“The Game’s Afoot!” (Sherlock Holmes)

When young Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was born in Edinburgh in 1859, I doubt anyone could foresee that he would become famous with time. Even less foreseeable, would be the fact that his fame came from something as silly as detective stories. He was still in medical school when he published his first story in 1879. In spite of publishing non-Sherlockian work, fate struck him when Sherlock was born 1886 in The Tangled Skein/A Study in Scarlet. (Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Literary Estate)

Sydney Edward Paget became the first illustrator of the Sherlock Holmes’ stories. According to the article by J.D. Milner in The Dictionary of National Biographies, 1912, any similarity between Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Paget’s brother Walter is coincidental. Mr. Doyle was supposed to have wanted Walter as the illustrator of Sherlock Holmes. But life sometimes throws accidents our way and Sydney’s happy accident was the mistake the publisher of the Strand made when he sent his letter of acceptance to “Mr. Paget the illustrator”. (Arion Press)

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle based Sherlock Holmes on his old medical teacher in Scotland, Dr. Joseph Bell. Like Bell, Holmes believed firmly in the need to apply science to crime detection. Dr. Henry Duncan Littlejohn asked Bell to attend an autopsy Littlejohn was performing. Like Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Joseph Bell has an understanding of causes of death like very few. As a result of his deductive capacity in the crime of the stabbing of young Ann Lindsey, Bell was consulted regularly on difficult cases. Very much like Sherlock indeed.

For those poor souls out there who haven’t had the privilege of entering the enchanting world of Sherlock Holmes and Watson, fear not, go to your local library and begin reading. What a yarn-teller Dr. Doyle is.

My first experience with Holmes and Watson must have been in my late teens. I would borrow anything Sherlock that I could find at whichever library was closest. Back then, we weren’t able to use the net to get hold of books that weren’t in our bookstores. But, once I had access to the world wide web, I started looking for beloved authors. In 2007, Wordsworth Editions printed a complete stories with illustrations edition. This is what I have in my home. The Sherlock Holmes bible.

This is quite a large book – 1408 pages long/short (depends on how you look at it). Some of the stories have many illustrations. Others do not. Even though I know that it is an environmentally unsound practice, I am at heart a paper reader, and books like the above are dear to me.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, published his first Sherlock Holmes tale in 1887. There are four novels and fifty-six short stories featuring our Sherlock. They span the period 1887-1926.

“At the time they were written, the stories were immensely popular; Conan Doyle famously became tired of his other work being overshadowed by his detective stories and finally killed Holmes off in “The Final Problem” (1893), provoking an intense public outcry. Many people wore black mourning bands, newspapers around the world reported on Holmes’ death or ran obituaries, and over 20,000 people cancelled their subscriptions to Strand Magazine, in which the stories had previously been published.  A decade later the author finally gave in and resurrected the detective for another three volumes’ worth of adventures.” (fanlore)

THE STORIES OF SHERLOCK HOLMES

All of the Sherlock Holmes stories are written in third person by his assistant, John H. Watson MD. As the story goes, Watson met with Holmes after Watson returned from Second Afghan War. Sherlock Holmes was looking for a flat-mate. They agreed to share the apartment at 221b Baker Street.

At first, Dr. Watson had trouble understanding what it was that Sherlock Holmes did. Our first clue was the article Watson read that elicited his response: “What ineffable twaddle!” Watson soon discovers that Holmes has incredible powers of deduction, but that he also suffers from mood-swings. Holmes is a serious drug user and it seems this was not unusual in Victorian times. Breaking the law was not something Holmes hesitated to do. Watson is the epitome of patience and endures what Holmes has to dish out, although he does manage to chastise Sherlock from time to time. Sherlock Holmes begins taking Watson along on his investigations for the Scotland Yard. Together they solve crimes that the Yard struggle with, using Sherlock’s acute powers of observation to aid them.

Proof-reading was not a high priority with Conan Doyle. Inconsistencies appear in his stories about the great detective. These inconsistencies have been the source of several fan-groups on the net. In fact, there is this whole world out on the internet that revolves around Sherlock Holmes’ life, of which I am now part.

Chronological list of Sherlock Holmes stories (Sherlockian.net).

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1887 – A Study in Scarlet: Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson are introduced to the audience. In A Study in Scarlet Dr. Watson meets Sherlock and they decide to take lodgings together at 221B Baker Street. Holmes dazzles Watson with his observational abilities. When the police consult with Sherlock, Watson is brought along. In A Study in Scarlet a corpse is discovered in an abandoned building. For some reason there is a mysterious sentence drawn in blood on the wall.

A Study in Scarlet was first published in Beeton’s Christmas Annual but did not become as popular as quickly as the later stories.

1890 – The Sign of the Four (Lippincott’s Magazine): At the time Mr. Sherlock Holmes was born , Victorian England was beginning to school more than the middle- and upper classes. This, of course, led to an increased demand in reading material. The working class were looking for distraction and wanted to read stories. Stories about crime and possibly happy endings. By the time The Sign of the Four came on the scene, Victorian England and the US were ready for it.

Several years after the mysterious disappearance of her father, Mary Morstan discovers an advertisement in a local paper requesting her own address. Her employer advises her to reveal it, and when she does she receives a valuable pearl by post. Presented with these facts and little else, Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson must unravel a mystery involving stolen treasure, political rebellion, India, and a pact made by four convicts, in Arthur Conan Doyle s second Sherlock Holmes novel. (Amazon.com)

1891-1892 – The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes: From June 1891 to June 1892 the Strand Magazine published the below short-stories. Watson continues to write about the great detective in his journals. In a sense it might be said that Watson humanizes Holmes. Holmes is, as the previous two stories have made apparent, an isolated character. It would seem that Watson is his only friend.

A Scandal in Bohemia: The king of Bohemia has had an affair with the singer Irene Adler. Apparently she is blackmailing him under the threat of sending a picture of the two of them to his fiancée. The king asks that Sherlock saves him.

The Red-headed League: Holmes and Watson are consulted by a red-headed pawnbroker (oh-oh). A few weeks previously he had responded to an ad for red-headed men. For some bizarre reason he had been hired to copy the Encyclopedia Britannica. One day he arrived at the Place he was doing the copying and a sign hung on the door “The Red-headed League is Dissolved”. Wilson wants Sherlock’s help with discovering what was going on.

A Case of Identity: The fiance of Miss Mary Sutherland has disappeared after abandoning her at the altar. She asks Holmes to discover what has happened to her “Angel”.

The Boscombe Valley Mystery: In Herefordshire a local landowner has been murdered outdoors. Inspector Lestrade asks for Sherlock’s help in solving the crime.

