“Pipes Are Occasionally of Extraordinary Interest” [YELL]

The iconic image of Sherlock Holmes always includes a pipe. The association between Great Detective and three-pipe problems is so strong that his silhouette is featured on signs outside tobacco shops around the world...

Outside a tobacco shop in Reykjavik, Iceland

...which is why I find it delightful that Peterson of Dublin has a Sherlock Holmes series of pipes.

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"Never Mind your Usual Petty Puzzles" [BRUC]

In the early 20th century, Sherlock Holmes was as seamless a part of the media as he is today. Case in point: regularly produced picture puzzles in which Sherlock Holmes invited the reader to make sense of a number of clues (or, “clews”) found in the picture. He appeared in a variety of situations, and all of the puzzles rely on the double meaning of words. The Musgraves Sherlock Holmes Society in the UK has now compiled twelve of these puzzles, along with answers and explanatory notes, into a 26-page monograph by John Addy.

The puzzles themselves are from Eliot Keen's original 1905 illustrations that originally appeared in American newspapers (can you see the William Gillette portrayal coming through?), with solutions following in subsequent publications.

I tried one of the puzzles, with little initial success. As the flyer above states, the trick is that one has to think as though one is still at the turn of the twentieth century. This proved to be more challenging than I thought it would be, but if it weren't a challenge then it wouldn't be as fun. I freely confess to resorting to the internet to verify (or, ahem, discover) the solutions I came up with. Some practice in the art of ‘punning’ is also helpful (in the below example, he’s pointing to a sawhorse - ha).

The idea to make some of these puzzles available again is brilliant; it is both a fun mental exercise and a neat way to look at life and customs of the time. If you're interested in purchasing a copy of the monograph, you can find the ordering information on the link above.

This might make for an interesting challenge at your next Sherlock Holmes society meeting, or simply a bit of good fun and a mental challenge on your own. Go ahead - what do you make of it?

See the sample puzzle below to try your hand at it.

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"The Artist Had Brought Out the Full Effect" [NOBL]

Do you appreciate Sherlockian art? Or perhaps you know someone who does. In either case, you should most definitely take a look at what Nis Jessen has created.

Jessen, an artist native to Denmark, has lavishly illustrated A Study in Scarlet in two editions: a regular and a deluxe edition. This new edition of A Study in Scarlet is fully illustrated by the Danish artist. The more than 600 striking illustrations bring new life to the original text from Beeton's Christmas Annual. This beautiful volume (in oversize: 25 x 35 cm - 10" x 14") consisting of 160 pages of text and illustrations printed on quality paper and bound in fullcolor laminated hardcover, and with dust cover.The deluxe editions are produced in a run of 1,000, come with a slipcase and are personally signed by the artist.

It's clear that Nis enjoys his work, but there must be something else to it as well. We discovered, that like Holmes, he has "art in the blood," and in Jessen's case it was not likely to take the strangest of forms, but to follow in the tradition of his ancestors who were artists and writers. If you take a look at some examples from the book, you can see what we mean:

The Foreword was written by the late Edward Hardwicke, who muses, "the drawings of the characters and Victorian London convince totally, and the action and energy of the American scenes are wonderfully conveyed."

Also, if you're interested, you can purchase posters from two full-page spreads featured in the book, as well as postcards and stickers with Jessen's images on them.

UPDATE: If you do wish to make a purchase, please do so through http://www.jessen-gallery.dk and contact Nis' wife Flerida.

Reader Al Gregory has let us know that Jessen also offers many original pieces of artwork for sale for those who are so inclined. Those art collectors among you should take note and contact Nis Jessen to inquire about such opportunities.

We hope that you can find some inspiring artwork here that is suitable for owning - whether it's the book, some prints for framing and hanging in your Sherlockian sanctum - or as a gift for the rabid Sherlock Holmes fan in your life. It's most unusual and striking artwork that must be seen to be appreciated.

And if you do make a purchase from Nis, please tell him that the Baker Street Blog sent you.

