings of the evening. Wiggins got right to the awards, first doling out a special crystal award with Queen Victoria on one side and Sherlock Holmes on the other, to Freda Howlett, widow of Holmesian Tony Howlett and one of the co-founders of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London. Directly following Freda's award, Mike launched into the Eddies - awards given to the editors of BSI publications to demonstrate his thanks for the hard work they've done. They were:

• Steve Rothman for A Remarkable Mixture
• Les Klinger for his general editorship of the BSI Manuscript and History Series and A Tangled Skein
• John Bergquist for So Painful a Scandal
• Susan Dahlinger and Glen Miranker for co-editing the 2007 BSJ Christmas Annual Rathbone Returns
• Gianluca Salvatore for editing Mandate for Murder
• A posthumous award to H. Paul Jeffers for the 2005 BSJ Christmas Annual Once a Week in Baker Street

Some remarks from Wiggins followed: the BSI Archives will become increasingly important over the next five years and the correspondence of every member of the BSI is sought; more scholarly conferences around the country will be happening; and we need to keep in mind not to take ourselves too seriously. That being said, we launched into some papers, some serious, some not so serious.

Nils Nordberg ("A Norwegian Named Sigerson") opined on the Scandinavian roots of Holmes, and was followed by Sue Vizoskie ("Mrs. Saunders") who posited that Holmes was a woman (!). Finally, Nathan Hartley ("Penang Lawyer") discussed the original Penang lawyer and the real identity of James Mortimer. Then, Peter Blau ("Black Peter") took the podium and gave a toast to An Old Irregular - in this case, Bill Rabe. We'll have some of the audio at a later date. But Peter let us know that Bill, who was one of the inspirations behind "Aunt Clara," which we sing every year, got his inspiration from a song called "Mush Mush."

Henry Boote ("Meyers, Toronto") stepped up to tickle the ivories and gave us a rendition of "Mush, Mush" and then invited Scott Monty to belt out a few stanzas of "Aunt Clara" with gracious help from the audience on the chorus. And as if that wasn't enough musical entertainment, we were joined by Ray Jessel, the songwriter who was responsible for the Broadway musical "Baker Street" (you can purchase it by clicking through). Ray gave some brief remarks and then played a few songs on the piano, including the memorable "A Married Man." He shared that to write for Watson was eaier, as "he represents the human element" in the Canon. To say that it was a treat to hear Ray play would be an immense understatement.

We then stood on the terrace for the BSIs we lost over the last year. They included: Edwin King, Joe Fink, Ed Lauterbach, Edward Starr, Richard Warner, Frank Beckman, and H. Paul Jeffers. Then it was time to move on to the happier part of the program...

The Honours List
The awarding of the irregular shilling is always a marvelous thing. There were nine in the class of 2010, as well as three Two-Shilling Awards:

• "Lord Bellinger" - Tom Cynkin
• "Ettie Shafter" - Pj Doyle
• "Vernet" - Sir Christopher Frayling
• "Imperial Tokay" - Patricia Guy
• "The Red Circle" - Laurie R. King
• "Violet Smith" - Sarah Montague
• "Holloway and Steele" - Daniel Polvere
• "The Three Gables' - Sally Sugarman
• "Isadora Klein" - Maria Carmen Veiga Hayzen
• John Bergquist, Two Shilling Award
• Bob Coghill, Two Shilling Award
• Steve Doyle, Two Shilling Award

The dinner concluded with the reading of "A Long Evening with Holmes."




Created with Admarket's flickrSLiDR.

Aplogies for any typos or misspellings; this was done in haste.

"We Shall Know a Good Deal" [SUSS]

One of the benefits of the volunteer work that I do with the Baker Street Journal (yes, the BSJ is primarily a volunteer-led enterprise; only our printing and distribution are handled by a professional firm) is that I get to interact with customers. What it means is that I correspond with hundreds of people via email throughout the year and that I get to greet nearly everyone who enters the vendors' room during the BSI Weekend.

Occasionally I have to break bad news to people - that a shipment is delayed or that we've sold out of an item. And while I don't like disappointing anyone, I do like the little surprises that come with the territory. And have I got one such surprise for you.