The Five Orange Pips: John Openshaw asks Holmes and Watson for their help in solving the mystery of his uncle Elias Openshaw. After returning to the UK from the US Elias had begun acting strangely until he was finally discovered dead in his garden pool. After refusing to part with some of Elias’ papers, John’s father was found dead.

The Man with the Twisted Lip: Mr. Neville St. Clair has disappeared. Sherlock is trying to discover his whereabouts and if he is even still alive. On the road to discovery Sherlock goes undercover in an opium den. His findings surprise even the deductive genius.

The Blue Carbuncle: In this instance carbuncle refers to a gemstone. The carbuncle was found in the stomach of a Christmas goose. It turns out that gem was stolen from the Countess of Morcar. Holmes and Watson set out to discover how the gem got from the Countess to the stomach of the goose.

The Speckled Band: The Adventure of the Speckled Band is a “locked room” mystery. Helen Stoner’s sister Julia dies under mysterious circumstances. She fears her step-father might have had something to do with the death. When he asks her to move into Julia’s strange room, Helen worries what might happen to her.

The Engineer’s Thumb: Watson brings the case of one of his patients to Sherlock. Mr. Victor Hatherly, a hydraulic engineer, has had his thumb cut off. Hatherly had been taken to a house to check on a hydraulic press. Mr. Hatherly discovers something is off about the place. Aided by a woman at the house he manages to escape, getting his thumb cut off in the process. Mr. Holmes interest is caught.

The Noble Bachelor: The new bride of Lord Robert St. Simon goes missing on the day of their wedding. St. Simon comes to Holmes for help in finding his new bride.

The Beryl Coronet: A well-to-do banker comes to Holmes for help. It seems his son has tried to damage a coronet that was left in the banker’s care as security for a loan. Failure to solve the case will result in public scandal.

The Copper Beeches: Violet Hunter ends up as governess at The Copper Beeches with a strange family. When her situation becomes too bizarre she asks for Holmes’ assistance in figuring out what is going on.

1892-1893: “The first London edition of the Memoirs in 1894 did not include “The Adventure of the Cardboard Box”, although all twelve stories had appeared in the Strand Magazine.” (Wikipedia) It was later brought in from the cold in the British version The Memoris of Sherlock Holmes.

Silver Blaze: This time the famous race horse “Silver Blaze” has disappeared. Where has it gone? Will Sherlock be able to discover who killed its trainer? Well! What do you think?

The Cardboard Box was added in a later edition. Miss Susan Cushing receives a package containing two human ears. I wonder how I would have reacted to that? Lestrade thinks it is a prank while Sherlock thinks a serious crime has been committed. Any guesses as to which theory is the correct one?

The Yellow Face: Mr. Grant Munro has been deceived by his wife, Effie. Effie has been married before she met Grant and had not told him. Her husband and children had died from yellow fever. It is not the omission in and of itself that bothers Mr. Munro, but the fact that she seems to have gone behind his back recently. He fears that her husband might still be alive and asks that Holmes investigate the matter.

The Stock-broker’s Clerk: What do you do when you suspect that your prospective employer might not be legit? You consult Sherlock. Pycroft begins working with the company but feels the offices are rather unprofessional and sparse.

The ‘Gloria Scott’: Sometimes the past comes to bite your behind. Being a Justice of the Peace does not prevent the past from biting Mr. Trevor. Sherlock is unsuspectingly a witness to this bite while visiting the son of Mr. Trevor. He is then brought into the case when Victor Trevor is becoming increasingly worried about his father.

The Musgrave Ritual: A butler is fired by Reginald Musgrave after reading a family document (the Musgrave Ritual). The reason Sherlock is brought into the case is because he is Reginald’s friend and because the butler seems to have disappeared, leaving all of his belongings behind. Another servant has disappeared along with the butler.

The Reigate Squires: After a bout of illness Sherlock goes to stay with Colonel Hayter. While staying there two of Hayter’s neighbors experience crime. One of the neighbors is burgled while the other neighbor is killed. Sherlock takes an interest.

The Crooked Man: Colonel James Barclay is dead. His wife is the main suspect. Sherlock is not certain that is the case. Things might not be as they first appear.

The Resident Patient: The funder of Dr. Percy Trevelyan’s medical practice has become rather odd of late. He seems to be more and more paranoid by the day. Sherlock tries to ask some questions but is rebuffed. Later he is brought back into Travelayan’s situation.

The Greek Interpreter: Watson finally gets to meet Sherlock’s brother, Mycroft. Sherlock claims that Mycroft’s deductive abilities are even more impressive than his own. For once Mycroft needs Sherlock’s help. It seems one of Mycroft’s neighbors, a greek translator, was brought to a mysterious job.

The Naval Treaty: An important naval treaty disappears from the Foreign Office. Of course, the Foreign Office are unable to figure out how it happened and they have to turn to Sherlock. The only suspect seemed to be the commissionaire’s wife who was seen hurrying out of the building at the time of the disappearance.

The Final Problem: Professor Moriarty is introduced in The Final Problem – Sherlock Holmes Arch-nemesis. Sherlock has a love/hate relationship with Moriarty. On one hand Sherlock admires the brain able to confuse him, but on the other he hates Moriarty for the same thing. Moriarty tries to kill Sherlock Holmes several times at the beginning of the story. The competition for the brainiest person award is intense between the two of them.

1902 – The Hound of the Baskervilles: After Sherlock Holmes had died it took Doyle almost ten years to give in to the pressure of writing another story about the great detective. The Hound of the Baskervilles is set before The Final Problem, solving the problem of its publication after the death of Holmes.

“Sir Charles Baskerville is found dead on the grounds of his country house, Baskerville Hall. The cause is ascribed to a heart attack. Fearing for the safety of Sir Charles’s nephew and only known heir, Sir Henry Baskerville, coming from Toronto,Canada to claim his inheritance, Dr James Mortimer travels to London and asks Sherlock Holmes for help.” (Wikipedia)

I think this is my favorite story simply because it was the one that was the spookiest the first time I read it. This little tidbit to go with the blurb: “Gary Larson parodied The Hound of the Baskervilles in a Far Side cartoon, where a parakeet imagined himself as The Parakeet of the Baskervilles.” (Wikipedia) It doesn’t get any funnier than that.

1903-1904 – The Return of Sherlock Holmes: After the publication of The Hound of The Baskervilles, people went wild. Part of that may have been caused by Holmes first appearance on stage in The Play of Sherlock Holmes by William Gillette (below). There was no way out now. Holmes had to be resurrected.

The Empty House: The Empty House brings about the resurrection of Sherlock Holmes. Turns out he was not dead after all. He reveals himself to Watson and asks for Watson’s and Mycroft’s help in dealing with one of Moriarty’s compatriots.