--

"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.

Please consider visiting our sponsors (in the right column of the site and our Amazon Store) from time to time. It helps defray the costs associated with running this site.

"The Lyceum Theatre" [SIGN]

Last November, we announced the availability of the Peter Cushing Sherlock Holmes series on DVD ("What Remains for You?" [SIGN]), which included five episodes on the three-DVD set. But notably, none of the Douglas Wilmer episodes made it into that digital revival.

Today, we're pleased to see that the BBC have come to their senses and released this classic run on DVD, starring Douglas Wilmer, BSI ("The Lyceum Theatre") and Nigel Stock: Sherlock Holmes: 1964-1965 is now available for sale on Amazon (please click through to support this site).

A full 13 episodes on this two-disc set will put you in a distinctly Victorian and Holmesian mood, including "The Red-Headed League," "The Six Napoleons," "The Beryl Coronet," "The Devil's Foot," "The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax," "The Speckled Band" and more. This was a groundbreaking series, as they were mostly faithful to the Canon, the production values were fairly high, and the schedule was grueling on the actors (causing Wilmer to bow out, handing the reins to Peter Cushing). It was part of what Wilmer spoke about during his 1998 tour of the United States.

Below (and via the image above) you can go to Amazon to purchase this valuable set that has been years in the making. If you're not a Sherlockian yourself, you might consider purchasing this and putting it away as a holiday gift for that Sherlock Holmes fan in your life. And of course, we have other Douglas Wilmer items to choose from below as well.

    




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"You Can't Sit There and Play with Me Like a Cat with a Mouse" [ABBE]

We've seen the meetings of greats before: Sherlock Holmes and Sigmund Freud, Sherlock Holmes and Oscar Wilde, Abbott & Costello and Frankenstein. The list goes on.

Now, if your inner MGM child wants to connect with your inner Universal adult, you have the opportunity to see Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes. Because Basil of Baker Street wasn't enough of a murine tribute to Holmes, and because evidently Tom needs to wrack his brain with deducing clues in addition to chasing a wily little mouse, the felonious feline is becoming a Holmesian suck-up in this family-friendly animated feature film. I could summarize the plot here, but would it really matter? If you'd like an official plot summary, Animation World Network has it.

You can take a look at the trailer below:

If you're so inclined, go right ahead and purchase a copy of the DVD. And feel free to check out the other links above for other mash-ups that might be worth a read or a viewing.

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

"The Remains of the Original Inscription" [GOLD]

Next week there is an event on the calendar that every Sherlockian collector should mark well. It has nothing to do with when a particular story took place or an event of the past that has significance.

No, one week from today is when one of the rarest items of modern fiction - and certainly the rarest of Holmesian works - goes under the hammer at Sotheby's in London. For on July 15, 2010, an inscribed copy of A Study in Scarlet will be up for auction. The expected sale price? £250,000 to £400,000.

This story marks the first appearance of Sherlock Holmes in print, and this is the only known inscribed copy of the original work. Randall Stock's excellent website The Best of Sherlock has the comprehensive writeup about this particular item (as well as many others). Sotheby's itself has a video preview of the item as well. Please click through to view it.

From Randall's website comes a description of the item:

This copy, the property of a private collector in New England, is bound in three-quarter morocco gilt that was probably done at the same time as Conan Doyle's inscription.  That inscription, "This is the very first independent book of mine which ever was published" appears on an extra leaf bound-in at front and is signed "Arthur Conan Doyle. | Jan 9 / 14."  Following the original cover are 26 pages of front-matter, including advertisements, the title page, table of contents, and frontispiece illustration.  The complete text of the original magazine (pp. [1]-138) then appears along with all the back-matter advertisements (pp. 139-168) and the original back cover.  It is in very fine condition.

We have the distinct pleasure of once having held that very copy in our hands when the collector showed it to us. To say that it made us a little weak in he knees would be an accurate statement. It was a direct connection to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who also once held it in his hands, and it was a marvelous specimen of the near-perfect acquisition.