The Baker Street Irregulars have become a publishing powerhouse in recent years. The Journal is and will continue to be the mainstay, but when you think about the other complementary publications that have some along, it's pretty impressive:

• Five volumes in our History Series
  
• Five volumes in the Manuscript Series
  
• Two volumes in the International Series
  
• An expedition publication (with another to follow)
• A joint imprint with the Sherlock Holmes Society of London
  
• 10 years worth of Christmas Annuals

And we've sold out of two of our hardcovers and 4 of our Christmas Annuals along the way. Not bad for a 300 member literary society!

The good news is that I've opened new section of bakerstreetjournal.com called Deal Table where I offer specials on items from time to time. Items may include extra copies of items that were thought to have been sold out, or perhaps bundled titles that we need to move. Take a look for yourself from time to time to see what we've got. You might be able to "fill that gap on that second shelf."

"To Whom Also You Will Give a Shilling" [HOUN]

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. Mike Whelan 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.

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

• Betsy Rosenblatt, "Lucy Ferrier"
  
• Dana Richards, "The Priory School"
  
• David Morrill, "Count von Kramm"
  
• Barbara Roisman Cooper, "Mary Maberley"
  
• Randall Stock, "South African Securities"
• John Genova, "Harry Pinner"
  
• Guy Marriott, "The Hotel du Louvre"
  

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

• Sherry Rose Bond
  

I'm particularly pleased because the new class skewed significantly younger. I can point to John, Randall and Betsy as 30-somethings who are now part of this august organization - a sign that we're beginning to set the stage for the next generation, but we've still got a ways to go. Congratulations to one and all!

Fair warning to the new BSIs: I'll be hunting you down to ensure you subscribe to The Baker Street Journal. And to my dear readers: you subscribe to the BSJ, don't you?

"A Certain Annual" [SPEC]

For anyone reading this blog, there has never been a time when the world as you know it has been without Sherlock Holmes. As a matter of fact, it's been exactly 120 years since Sherlock Holmes made his first appearance in the Beeton's Christmas Annual. For a short summary of Holmes's humble beginnings, you can listen to a segment on All Things Considered that NPR ran on December 23.

And in our own humble way, we honor his memory over at the Baker Street Journal. Each year for the last 10 years, we've been offering an additional companion piece to our quarterly journal - something we call the Baker Street Journal Christmas Annual.

The Christmas Annual for 2007 is about to hit the streets, and we've already got a record number of subscribers signed up to receive it. If you are renewing your BSJ subscription or if you're taking a subscription out for the first time, you can automatically include the Annual as part of your package, and receive a discount in the process. So, sign up now for the 2008 Journal & Annual.

In the meantime, let's focus on what we've got in 2007. The title of this year's entry is:

Rathbone Returns: A Misadventure Called Sherlock Holmes by S.E. Dahlinger, ASH and Glen Miranker, BSI ("The Origin of Tree Worship")

Basil Rathbone is still a perennial favorite of many Holmes enthusiasts. As a matter of fact, I recently met a 9 year-old who came to a dinner of the Friends of Irene Adler in Cambridge, MA dressed as the great detective - and he himself told me that Basil Rathbone was the best Sherlock Holmes ever. We could argue that here or in a variety of forums forever, but let's say that by the end of his 14 film stretch and radio play, Rathbone was inexorably typecast.

Indeed, he was just as eager to push Sherlock Holmes over the precipice at Reichenbach Falls as Arthur Conan Doyle had been. As he wrote in his autobiography, In and Out of Character:

I was . . . deeply concerned with the problem of being "typed," more completely "typed" than any other classic actor has ever been or ever will be again. . . . There was nothing I could do about it, except to stop playing Mr. Holmes. . . .

That June, Rathbone and his wife Ouida left Hollywood for the New York stage in search of better things. At least, that was the plan. They quickly found that Broadway wouldn't touch Basil as anything other than Holmes, either. Rathbone began casting about for the play in which to rekindle his rapidly fading star—and fell back on his wife to write it.