The Norwood Builder: A young lawyer is suspected of killing one of his clients. This client, a builder, had come to John Hector McFarlane’s office to draw up a new will. McFarlane was supposed to the new sole beneficiary. Talk about conflict of interest.

The Dancing Men: Mr. Hilton Cubitt visits Holmes asking him to figure out what a piece of paper with some dancing men on it means. Scribbles of dancing men have been appearing on his property and they seem to be driving his wife nuts. Could it be her past catching up with her?

The Solitary Cyclist: Miss Violet Smith has been offered a well-paid job after her father died and left Violet and her mother in poverty. Her situation there is strange, but the strangest thing has to be the man that seems to be following her around on a bicycle. She has no idea who he is or why he would want to follow her around.

The Priory School: At the Priory School in Northern England a pupil has been kidnapped. The head-master, Dr. Thorneycroft Huxtable, asks Holmes to return with him and look into the matter. Along with the 10-year-old boy the German master is also missing. Sherlock goes with Dr. Huxtable to the Priory.

Black Peter: A man is nailed to the wall by a harpoon. The local police officer is a fan of Sherlock and asks for his help in solving what appears to him as a strange murder. It seemed he had a visitor on the night of his death.

Charles Augustus Milverton: Sherlock is hired to retrieve some compromising letters from a despicable blackmailer. Holmes dislikes Milverton so much that he decides that the letters will be recovered come what may.

The Six Napoleons: A man is running around shattering plaster busts of Napoleon. Then a murder occurs in relationship to one of the shatterings. Lestrade admits to something more than a crazy shatterer going around being a possibility.

The Three Students: A lecturer at St Luke’s College comes to Holmes in connection with a suspected cheater. He had returned to his office one afternoon to find that the proofs to the exam had been left out of place. Sherlock’s job will be to find the sinner.

The Golden Pince-Nez: (Pince-Nez are a type of glasses) Sherlock is brought into a murder that is seemingly motiveless. Willoughby Smith was apparently without an enemy in the world. The murder weapon appears to belong to Smith’s employer.

The Missing Three-Quarter: A key rugby player goes missing. Sherlock’s job is (of course) to find him in spite of the baffling circumstances around the disappearance.

The Abbey Grange: Holmes and Watson rush to a murder scene at the Abbey Grange. Burglars have apparently killed Sir Eustace Brackenstall.

The Second Stain: The Prime Minister asks for Sherlock Holmes’ help in recovering a document. Said document went missing while in the home of the Secretary of State for European Affairs. It would be most unfortunate if the contents became known to the public.

1915 – The Valley of Fear: Sherlock Holmes has an informant within Professor Moriarty’s organization. He does not know the real identity of his informant and has not tried to find out. One day he and Watson receive a letter from this informant. they discover that it has been written in code. Upon deciphering the code they discover that it predicts the murder of a John Douglas. When the police comes to Sherlock’s home, they discover that he already knows about the crime they need his help with. This makes Sherlock’s informant a prime suspect in the minds of the police. As Holmes does not know the identity of his informant he is unable to reveal (nor had he intended to). The murder seems to be a locked-house murder so the suspects would obviously be the people present in the house at the time of the killing.

1908-1917 – His Last Bow:

Wisteria Lodge: Mr. John Scott Eccles turn up at Sherlock’s flat at about the same time as the police. It seems Eccles was present at Wisteria Lodge when his host was beaten to death. Eccles had thought that Garcia had disappeared with the staff as they were all gone in the morning. He remembers seeing his host at around 1 AM.

The Red Circle: A lodger has started worrying his landlady. She comes to Sherlock to ask his help in understanding why her lodger is behaving peculiarly. He keeps strange hours and has made strange requests. Although he pays double her usual rent, Mrs. Warren is becoming worried.

The Bruce-Partington Plans: Mycroft comes to see Sherlock about some missing pages belonging to the plans for the Bruce-Partington submarine. Obviously the government does not want anyone else to have these secret plans. Mycroft does not like to run around and comes to Sherlock so the investigation can be more actively pursued.

The Dying Detective: Sherlock seems to have contracted a rare Asian disease and when Watson is called to attend to him Sherlock has gone without food or drink for three days. One of the very strange demand Holmes makes of Watson is that Watson contact no one but the person Sherlock will name that evening.

The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax: In the “good ol’ days” women were not allowed to inherit (like some places even today). Lady Frances Carfax was one such lady. That did not mean she was poor. She owned valuable jewels that she brought with her on her travels and she probably had some kind of income that enabled this travelling. On one such trip Lady Frances goes missing and it turns out her maid had left her employ. In addition a bearded man had been following her around.

The Devil’s Foot: “The Devil did it” or “the Devil made me do it” are sometimes explanations that a used to explain inexplicable actions. It seems Holmes and Watson are up against a particularly crazy murder. They had thought themselves on a holiday, but it turns out to be work when they discover that two brothers appear to have gone insane. While playing whist with their sister they seem to have killed her and kept on playing afterwards.

His Last Bow: A German agent, Von Bork, has gathered a vast amount of intelligence on the British. He is getting ready to leave England for his home-land. All he needs now is the final piece of information from one of his sources.

 

1921-1927 – The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes:

The Mazarin Stone: The Mazarin Stone was adapted from the stage play The Crown Diamond. Holmes has been searching for a Crown Diamond. Sherlock suspects a Count Negretto Sylvius of the deed and has even warned Watson that the Count might attempt to murder Holmes.

The Problem of Thor Bridge: This is a triangle crime – a crime of passion. Neil Gibson’s wife is murdered and the governess is suspected of the deed. Not a strange assumption as Mr. Gibson is very much in love with the governess. In spite of the damning evidence, Sherlock finds some things about the case that makes it interesting for him to take it on.

The Creeping Man: Mr. Trevor Bennett and his fiancee Miss Edith Presbury are worried about Edith’s father changing disposition. Professor Presbury has gone from being a nice enough fellow to seeming sly and secretive after returning from a trip to Prague. Even the professor’s dog has noticed the change in behavior.

The Sussex Vampire: Blood and gore, blood and gore. Not really. Sherlock is visited by Mr. Robert Ferguson who thinks he saw his wife sucking the blood of their baby.

The Three Garridebs: Two men with the surname Garrideb contact Sherlock Holmes. They are both interested in a supposed inheritance from another Garrideb in the US.

The Illustrious Client: Miss Violet de Merville has become enganged with the dangerous Baron Adelbert Gruner. Sherlock worries about her fate if she goes through with the marriage and tries to prevent it.

The Three Gables: A dimwitted ruffian warns Sherlock Holmes away from Harrow. The man, Steve Dixie, ends up helping Holmes figure out what happened at Three Gables.