Below you can take a look at the 5-page section of the Sotheby's catalog relevant to our interest.


Sotheby's Catalog Excerpt - Inscribed edition of A Study in Scarlet

If you're interested in more information, we suggest you use Randall's site as the main point of reference. In addition to everything regarding the provenance of the book (including previous owners and their affiliation with the Baker Street Irregulars) and the proceedings of the auction, he also has a good deal of press clippings about the event. It should be interesting to see how much this item sells for and whether it winds up in the hands of another private collector or in an institution's collections.

Any guesses on the final sale price?

"This Account of You We Have From All Quarters Received" [SCAN]

In our inbox over the weekend, we found a note from the publishers of Sherlock Holmes Magazin, a German publication. We're pleased to say that they were a little more courteous to their verbs than the legendary Count von Kramm as they reminded us of the existence of their publication and of the latest installment.

The German Sherlock Holmes magazine is now in its fourth issue and is clearly popular, as the first issue from August 2009 has sold out, and the second issue is nearly sold out. To give you an idea of what made it so popular (aside from the notion of a first issue being something of a collector's item), here are some of the topics from that first appearance (very loosely translated - forgive our crude skills):

• What do we really know about Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson?
• The Victorians and the love of money
• Ongoing thoughts on the Canon
• Events in the anniversary year
• Reviews 
• From the press
• Pastiche

In the June 2010 edition, comprising 32 pages of full color, we have the following to look forward to:

• Theater: The Hound of the Baskervilles in Hamburg
• Baker Street: the new comic series
• Sherlock Holmes and the movement of death
• From the research:
• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle - War of the Ghosts
• Scotland Yard
• from the press
• Pastiche

There is sure to be something for everyone here - both collectors and active Holmesians in Germany as well. The publishers are the Deutsche Sherlock Holmes Gesellschaft and the subscription rates are as follows: 19 € to the UK, 27 € within the EU, 32 € worldwide. You can order here.


Related items for you Germanophiles:

    

"This Comic Interlude" [3GAB]

For those of you who are interested in Sherlock Holmes in the realm of comic books, this should grab your attention. As you are no doubt aware, we recently reported that the Muppets would have a role in a new Sherlock Holmes-themed comic book ("All Were Equally Puppets in His Hands" [SOLI]). If your tastes in the graphic arts are a little more refined, fear not! We noticed some early quivers across the web that may indicate some additional publications that you may wish to note.

Some History
There are a great many instances of Holmes in the comics over the years. While we haven't yet provided a comprehensive review or compilation of all of the titles at this point, we point you to Bully Comics, who has a nice retrospective from the month of January, 2008.

The Present
The British comics blog downthetubes.net re-posted a Del Rey interview with Tony Lee, the British comics creator, who appeared at the Bristol Comics Expo last weekend. For those of you who may not know Tony, he has recently completed Pride and Prejudice and Zombies: The Graphic Novel. [Side note: we mentioned the original book Pride and Prejudice and Zombies in Episode 22 of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere].

The reason it caught our eye is that last month, Bleeding Cool first reported Tony and his writing partner Dan Boultwood had their photo taken at the Sherlock Holmes set of the London Film Museum earlier this year. An interesting tease, for certain.

But thanks to the Del Ray interview, we have it straight from Tony that he's "working on and pitching a graphic novel series of books on the Baker Street Irregulars, another childhood love."

So we began to piece some of the other bits of the puzzle together to see if we could find more information.  It turns out we didn't have to look very far, as Bleeding Cool followed up with a post this weekend that clinched it: Tony Lee and Dan Boultwood's Irregular Graphic Novels. The only information we have is that Sherlock Holmes is dead and it looks like the Irregulars are poised to replace him; but of the assortment of ragtag street urchins, who will it be? No specifics on the plot, a publisher or anything other than a series of images from flyers that were handed out at the London MCM Expo:

    

We're glad to see that at least Wiggins gets an appearance.