Thereby hangs our tale of Sherlock Holmes by Ouida Rathbone. It may have been a comedy, or it may have been a tragedy. It cost one man his dream of conquering Broadway in his most notable role. It cost another man his career as a Broadway producer. It gave yet a third man a heart attack at the dress rehearsal. It even caused the Conan Doyle Estate to forget that the script had ever been produced in the first place. Yet there was certainly an element of comedy.

The play opened here in Boston (as did many plays of the day before hitting the Great White Way). Peter Blau even mentioned planning on seeing it in New York after its Boston run. If you pick up a copy of the Annual, you'll see what happened in the process.

So, as a birthday present to Holmes and as a happy Blue Carbuncle Day ("the second morning after Christmas"), order your copy - and sign up for a subscription and next year's Annual while you're at it, over at bakerstreetjournal.com.

"It Is the Bootmaker" [LADY]

I'm pleased to report that the Bootmakers of Toronto have released the latest issue of their quarterly magazine, The Canadian Holmes. If you're at all interested in Sherlockian scholarship, this is one of the top publications you can subscribe to. The others are The Baker Street Journal, The Sherlock Holmes Journal and The Serpentine Muse.

Of particular note with regard to this issue of this northern publication is that it is the first issue over which Barbara Roden has presided as editor. As her husband Christopher points out:

It's packed from cover to cover with fascinating
material, including an article by Richard Lancelyn Green on the
manuscript of 'Shoscombe Old Place' and - those of you who were in
Minneapolis recently will recognise the significance of this - a
revelatory article by Michael Dirda on Langdale Pike.

Congratulations to Barbara on her debut!

"There Is This Naturalist" [HOUN]

The history of the San Diego Natural History Museum is rich and deep, as it is the oldest scientific institution in southern California and only the second oldest west of the Mississippi River. It is even more interesting to us because it contains a Sherlockian connection.

One of the museum's major historical was an amateur naturalist, Dr. Laurence M. Klauber, who had a wide variety of interests. Although he became CEO of San Diego Gas & Electric, his passion fueled his hobbies - two of which intersected for an interesting outcome.

You see, Dr. Klauber was a herpetologist - a person who makes a study of snakes. He wrote over 100 papers on snakes and lizards, identified 53 species and left a collection of more than 36,000 reptile and amphibian specimens to the museum. In addition, he was an inveterate collector and bibliophile who amassed 1462 books, 19,000 pamphlets, 20 drawers of hand-written catalog cards, and 198 looseleaf binders of scientific notes related to snakes.

Naturally, a bookman with an interest in snakes can only lead to one story: The Adventure of the Speckled Band. It was this combination of interests that led Dr. Klauber to write an article for Vol. 3, No. 2 of the Baker Street Journal in 1948, called The Truth About the Speckled Band. You can click on the link and read it for yourself.

"Knowledge Which Would Astonish His Professors" [STUD]

It seems that every time I turn around, I'm hearing of Sherlock everywhere lately. In addition to popular culture references which continue to abound, there are a number of Sherlockians who are doing their part to keep the Master's memory green and are getting some well-deserved press in return.

In particular, two of my good friends and fellow Baker Street Irregulars have recently appeared in print for their respective activities.

The first, Al Silverstein ("Professor Presbury") is a longtime member of the Cornish Horrors of Rhode Island and a recently retired professor of psychology. He is using his free time to give lectures about Sherlock Holmes. He recently spoke at Yale and at the Cranston Historical Society, which was highlighted in A truly Sherlockian evening by the Providence Journal. I've had the pleasure of hearing Al speak many times - it is an experience well worth having - and of enjoying humorous and intellectual conversations with him during many society events. It's part of what makes the game so fun for me.

Similarly, Andy Solberg ("Professor Coram"), who is the current Gasogene of Watson's Tin Box of Ellicott City, was interviewed for The Baker Street Irregulars at home in county, which also included quotes from Paul Churchill ("Corot") and Cliffe Hichar. The society was noted for it laid back and comfortable attitude as well as its scholarship. Under Andy's guidance, WTB has sponsored an essay contest to encourage middle school children to read the Sherlock Holmes stories. Although Andy is a relatively recent friend acquired from my BSI Weekend attendance over the last decade or so, he's one of my closest Sherlockian friends and advisors. His work with his local school system is simply great stuff and he's quite the scholar, as his Baker Street Journal articles prove.