The Blanched Soldier: James M. Dodd is looking for his soldier friend from the Second Boer War, Godfrey Emsworth. Godfrey seems to be missing.

The Lion’s Mane: Sherlock Holmes has retired. That does not stop him from investigating cases for friends. In this case Holmes ends up investigating the mysterious death of the science teacher at his friends’s School, a death that Sherlock and Harold Stackhurst witnessed.

The Retired Colourman: Josiah Amberley’s wife seems to have disappeared with a Dr. Ray Ernest. Mr. Amberley wants them found.

The Veiled Lodger: Sherlock Holmes becomes involved in the case of a mutilated woman after her landlady mentions Abbas Parva to him.

Shoscombe Old Place: Strange things have been happening at the racing stable, Shoscombe Old Place. Sherlock is asked by the head trainer to investigate what they mean.

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SOURCES

• Elmer L. Andersen Library, University of Minnesota
• Europa Film Treasures
• fanlore Sherlock Holmes
• IMDb Arthur Conan Doyle
• Sherlockian.net
• Sherlock Peoria
• Wikipedia

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1900: Sherlock Holmes Baffled. “The plot of Sherlock Holmes Baffled is unrelated to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s canonical Sherlock Holmes stories; it is likely that the character’s name was used purely for its familiarity with the Public.” (Wikipedia)

1905: Adventures of Sherlock Holmes/Held for Ranson starring Maurice Costello as Sherlock Holmes and H. Kyrle Bellew as Dr. Watson. This film is “usually regarded as the first attempt to film a “serious” Holmes adaptation.” (Wikipedia)

1908: Sherlock Holmes in the Great Murder Mystery starring Maurice Costello as Sherlock Holmes.

1912: The Copper Beeches (French/British) starring  Georges Tréville as Sherlock Holmes. Watson is not part of this adaptation. YouTube has several uploads of the film.

1912: The Beryl Coronet (French/British) starring Georges Tréville as Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Moyse as Dr. Watson.

1912: The Stolen Papers (French/British) starring Georges Tréville as Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Moyse as Dr. Watson.

1912: The Reigate Squires (French/British) starring Georges Tréville as Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Moyse as Dr. Watson.

1913: Sherlock Holmes Solves The Sign of the Four starring Harry Benham as Holmes and Charles Gunn as Dr. Watson.

1914: A Study in Scarlet I starring James Bragington as Sherlock Holmes (there is no Watson in this film).

1914: A Study in Scarlet II starring Francis Ford as Sherlock Holmes and John Ford as Dr. Watson was released the day after no. I.

1916: Sherlock Holmes starring William Gillette as Sherlock Holmes and Edward Fielding as Dr. Watson. This film is supposed to be the only preserved record of Gillette playing Holmes. Gillette had portrayed Holmes 1400 times in three different mediums (stage/radio/film). (IMDb) As inspiration Gillette used A Scandal in Bohemia, The Final Problem, The Copper Beeches and A Study in Scarlet to create his stageplay. The stageplay was later used in the creation of this film.

1916: The Valley of Fear starring H.A. Saintsbury as Sherlock Holmes and Arthur M. Cullin as Watson.

1921: The Beryl Coronet starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1921: A Case of Identity starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1921: The Devil’s Foot (review) starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson. See film here.

1921: The Dying Detective (review) starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1921: The Man With the Twisted Lip (review) starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson. See film here.

1921: The Noble Bachelor starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1921: The Red-Haired League starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1921: The Resident Patient starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1921: A Scandal in Bohemia starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1921: The Yellow Face starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1921: The Copper Beeches (review) starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1921: The Empty House starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1921: The Priory School starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1921: The Solitary Cyclist starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1921: The Tiger of San Pedro (Wisteria Lodge) starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1922: Sherlock Holmes starring John Barrymore as Sherlock Holmes and Roland Young as Dr. Watson.

1922: The Abbey Grange starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1922: Charles Augustus Milverton starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1922: The Naval Treaty starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1922: The Norwood Builder starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1922: The Red Circle starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1922: The Reigate Squires starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1922: The Second Stain starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1922:  Black Peter starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1922: The Boscombe Valley Mystery (review) starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1922: The Bruce Partington Plans starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1922: The Golden Pince-Nez starring Eille Norwood as Sherlock and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1922: The Greek Interpreter starring Eille Norwood as Holmes and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1922: The Musgrave Ritual starring Eille Norwood as Holmes and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1922: The Six Napoleons starring Eille Norwood as Holmes and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1922: The Stockbroker’s Clerk starring Eille Norwood as Holmes and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1922: The Hound of the Baskervilles starring Eille Norwood as Holmes and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1923: Sign of Four (The Sign of The Four) starring Eille Norwood as Holmes and Arthur M. Cullin as Watson.

1923: Silver Blaze starring Eille Norwood as Holmes and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1923: The Blue Carbuncle starring Eille Norwood as Holmes and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1923: The Cardboard Box starring Eille Norwood as Holmes and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1923: The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax starring Eille Norwood as Holmes and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1923: The Engineer’s Thumb starring Eille Norwood as Holmes and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1923: The Gloria Scott starring Eille Norwood as Holmes and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1923: His Last Bow starring Eille Norwood as Holmes and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1923: The Missing Three Quarter starring Eille Norwood as Holmes and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1923: The Mystery of Thor Bridge  starring Eille Norwood as Holmes and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1923: The Speckled Band starring Eille Norwood as Holmes and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1923: The Three Students starring Eille Norwood as Holmes and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1923: The Crooked Man starring Eille Norwood as Holmes and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1923: The Final Problem starring Eille Norwood as Holmes and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1923: The Mystery of the Dancing Men starring Eille Norwood as Holmes and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1923: The Stone of Mazarin starring Eille Norwood as Holmes and Hubert Willis as Watson.

1929: The Return of Sherlock Holmes starring Clive Brook as Holmes and H. Reeves-Smith as Watson. The first Sherlock Holmes film produced with sound but sound disks are not known to survive.

1931: Sherlock Holmes Fatal’ Hour (The Empty House and The Final Problem) starring Arthur Wontner as Holmes and Ian Fleming as Watson.

1931: The Speckled Band starring Raymond Massey as Holmes and Athole Stewart as Watson.

1932: Sherlock Holmes and the Missing Rembrandt (The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton) starring Arthur Wontner as Holmes and Ian Fleming as Watson (no prints known to exist).

1932: Hound of the Baskervilles starring Robert Rendel as Holmes and Fredrik Lloyd as Watson.

1932: The Sign of Four: Sherlock Holmes’ Greatest Case starring Arthur Wontner as Holmes and Ian Hunter as Watson.