Related info:
  

"All Were Equally Puppets in his Hands" [SOLI]

It's not every day one is greeted with news from Disney on the subject of Sherlock Holmes. This is one of those rare days. In this case, it's a subsidiary that takes the stage: Jim Henson's Muppets.

In an exclusive, MTV's SplashPage has reported on a Muppet Sherlock Holmes comic book that is in the making by Boom Studios. Evidently, the shop has partnered with The Walt Disney Company previously on Muppet adaptations of Robin Hood, King Arthur and Snow White. Next up: Fozzie Bear as Dr. Watson and Gonzo as Sherlock Holmes in a two-part series.

Here's some early artwork to keep your interest:

    

And in case your Sherlockian-Disneyana hasn't been completely satisfied, here's a throwback to The Great Mouse Detective that might keep you salivating.

"The Great Black-Faced Monkey" [CREE]

I love hearing from other Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts - many have similar stories of how we all got interested; a book, a movie, a visit to London. But sometimes there's a unique twist involved.

Here's an excerpt from a recent email I received from Matt:

About five years ago, I caught a Hound of the Baskervilles showing on television and instantly became a fan Sherlock Holmes. My interest sparked when I shortly thereafter discovered Jeremy Brett's version,and I have seen every episode in that masterful Granada series. A couple years ago, my job afforded me almost weekly travel between New York and London and I had the chance to visit the museum at 221B Baker St., stay in the hotel and visit the pub, both named after the legend.

Another interest of mine since I was a small child, for some odd reason - perhaps their scientific binding to us, has been primates. I remember having collected several stuffed animals, one of which, a sock monkey, still "resides" with me in New York.

For Christmas this year, my girlfriend took is upon herself to combine those two loves and have something unique created for me.

And this is where Matt included the following photo, courtesy of siansburys on Flickr.

   

Sian has an Etsy shop you can check out - and it looks like she does custom orders. It might be just the gift for the Professor Presbury in your life.

"A Large Collection of Valuable Curiosities" [SIGN]

The University of Minnesota Libraries have a valuable claim to fame: they house the Sherlock Holmes Collection - positively the largest collection of material about the great detective than any other in the world.

The curator, Tim Johnson, is a very knowledgable Sherlockian and librarian. He brings his personal passion and professional expertise together in a way that few can. Please sit back an enjoy a few minutes with Tim and others as they take you through some of the wonderful collection you can find at the library.

It goes without saying that if you're ever in the upper Midwest, take some time to get to the collection. They're always happy to have visitors. And you can even join the Friends of the Sherlock Holmes Collection.

Here are some previous posts about Minnesota and its connection to the Sherlockian world:
"For Sixty Years the Bulwark..." [BLAC]
"My Collection of M's is a Fine One" [EMPT]
"He Has Peremptorily Requested" [SECO]
"At This Conference" [MAZA]

"A Sheet of Stamps" [SIGN]

In recent news Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, noted author and creator of Sherlock Holmes - and a Scot, no less! - has been given the honor of his own stamp. The stamp, pictured left, is part of a series from the Royal Mail called "Eminent Britons."

For Sherlockians, the association of philately and the great detective should be nothing new. Holmes and Watson were inveterate users of the communications methods of their day - particularly the post and telegrams. For those who are interested, Hernry Lauritzen, BSI ("The Royal Family of Scandinavia") wrote a landmark piece called The Philatelic Holmes, which is available on Amazon.com (just click the link).

Or for more web-minded folks, you can find a comprehensive site called Detective Fiction on Stamps, on which Holmes has his own section, aptly enough called The Philatelic Sherlock Holmes. There you'll find examples of Sherlock Holmes stamps and Arthur Conan Doyle stamps from Nicaragua, San Marino, Great Britain, Canada, Monaco and many other countries around the world.

I guess you could say that with his creation, Conan Doyle put his own stamp on the world. Sorry, I couldn't resist.

What are those four-letter abbreviations in the headlines?

"Took Out His Manuscript" [MUSG]

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.

"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."