Un-blotting Conan Doyle

For very random reasons I was looking through Arthur Conan Doyle manuscript holdings at the wonderful Public Library of Toronto. They have digital scans of many of the manuscripts available, and I was look at an item labeled 'Arthur Conan Doyle notebook' that really has almost nothing in it at all! The object number is 37131055102206D and you can look at it here.

The detailed description states: "Notebook (lined paper) with three lines of text in French on top cover and only four lines of text in English on 1st page. Fragment of blotting paper inside."

There are only two lines of writing inside the whole notebook:

Transcript:

One of the most odious things upon earth is to receive a kindess from one whom we heartily dislike

The landscape was blurred as if it were slightly out of focus

The importance of these two statements is not clear ; neither appears in text searches of on-line books, and they may have been thoughts or ideas jotted down in a moment, with the idea they may have been useful lines used in some future story.

As I looked at this scanty item, I noticed the piece of blotting paper tucked inside the exercise book:

If you look closely you can see words clearly that have been blotted, but the catch is that the writing is mirrored - because it blotted the original writing and created an impression. So let's flip the image and see what was blotted by Doyle;

Transcript:

1. Small bronze (written/blotted multiple times)

... wife of Tiberius

2. Bronze (written/blotted multiple times, with other numbering also)

What does this mean? What writing was being blotted? It doesn't appear within the notebook, but there is another in the Toronto Public Library collection titled 'Coins and history.' with a description as follows 'Notebook listing, in chronological order, Roman emperors and coins in A. C. Doyle's own collection . Accompanied by a Roman coin "Clodius 68" (catalogued separately)'.

Looking inside the book, we can see some examples of the writing.

So Doyle used the blotting paper for his book of Roman Emperors and Coins. Perhaps the blotting paper was switched between the two books later, or perhaps Doyle carried both exercise books at the same time.

It's nice to make a tiny connection between two items.

Watson's Tin Box meeting brief report - 19 May 2025

Each third Monday of the month, the Watson's Tin Box of Ellicott City scion meets - at the Union Jack's in Columbia MD. We had a great turnout for the meeting. The story of the meeting was Silver Blaze, and it proceeded thus;

Each meeting is gaveled in by the Gasegene. The gavel was recently returned to the Scion and is back in action! The band around the gavel is engraved 'GASOGENE. WATSON'S TIN BOX'. The gavel sits on top of a battered old copy of 'The Last Adventures of Sherlock Holmes' from 1894.

- After a welcome, the group introduced themselves - all were from Maryland, and it's interesting that many attendees travel from Frederick. We discussed holding a meeting in Frederick at some point (why not?), and I also floated the idea of a virtual meeting at some point, perhaps as an annual event.

- We then proceeded to the toast, where Carla Coupe toasted "The Woman", with a wonderful sung toast. This was followed by Tom Fahres delivering the traditional Haiku. Tom's Haiku is often tied to the story-of-the-month. Here's a Silver Blaze haiku from this month:

Trainer, John Straker

Sneaks out to see his mistress

Hi Ho Silver!!! ........(sotto voce: Blaze)

- There were announcements: Debbie Clark has Sherlock board games to share with others ; congratulations were made to Brent Morris who was inducted as an Adventuress of Sherlock Holmes (ASH) at the recent New York meeting, with the name "Some algebraic equations before breakfast". Liane shared that she has now satisfied the requirements for membership in the Legion of Zoom ! All you need to do to joni is attend Zoom meetings for 17 different Sherlockian groups/scions. Jacquelyn Morris shared that she recently attend the BSI MidWest Canonical Conclave (you can read a blog post about it from Brad Keefauver here), and some of the discussions around common challenges and experiences that Sherlockian groups and scions have as organizations.

- Over dinner we discussed Silver Blaze, with a wide-ranging conversation. Curried mutton was NOT on the menu at Union Jack's (and powdered opium was not available) but there was some discussion of the meal, and the drug and how it was used. We also discussed the fact there are multiple mysteries in this story : who stole the horse? where is the horse? and who murdered Straker? They all unfolded almost instantaneously. Discussions were had about the math required to calculate the speed of the train, and the legality of hiding the horse till the day of the race. 