1932: Sherlock Holmes starring Clive Brook as Holmes and Reginald Owen as Watson.

1933: A Study in Scarlet starring Reginald Owen as Holmes and Warburton Gamble as Watson.

1935: The Triumph of Sherlock Holmes (The Valley of Fear) starring Arthur Wontner finishes as Holmes and Ian Fleming as Watson.

1937: Murder at the Baskervilles (Silver Blaze) starring Arthur Wontner as Holmes and Ian Fleming as Watson.

1937: The Three Garridebs starring Louis Hector as Sherlock Holmes and William Podmore as Dr. Watson.

1939: The Hound of the Baskervilles starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Watson.

1939: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Watson.

1942: Sherlock Holmes and the Voice of Terror (His Last Bow) starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock and  Nigel Bruce as Watson.

1942: Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Weapon (The Dancing Men) starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock and Nigel Bruce as Watson.

1943: Sherlock Holmes in Washington starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Watson.

1943: Sherlock Holmes Faces Death starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Watson.

1944: The Spider Woman starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Watson.

1944: The Scarlet Claw starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Watson.

1944: The Pearl of Death (The Six Napoleons) starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Watson.

1945: The House of Fear (The Adventure of the Five Orange Pips) starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Watson.

1945: The Woman in Green starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Watson.

1945: Pursuit to Algiers starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Watson.

1946: Terror By Night starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Watson.

1946: Dressed to Kill starring Basil Rathbone as Holmes and Nigel Bruce as Watson.

1949: The Adventure of The Speckled Band starring Alan Napier plays Holmes and Melville Cooper as Watson.

1951: Sherlock Holmes: The Man Who Disappeared starring John Longdon as Holmes and Campbell Singer as Watson.

1951: The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone starring Andrew Osborne as Sherlock and Philip King as Watson.

1959: The Hound of the Baskervilles starring Peter Cushing as Holmes and André Morell as Watson.

1964: The Speckled Band starring Douglas Wilmer as Holmes and Nigel Stock as Watson.

1965: Baker Street (A Scandal in Bohemia) (musical) starring Fritz Weaver as Sherlock. (1965 Tony Awards: 3 nominations/1 winner)

1965: Sherlock Holmes in the Singular Case of the Plural Green Mustache (animated)

1965: Mr. Magoo’s Sherlock Holmes (animated)

1965: A Study in Terror starring John Neville as Holmes and Donald Houston as Watson.

1970: The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes (comedy) starring Robert Stephens as Holmes and Colin Blakely as Watson.

1972: The Hound of the Baskervilles starring Stewart Granger as Holmes and Bernard Fox as Watson.

1975: The Adventure of Sherlock Holmes’ Smarter Brother (comedy/musical) starring Douglas Wilmer as Holmes and Thorley Walters as Watson.

1976: Sherlock Holmes in New York starring Roger Moore as Holmes and Patrick Macnee as Watson.

1976: The Seven-Per-Cent Solution (comedy) starring Nicol Williamson as Holmes and Robert Duvall as Watson.

1977: Silver Blaze starring Christopher Plummer as Holmes and Thorley Walters as Watson.

1978: The Hound of the Baskervilles (comedy) starring Peter Cook as Holmes and Dudley Moore as Watson.

1979: Murder by Decree starring Christopher Plummer as Holmes and James Mason as Watson.

1981: Sherlock Holmes (A Scandal in Bohemia/The Final Problem) (televised play) starring Frank Langella as Holmes.

1982: Sherlock Holmes starring Paul Guers as Holmes and Philippe Laudenbach as Watson.

1983: Sherlock Holmes and a Study in Scarlet (animated)

1983: Sherlock Holmes and the Sign of Four (animated)

1983: Sherlock Holmes and the Valley of Fear (animated)

1983: Sherlock Holmes and the Baskerville Curse (animated)

1983: The Hound of the Baskervilles starring Ian Richardson as Holmes and Donald Churchill as Watson

1983: The Sign of Four starring Ian Richardson as Holmes and David Healy as Watson

1984: Sherlock Holmes and the Masks of Death starring Peter Cushing as Holmes and John Mills.

1985: Young Sherlock Holmes starring Nicholas Rowe as Holmes and Alan Cox as Watson.

1987: The Sign of Four starring Jeremy Brett as Holmes and Edward Hardwicke as Watson.

1988: Without a Clue starring Michael Caine as Sherlock and Ben Kingsley as Watson.

1988: The Hound of the Baskervilles. Jeremy Brett as Sherlock and Edward Hardwicke as Watson.

1991: The Crucifer of Blood (The Sign of the Four). Charlton Heston as Holmes and Richard Johnson as Watson.

1991: Sherlock Holmes and the Leading Lady. Christopher Lee as Holmes and Patrick Macnee as Watson.

1993: The Hound of London. Patrick Macnee as Holmes and John Scott-Paget as Watson.

1993: Sherlock Holmes Returns. Anthony Higgins as Holmes.

2000: The Hound of the Baskervilles (The Hallmark Channel). Matt Frewer as Holmes and Kenneth Welsh as Watson.

2001: The Secret of Harlot Hill (Pornography). Tyce Bune as Sherlock and Gina Ryder as Dr. Emma Watson.

2001: The Sign of the Four (The Hallmark Channel). Matt Frewer as Sherlock and Kenneth Welsh as Watson.

2001: The Royal Scandal (A Scandal in Bohemia/The Bruce-Partington Plans) (The Hallmark Channel). Matt Frewer as Sherlock and Kenneth Welsh as Watson.

2002: Sherlock (Cable). James D’Arcy as Holmes and Roger Morlidge as Watson.

2002: The Case of the Whitechapel Vampire (BBC One). Matt Frewer as Holmes and Kenneth Welsh as Watson.

2002: The Hound of the Baskervilles (BBC One). Richard Roxburgh as Holmes and Ian Hart as Watson.

2004: Sherlock Holmes and the Case of the Silk Stocking (BBC One). Rupert Everett as Holmes and Ian Hart as Watson.

2007: Sherlock Holmes and the Baker Street Irregulars (BBC Children’s Drama). “A gang of sharp witted street kids save Sherlock Holmes from an accusation of murder and help to foil an audacious robbery while rescuing members of their own gang.” (IMDb) It may well be that the Baker Street Irregulars were inspired by Dr. Doyle’s leadership of his local Catholic gang (Documentary)

2008: Violet (The Copper Beeches)

2009: Sherlock Holmes with Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock and Jude Law as Watson. I have seen this. Both Sherlock and Watson were fairly good-looking and the movie itself was a silly look at the Sherlock character. There was plenty of action and I enjoyed it quite a bit.