It's entirely coincidental, but worthy of note nonetheless: these two articles appeared on the Web on the same day, and both of these BSIs are named after professors in the Canon. And what's more: each of them has been a co-author of an article in the Baker Street Journal that has won a Morley Montgomery Award for the best piece of Sherlockian scholarship in the BSJ for that year.

I'm sure there are lots of these types of activities going on around the world. Do you know of anyone doing something? Leave a comment below and tell us all about it!

"His Data Were Insufficient" [TWIS]

About the status of the Spring Baker Street Journal: I have been receiving inquiries from many subscribers regarding your Spring issue. After doing some preliminary research, I found that the data from online purchases from PayPal were corrupted.

I am in the process of reloading these files and getting all of your information sent to our distribution and mail center. Please bear with me as I see that this process is completed.

If you have any questions, please contact me directly. Thank you.

"He Had Actually Won" [EMPT]

Did you think I forgot about the contest I was running? Not to worry! I'm a man of my word. I'm here to make good on my promise to award a full year's subscription of the Baker Street Journal, plus the Christmas Annual to three lucky winners.

If you missed the original post, the gist of it was as follows: each page of the BSJ Web site contains a Canonical image. I asked participants to name the story associated with each page, 14 in all. Naturally, you all found that I had left one page out of my calculations, so there were actually 15.

I was very impressed (and overwhelmed!) with the level of participation. Not to mention the high quality of responses. Nevertheless, I committed to three winners. I've tallied the results and selected the three perfect scores. But first, here are the answers:

1. Home page: The Priory School
2. FAQs: The Beryl Coronet
3. What's New: The Norwood Builder
4. Site map: The Priory School
5. Watson's Weird Tales: The Devil's Foot
6. Shoscombe Alice: Shoscombe Old Place
7. Archived Articles: The Musgrave Ritual
   
8. Items for Sale: Charles Augustus Milverton
9. Morley-Montgomery Award: The Three Students
10. Links: Shoscombe Old Place
11. Good Old Index: The Sussex Vampire
12. Contact Us: The Three Garridebs
13. Submissions: The Hound of the Baskervilles
14. Letters to Baker Street: Wisteria Lodge
15. BSI Weekend: The Sign of Four

The participants who submitted perfect scores were: Randall Stock, Marilynne McKay and Bob Byrne. Congratulations to you all!

"It Is Late in March, So Quarter-Day Is at Hand" [WIST]

It's that time again! The Baker Street Journal is proud to announce that the first issue of Volume 57 is on its way. The Spring issue promises to be a popular one, with lots of juicy tidbits of information and scholarship to satisfy your cravings for material related to Sherlock Holmes.

The featured article this quarter contains a bold thesis by Marshall (aka "Mike") Berdan. His contribution, The Adventure of the Dead Detective, makes some heretofore taboo assumptions about the war service of Mr. Sherlock Holmes. See what he writes and if you agree with his theory. This could make for some interesting Letters to Baker Street.

Other entries include:

• The 2007 BSI Weekend festivities round-up - a perennial favorite for those who couldn't attend in person and for those who wish to reminisce about the whirlwind
• Everyone is always interested in real estate, so Greg Darak's "Holmes and Homes" will certainly be relevant.
  
• Sonia Fetherston makes what seems to be her annual appearance in the BSJ with the unconventional "On the Catwalk: New Evidence of Worth Couture in the Canon."
  
• Probably the most avidly awaited entry (certainly by followers of her blog, Mutterings, will attest) the writeup of Laurie R. King's talk for the BSI Distinguished Lecture series, "Meeting Mr. Holmes."
• All this, plus our usual features: Art in the Blood, the Commonplace Book, reports on Sherlockian socities, and "Stand with me here upon the terrace..."