For those who listen to their stories when preparing for a scion meeting, there's a relatively new Sherlock Holmes short stories podcast series narrated by Hugh Bonneville (Downton Abbey, Paddington, etc.) released by BBC Sounds. They are really outstanding - Bonneville's readings are combined with atmospheric soundscapes to create an immersive listening experience. You can access the podcasts here, or simply search "Sherlock Holmes Short Stories" on your favorite podcast streaming platform.

I've written before about the Evidence Boxes created by Paul Churchill. At each meeting, the box of items for the story up for discussion are displayed and explained by Debbie Clark. 

The Silver Blaze box was unpacked and displayed. There's plenty to identify here - how many items referenced in the story can you spot? I loved the 'silks' the jockey wore ("the very ones"), the CDV of Siver Blaze, and the aluminium pencil case.

 

I should add that one item missing was a set of ivory-handled cataract knives - but I brought a modern equivalent along - previously seen at the BSI weekend in New York! 

After that, our presentation was from Olivia Millunzi. And this was a GOOD ONE. By popular demand, Olivia gave her lecture titled "Messiah or Mesire? Jesus as a Vampire & the Implications for the Papacy" that was originally presented at the 3rd Annual Central Pennsylvania Vampire Conference, her other 'nerd group'. "Living forever, unexplained returns from the dead, miraculous abilities- what else do Jesus and the classic Vampire have in common?" - Olivia answered all those questions with a stunningly deep analysis of the 'other' canon (i.e., the Bible) to uncover evidence of Vampirism.

This photo of Olivia's talk has it all - Olivia's smile, the "Jesus' Life as a Vampire" title, the Queen looking on behind the chandelier, and the BSI Scion certificate framed on the table.

And there was a LOT of laughing! 

Finally, Olivia led the group in a 'shout out' quiz - a relaxed and fun way to work through - here's the quiz Olivia created with answers:

All in all another wonderful meeting full of laughs and friendship. Oh, and we sold a few scion pins and tote bags!

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Our next meeting is on Monday, June 16 at 7 pm, at Union Jack's, Columbia MD. The story of the evening will be 'Beryl Coronet'.

Burt Wolder visits the Red Circle - 2024

In 2024, the Red Circle of Washington, DC, hosted prominent Sherlock Burt Wolder. Burt (BSI’s “Third Pillar from the Left”) has been the co-host, along with Scott Monty, of the popular podcast “I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere,” for the past 17 years, and also the weekly podcast “Trifles.” A former employee of AT&T, he now sits on the board of Frederic Dorr Steele Memorial, Inc., a non-profit organization that promotes public awareness of Steele’s life and work. 

Burt’s talk was entitled “Arthur Conan Doyle: Adventurous Life, Enduring Memories.” Burt began by relating how Conan Doyle suffered a heart attack in 1929, which left him frail and introspective. Not long before he had another fatal attack in July 1930, he drew a cartoon of “The Old Horse,” hauling a cart laden with crates full of memories down a long road, under the care of three veterinarians. The question Burt posed was can we learn something from the contents of Conan Doyle’s packing cases.

You can watch the recording of Burt's talk here:

 

As part of Burt's talk, he shared a beautiful printed copy of the illustration with attendees. These were originally created for Burt's presentation at the 2024 Sherlockian meeting at Dayton, OH. 

The original image was created in 1929, and can be seen with key at the ACD Encyclopedia. The image shows Doyle as 'The Old Horse', and the label underneath states 'Consultation of vets Webb-Johnson, Parkinson, and Mackintosh "The Old Horse has pulled a heavy load a long way. But he is well cared for, and with six weeks stable and six months grass, he will be on the road once more".'

The illustration was printed by Doyle and shared with friends, and there is at least one example of a signed copy. It was included after his death in several publications including John Lammond's memoirs of Doyle the year following his 1930 death. The key is exceptionally helpful, as Doyle's original labeling is incredibly small. Here, for example, is Doyle's small image for his time at Stonyhurst (1869-1876) as a student. With comparison to a contemporary view of the main school building, it is easily recognizable.

  

The horse pulls many sacks loaded on the 'Life Works Carriage Co.'. Each sack is labeled, and include literary works such as 'Sherlock Holmes', accomplishments such as his contributions to the 'Edalji' case, and world travels including 'Australia 1921'. It is notable that on the long and winding road the horse has pulled his load, Doyle did not highlight his marriages or other family events. This is very much about Doyle's public life and accomplishments.