2010: Tom and Jerry Meet Sherlock Holmes (animated)

2010: Sherlock Holmes Baffled: “Sherlock Holmes is baffled when he encounters a burglar who can disappear and gets prank-ed by him with the use of an exploding cigar.” (IMDb) A 3-min-movie.

2011: Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows (review)starring Robert Downey Jr. as Sherlock and Jude Law as Watson. A Game of Shadows is the sequel to the previous Downey jr./Law Sherlock Holmes. I know the critics gave this a luke-warm reception, but I liked it. The interplay between Sherlock and Watson is hilarious and both actors do a good job in portraying the type they set forth in the previous movie.

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TV-SERIES

1951: Sherlock Holmes (BBC) starring Alan Wheatley as Holmes and Raymond Francis as Watson.

1954-1955: Sherlock Holmes (US) starring Ronald Howard as Sherlock and Howard Marion-Crawford as Watson.

1964-1968: Sherlock Holmes (BBC) starring Douglas Wilmer/Peter Cushing as Holmes and Nigel Stock as Watson.

1976-1986: Standing Room Only starring various actors as Holmes and Watson

1979-1980: Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson starring Godfrey Whitehead as Holmes and Donald Pickering as Watson.

1982: The Hound of the Baskervilles (4 episodes) starring Tom Baker as Holmes and Terence Rigby as Watson.

1984-1985: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes (BBC One) starring Jeremy Brett as Sherlock and David Burke as Watson.

1986-1988: The Return of Sherlock Holmes (BBC One). Jeremy Brett as Holmes and Edward Hardwicke as Watson.

1988: Star Trek: The Next Generation: Elementary Dear Data: Data as Sherlock Holmes and Laforge as Watson.

1989: Holmes appears in the episode Elementary my Dear Winston of The Real Ghostbusters

1993: Star Trek: The Next Generation: Ship in a Bottle

1991-1993: The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes. Jeremy Brett as Holmes and Edward Hardwicke as Watson.

1994: The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes. Jeremy Brett as Holmes and Edward Hardwicke as Watson.

1995: Sherlock makes an appearance in Deduces Wild/Rest in Piece/UN Me

1999: Sherlock Holmes in the 22nd Century (animated). 26 episodes.

2008-2011: Holmes appears in the episode “Trials of the Demon!” Batman is sent back to Holmes time featuring in a murder mystery.

2010-2012: Sherlock (in a modern day setting but fairly true to the stories). This is a pretty good series. One of my sons and my husband got caught up in it. I watched some of the episodes and thought it was well-played in a strange way (considering the modern setting). Benedict Cumberbatch as Holmes and Martin Freeman as Watson.

2012: Elementary places a modern Sherlock in New York as a recovering addict. Dr. Watson is played by Lucy Liu who is supposed to be his “buddy” making certain Sherlock does not revert to his bad habits from London. I liked it.

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NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING FILMS/TV-SERIES

1908: Sherlock Holmes I Livsfar starring Viggo Larsen as Holmes

1909: Den graa dame (The Grey Dame) starring Viggo Larsen as Sherlock Holmes and Holger-Madsen as Dr. Watson.

1911: Les aventures de Sherlock Holmes (France 1911) starring Henri Gouget as Sherlock Holmes.

1912: Le Tresor de Musgraves (link takes you to film) (The Musgrave Ritual) (French/British) starring Georges Tréville as Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Moyse as Dr. Watson.

1912: Flamme d’argent (Silver Blaze) starring Georges Tréville as Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Moyse as Dr. Watson.

1912: Le mystère de Val Boscombe (The Mystery of Boscombe Valley) starring Georges Tréville as Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Moyse as Dr. Watson.

1912: Le ruban moucheté (The Speckled Band) starring Georges Tréville as Sherlock Holmes and Mr. Moyse as Dr. Watson.

1914: Der Hund von Baskerville (German) (strongly comedic) starring Alwin Neuß as Sherlock Holmes. Dr. Watson is absent. This is the first feature length film adaptation of the Sherlock stories. (IMDb)

1915: Der Hund von Baskerville, 3. Teil – Das unheimliche Zimmer (German) starring Alwin Neuß as Sherlock Holmes and

1915: Der Hund von Baskerville, 4. Teil (German) starring Alwin Neuß as Sherlock Holmes and

1917: Der Erdstrommotor starring Hugo Flink as Sherlock Holmes and (Victor Janson,  Hanns Kräly, Ernst Ludwig) as Watson.

1917: Die Kassette starring Hugo Flink as Sherlock Holmes and (Victor Janson/Ernst Ludwig) as Watson

1917: Der Schlangenring starring Hugo Flink as Sherlock Holmes.

1918: Karl Heinz Wolff stars as Holmes in several German silents.

1918: Was er im Spiegel sah (German) starring Ferdinand Bonn as Sherlock Holmes.

1920: Der Hund von Baskerville – 6. Teil: Das Haus ohne Fenster (German) starring Willy Kaiser-Heyl as Sherlock Holmes and (Erwin Fichtner/Lu Juergens/Ludwig Rex)

1920: Der Hund von Baskerville – 5 Teil: Dr. Macdonalds Sanatorium (German) starring Erich Kaiser-Titz as Sherlock Holmes.

1929: Der Hund von Baskerville starring Carlyle Blackwell as Holmes and George Seroff as Watson.

1937: Der Hund von Baskerville starring Bruno Güttner as Holmes and Fritz Odemar as Watson. Hitler has his own copy in his bunker.

1954: Sherlock Holmes liegt im Sterben (German) starring Ernst Fritz Fürbringer as Sherlock and Harald Mannl as Watson.

1955: Der Hund von Baskerville (German) starring Wolf Ackva as Holmes and Arnulf Schröder as Watson.

1957: Sherlock Holmes ja kaljupäisten kerho (Finnish) starring Jalmari Rinne as Sherlock.

1962: Sherlock Holmes und das Halsband des Todes (German) starring Christopher Lee as Sherlock.

1966: Het avontuur van de drie studenten (Dutch) starring Ton Lensink as Holmes and Vic Moeremans as Watson.

1967: Une aventure de Sherlock Holmes (French) starring Jacques François as Holmes and Jacques Alric as Watson.

1967-1968: Sherlock Holmes (German TV-series) starring Erich Schellow as Holmes and Paul Edwin Roth as Watson.

1968: Sherlock Holmes (Italian TV-series) starring Nando Gazzolo as Holmes and Gianni Bonagura as Watson

1974: Le chien des Baskerville (French) starring Raymond Gérôme as Holmes and André Haber as Watson.

1975: Sherlock Holmes: Le signe des quatre (German) starring Rolf Becker as Holmes and Roger Lumont as Watson.