If you have not yet renewed for 2007, please don't wait any further! Head on over to the BSJ Web site, where you can find a downloadable subscription form as well as an online ordering system. And if you have renewed, thank you! Enjoy your upcoming Spring issue.

"He Was Reminded of His Omission" [VALL]

In case you haven't taken the time, please take a look at the post from February 26. It contains the rules related to the contest currently running for the Baker Street Journal. This is a rare opportunity for a chance to win a year's subscription to the BSJ.

The contest closes on March 21, so get your entries in now!

"I Have Endeavoured to Illustrate" [RESI]

I don't know if you've been to the Baker Street Journal Web site recently. Last year, I redesigned it so that it was more user-friendly and a little better looking. I tried to give it a little variety by selecting images that were either visually or topically tied to the subject on the page.

If you haven't had a look, now is your chance. Until March 21 - the first day of spring - I'm going to run a contest which will make you eligible to receive an entire year of the Journal, plus a Christmas Annual, for free.

Here's how the contest will work:
On the BSJ Web site are images that run across the top of the page; some of these are Canonical - that is, they are illustrations from within the pages of the original stories. There are 14 different illustrations from the Canon.

• Submit the name of the page on the BSJ site and the story from which its corresponding image is taken (e.g., Home Page, Name of Story)
  
• Contest closes at 12:01 p.m. on March 21
• Only one entry per person
• 3 winners will be selected at random from all submitted entries that contain the correct 14 stories
  
• Current BSJ subscribers may elect to extend their subscription one year or to give away a subscription to an individual or institution
  
• Submit your entry to me by clicking this link
  

Please pass this post on to anyone who is interested. And feel free to contact me with any questions.

"Into the Pale Sunlight of the Winter Day." [MISS]

This winter day I have the pleasure of announcing something many of you probably already know: the Winter issue of the Baker Street Journal is in the mail. Of course, this also means that the subscription year is up. If you have not taken the time to do so already, please renew your subscription. You can do so with a downloadable renewal form or the BSJ's online ordering system.

Over at the BSJ Web site you'll find the featured article, which this quarter is "The Lion's Mane": A Topical Review by Don Curtis, BSI. In it, Don reviews historical scientific and natural publications to assess the likely culprit of the swimming mishaps, discusses the locale of Holmes's retirement and comments on the author of the story.

Also in the current issue, you'll find the following:

• The latest Editor's Gas-Lamp, Tell Me More, Tell Me More
• "The Sad Tale of the Bull-Pup," in which Lars Falk surmises what happened to that alleged "bull-pup" that Watson claimed to keep
• Charles Meyer questions "Where Did Alicia Go, and Why Didn't Sherlock Find Her?" as he suggests the Mary Celeste as the real-life stand in for the cutter Alicia. Theories range from Jules Verne-inspired disasters to incidents relating to human nature.
• Barbara Roisman Cooper writes another of her excellent stage and screen-inspired features for the Journal in "Sherlock Holmes: The Final Adventure: The Playwright and Two Actors."
• "A Study in Stanzas: Arthurs, Authors, and Poetry" is Warren Randall's excellent backstory to the poetic exchange between Arthur Guiterman ('To Sir Arthur Conan Doyle') and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle ('To An Undiscerning Critic') in Life magazine in 1912.
• In "Two Peas in a Pod: Sherlock Holmes and Abraham Lincoln," Bruce Harris draws parallels (and some controversial ones at that!) between these two giants of history.
  
• And probably the most unique - if not titillating - article in this issue is Les Klinger's addition to the "Maybe you collect yourself, sir . . ." series: "'The Collection Mania in Its Most Acute Form': A Checklist of Sherlockian Pornography." Don't say I didn't warn you.
• And the usual roundup of the Baker Street Inventory, the editor's Commonplace Book, Scott Bond's artwork, Letters to Baker Street, and Stand with Me Here Upon the Terrace.
  

Best wishes for a healthy and happy 2007, and remember to get your subscription/renewal in the mail. Your next opportunity for purchasing BSI-related merchandise will be in two weeks' time, during the BSI weekend festivities.