1979: Sherlok Kholms i doktor Vatson: Znakomstvo: Soviet film starring Vasili Livanov as Holmes and Vitali Solomin as Watson.

1979: Sherlok Kholms i doktor Vatson: Krovavaya nadpis: Soviet film starring Vasili Livanov as Holmes and Vitali Solomin as Watson.

1979: Goluboy karbunkul: Soviet film starring Algimantas Masiulis as Holmes.

1979: Kille, kille Händchen. German comedy starring Alfred Struwe as Holmes and Heinz Rennhack as Watson.

1980: Priklyucheniya Sherloka Kholmsa i doktora Vatsona. Soviet film starring Vasili Livanov as Holmes and Vitali Solomin as Watson.

1980: Priklyucheniya Sherloka Kholmsa i doktora Vatsona: Korol shantazha. Soviet film starring Vasili Livanov as Holmes and Vitali Solomin as Watson.

1980: Priklyucheniya Sherloka Kholmsa i doktora Vatsona: Okhota na tigra. Soviet film starring Vasili Livanov as Holmes and Vitali Solomin as Watson.

1980: Priklyucheniya Sherloka Kholmsa i doktora Vatsona: Smertelnaya skhvatka. Soviet film starring Vasili Livanov as Holmes and Vitali Solomin as Watson.

1981: Priklyucheniya Sherloka Kholmsa i doktora Vatsona: Sobaka Baskerviley Soviet film starring Vasili Livanov as Holmes and Vitali Solomin as Watson.

1983: Priklyucheniya Sherloka Kholmsa i doktora Vatsona: Sokrovishcha Agry Soviet film starring Vasili Livanov as Holmes and Vitali Solomin as Watson.

1984-1985: Meitantei Holmes (Japanese animated series)

1986: Priklyucheniya Sherloka Kholmsa i doktora Vatsona: Dvadtsatyy vek nachinaetsya Soviet film starring Vasili Livanov as Sherlock and Vitali Solomin as Watson.

1991: Sherlock Holmes en Caracas. Venezuelan comedy. Juan Manuel Montesinos as Holmes and Gilbert Dacournan as Watson.

1992: Splhající profesor. Czechoslovakian film. Petr Kostka as Holmes and Victor Preiss as Watson.

2001: The Xango from Baker Street: Portugese comedy. Joaquim de Almeida as Holmes and Anthony O’Donnell as Watson

2012: Holmes & Watson: Madrid Days: Spanish thriller. Holmes and Watson go to Madrid to look for Jack the Ripper. Gary Piquer as Holmes and José Luis García Pérez as Watson.

2012- : Serlok Kholms (review): Russian TV-series starring Igor Petrenko as Sherlock Holmes and the late Andrei Panin as Watson.

Appears in the animated series Soul Eater where he is helped by Excalibur.

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GAMES:

1984: Sherlock

1985: Sherlock Holmes: Another Bow

1991: Sherlock Holmes: Consulting Detective

2002: Sherlock Holmes: Mystery of the Mummy

2004: Sherlock Holmes: Secret of the Silver Earring

2007: Sherlock Holmes: The Awakened

2007: Sherlock Holmes: Nemesis

2009: Sherlock Holmes vs. Jack the Ripper

2012: The Testament of Sherlock Holmes

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SHERLOCK HOLMES IN COMICS:

According to Comic Vine Sherlock Holmes appears in 250 issues

1943: His first appearance is in in Kid Eternity.

1955: All New Baffling Adventures of Sherlock Holmes by Charlton Comics

1992: Sherlock Holmes The Adventure of The Musgrave Ritual/Sherlock Holmes The Adventure of the Naval Treaty/Sherlock Holmes The Adventure of the Copper Beeches/Sherlock Holmes A Scandal in Bohemia by Full Moon Comics

1996: Sherlock Holmes and The Sussex Vampire by Full Moon Comics

1997: Sherlock Holmes Return of the Devil Signed by Full Moon Comics

1998: Sherlock Holmes Dr Jekyll & Mr. Holmes/Sherlock Holmes Reader #1 Comics/#2 Comics by Full Moon Comics

2000: Planetary Vol 1 # 11: Cold World

2001: Planetary Vol 1 # 12: Memory Cloud/Planetary Vol 1 # 13: Century

2006: Wildcats Vol 1 # 6: Nemesis

2009: The Hound of the Baskerville by SelfMadeHero publications

2009-2013: The Dark Detective: Sherlock Holmes by Black House Comics

2010: A Study in Scarlet and Sign of the Four by SelfMadeHero publications

2010: Victorian Undead: Sherlock Holmes Vs Zombies

2010: Muppet Sherlock Holmes by Boom! Studios

2011: The Valley of Fear by SelfMadeHero publications

2011: Victorian Undead: Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula (vols 1-5)

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TRIVIA:

1900: Shinwell Johnson becomes a valuable assistant to Sherlock Holmes in London.

1902: One of the earliest known pieces of Sherlockian scholarship appears in the January 23 Cambridge Review, in which Frank Sidgwick questions Watson’s dates in Hound.

1904: Parker Brothers comes out with “Sherlock Holmes” card game.

1906-  : Sherlock Holmes in the theatres

• 1899: William Gillette’s play Sherlock Holmes, or The Strange Case of Miss Faulkner is based on the four stories: A Scandal in Bohemia, The Final Problem, The Copper Beeches and A Study in Scarlet. Gillette travelled around the world with his popular show. Gillette portrayed Sherlock Holmes approximately 1400 times.
• 1906: Ferdinand Bonn’s play “Sherlock Holmes” opens in Berlin.
• 1909: Paul Sarauw’s theatrical adaptation of A Study in Scarlet opens in Copenhagen..
• 1910: Watson’s literary agent, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, sees his play based on “The Speckled Band” produced in London.
• 1911: Father Ronald Knox reads his paper, “Studies in the Literature of Sherlock Holmes,” at Oxford.
• 1915: La Tragedia de Baskerville opens in Bilbao theater.
• 1921: “The Crown Diamond” opens in London.

1923: Sherlock Holmes appears on cigarette cards.

The Baker Street Irregulars

• 1934: Established by Christopher Morley
• 1941: Rex Stout’s infamous “Watson was a Woman” read at the BSI dinner
• 1946: Began publishing the Baker Street Journal
• 1957: Baker Street Irregulars meeting appears on network television.
• 1992: Women are admitted. Because of not being allowed membership previously women had created the club Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes in the late 1960’s.
• 1992: The Hounds of the Internet was now a recognized scion society of the Baker Street Irregulars.

1930-2004: Sherlock Holmes on Radio (Edith Weiser responsible for a majority of the scripts)

• 1930-1936: The radio adventure begins with William Gillette as Holmes on NBC radio. They also did a feature in 1955 with John Gielgud as Holmes and Sir Ralph Richardson as Watson.
• 1939-1942: The New Adventures of Sherlock Holmes were played on the Blue Network and featured Basil Rathbone as Sherlock and Nigel Bruce as Dr. Watson.
• 1943-1946: Saw the show moved to the Mutual Network. Basil Rathbone and Nigel Bruce were still Holmes and Watson.
• 1947-1949: Tom Conway replaced Basil Rathbone as Holmes while Nigel Bruce continued playing Watson. In its final season Ben Wright was the voice of Sherlock.
• 1946-1947: ABC jumped at the chance to share the great detective with the public. They ran another round from 1949-1950 and their last in 1956.
• 1954-2004: BBC radio kept regular shows running using Carlton Hobbs for Holmes and Norman Shelley as Watson the last 17 years of the programme.
• 1959-1969: BBC-WFMT Chicago featured Holmes as well.

1946- : The Baker Street Journal founded by Edgar Smith.

1943: The Hounds of the Baskerville (sic)

1945: The Greek Interpreters of East Lansing, Michigan

1951:  At the St. Marylebone Council meeting on 31 October, the decision was made that their “contribution to the 1951 Festival Britain would be an exhibition on Sherlock Holmes” at the Abbey House on Baker Street. After its stint at the Festival of Britain, the exhibition was sent on a tour of the US. “On its return to London, after items loaned by various individuals had been returned most of the remaining artefacts, including the reproduction of the sitting-room, were installed in the Sherlock Holmes Public House in Northumberland Street, a mere stone’s throw from the Turkish Baths frequented by Holmes and Watson. The pub was formally opened on 12th December 1957. The books, magazines and relating to the exhibition returned to Marylebone Library, where they formed the nucleus of the Sherlock Holmes Collection, housed in the then Local History room.” (Westminster Online)

1951: The Sherlock Holmes Society of London.

1952-  : The Sherlock Holmes Journal

1954: Adrian Conan Doyle and John Dickson Carr publish The Exploits of Sherlock Holmes: The Adventure of the Seven Clocks/The Adventure of the Gold Hunter/The Adventure of the Wax Gamblers/The Adventure of the Highgate Miracle/The Adventure of the Black Baronet/The Adventure of the Sealed Room/The Adventure of Foulkes Rath/The Adventure of the Abbas Ruby/The Adventure of the Dark Angels/The Adventure of the Two Women/The Adventure of the Deptford Horror/The Adventure of the Red Widow

1957: “The 221B sitting room was reconstructed in 1957 at the famous Sherlock Holmes pub in Northumberland Street, Charing Cross, where it remains. My wife and I have looked after it for more than 20 years. The museum at 239 Baker Street (the claim that the address was renumbered as 221B is simply not true) was set up in the late 1980s.” (Roger Johnson)

1958-1982: Eve Titus writes about Basil, the mouse. Basil lives at 221B Baker street and is the detective of the mouse world: Basil of Baker Street/Basil and the Lost Colony/Basil and the Pygmy Cats/Basil in Mexico/Basil in the Wild West

1966-1990: Robert L. Fish creates a parody on Sherlock Holmes in the form of Schlock Homes: The Incredible Schlock Homes/The Memoirs of Schlock Homes/Schlock Homes: The Complete Bagel Street Saga

1972- : The Bootmakers of Toronto are founded.

1973- : Canadian Holmes

1975-1995: Baker Street Miscellanea.

1970-1979: Michael and Molly Hardwick: The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes/Sherlock Holmes: My Life and Crimes/The Revenge of the Hound/Prisoner of the Devil

1971: Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press started by Peter Blau

1978-2012: Loren D. Estleman: Sherlock Holmes vs. Dracula; or, The Adventures of the Sanguinary Count/Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Holmes/The perils of Sherlock Holmes

1980: Sherlock Holmes in Dallas by Edmund Aubrey

1989-2004: The complete Sherlock Holmes stories were played on BBC Radio 4 starring Clive Merrison as Holmes and Michael Williams as Watson. When Williams died in 2001 he was replaced by Andrew Sachs.

1990-2004: Carole Nelson Douglas writes the story of Irene Adler as detective: Goodnight, Mr. Holmes/The Adventuress (formerly Good Morning, Irene)/A Soul of Steel (formerly Irene at Large)/Another Scandal in Bohemia (formerly Irene’s Last Waltz)/Chapel Noir/Castle Rouge/Femme Fatale/Spider Dance

1994-2012: Supposedly a Mary Russel met Sherlock Holmes in 1915 became his apprentice and later his wife. Laurie King writes these stories about Mary Russell and Sherlock. They are: The Beekeeper’s Apprentice/A Monstrous Regiment of Women/A Letter of Mary/The Moor/O Jerusalem/Justice Hall/The Game/Locked Rooms/The Language of Bees/The God of the Hive/Pirat King/Garment of Shadows

1996-2003: Sherlock Holmes and the Red Demon/Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders/Sherlock Holmes and the Rune Stone Mystery/Sherlock Holmes and the Secret Alliance/The Disappearance of Sherlock Holmes (features Sherlock and Watson in Minnesota) (Larry Millet)

1997-2004: The Holmes & Watson Report

1998: According to HM Government House Companies House The Sherlock Holmes Museum Ltd. was founded in 1998. But according to Wikipedia The Sherlock Holmes Museum was opened in 1990 and “is situated in Baker Street, bearing the number 221B by permission of the City of Westminster, although it lies between numbers 237 and 241, near the north end of Baker Street in central London close to Regent’s Park.^“

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AWARDS/RECOGNITION:

1953: Plaque. Erected in Piccadilly on the north wall of the Criterion building, January 3, 1953. “This plaque commemorates the historic meeting at the original Long Bar at this hotel on January 1st, 1881, of Dr. Stamford and Dr. John H. Watson which led to the introduction of Dr. Watson to Mr. Sherlock Holmes.”

1989: Rubber dog toy edition of The Hound of the Baskervilles by “A. Collie Dog”

1995: Dedication of the Shaw (named for John Bennet Shaw) library at the University of Minnesota.

1995: Stutler draws the definitive Baker Street 221b illustration

1999: Statue of Sherlock Holmes erected in Baker Street.

2002: The great fictional detective Sherlock Holmes receives a posthumous Honorary Fellowship from the Royal Society of Chemistry.

2011: BBC1’s modern retelling of the Sherlock Holmes story triumphs at the Bafta TV awards.

2012: Sherlock Holmes awarded a Guinness World Record for being the Most Portrayed Literary Human Character in Film and TV.

2012: Fight to save house of the Baskervilles: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s home could be carved up into eight houses

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• victorianweg.org
• wikipedia.org