Burt's talk was highly enjoyable, and his creative way of using Doyle's own reflection on his life, right at the end of the journey, was a masterclass. Burt's 'hand-out' has been the inspiration for me to create a physical item to accompany my talks, and I'll be sharing those examples in future blog posts.

The complete Baker Street Irregulars Press

In my very first post for this blog I stated that:

"my niche passion is books published by the 'Baker Street Irregulars'. This includes books published by the Press, earlier books published under that name, and the Baker Street Journal. I am often frustrated at small print runs and out of print books, and hope to share what I learn about BSI books and their content. I'll share the journey of bringing together all BSI books - of course it might never happen."

Why these books? To me, the BSI books are the pinnacle of Sherlockian writing.

What I quickly learnt was that "it might never happen" is how I've felt every since as I worked to uncover individual publications. Little did I realise that it would be so difficult - I was naive - and as this blog will attest I have enjoyed other collecting goals that can provide satisfaction. 

A full list of books published by BSI can be found here. 

This photo took a while to organize, but it represents a long Sherlockian goal. The complete collection finally happened this weekend when the typical kindness of our community led to me receiving the slimmest BSI volume of all, rounding out the 'set'.

That final item? The Conference Program for 'The Mind and Art of Sherlock Holmes' (2016). The BSI page lists it, so I count it.

So, what's the next collecting goal?

Watson's Tin Box meeting brief report - 21 April 2025

Each third Monday of the month, the Watson's Tin Box of Ellicott City scion meets - at the Union Jack's in Columbia MD. This meeting was my first as the 'Gasogene' XXXV of the scion, and I nervously navigated the agenda.

We had a great turnout for the meeting. The story of the meeting was Wisteria Lodge, and it proceeded thus;

- After a welcome, the group introduced themselves - all were from Maryland except one intrepid DC visitor.

- We then proceeded to the toast, where Olivia Millunzi toasted "The Woman", and made a delightful reference to the women of the American Revolution. This was followed by Tom Fahres delivering the traditional Haiku - and there was one to me with an Australian flavour (spelling intended) !

"Gasogene Matt Hall
Aussie Aussie Oi Oi Oi
Raise a glass Cheers Mate"

- There were announcements: Sherlockians of Baltimore meet on June 28th in Little Italy ; The Adventuresses of Sherlock Holmes (ASH) hold their next Gala Luncheon in New York on May 17; the next Six Napoleons dinner will be held on Friday September 26 in Baltimore, followed by the "Baltimore Weekend" on Saturday 27.

- I've written before about the Evidence Boxes created by Paul Churchill. At each meeting, the box of items for the story up for discussion are displayed and explained by Debbie Clark. The Wisteria Lodge box was unpacked and displayed. Sadly I have lost the photo I took of the table of evidence, but among the items (discretely hidden away actually) was 'an old-fashioned pinfire revolver', and it can be seen sitting atop an original telegram sent by Holmes! 

- After the exhibition, the group discussed the story - and a lot of other things too!! I think it was generally agreed that the afterword on the fate of Garcia was unneeded. Also I recall reading this story and wondering early on 'wait is this the story where they need a translator?' - a lot of common plot elements between Wisteria Lodge and Greek Interpreter.

- At the end of the evening, all who have performed (reasonably) well at the quiz (Olivia's first as quizmaster) was allowed to select from the wonderful table of goodies maintained by Karen Wilson.

Next month's meeting on Monday May 19: SILVER BLAZE !!!!!!

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As an aside, I asked afterwards whether the contents of the Churchill evidence boxes were recorded. Not only are the recorded, but thanks to Steve and Rusty Mason (of the Crew of the Barque Lone Star... of Texas of course!) they have all been photographed and arranged by story in PDFs. These can all be accessed at the Beacon Society website: www.beaconsociety.com/comprehensive-stories.html 

 

For example, go to the Novels button and click on it…

Pick a novel and you will see many buttons… one of them will be for the Evidence  box for that Novel…

You will then open the .pdf of the photos and the descriptions for each photo…

Steve Mason describes how all the photographs were collected - an amazing effort: 

"My son Rusty and I contacted Debbie (Clark), Jacquelynne (Morris), and Greg (Ruby) to get their permission to take the photos and post them, along with the descriptions written by Paul (Churchill), Denny Dobry, and Beth Austin on the Beacon Society website…

We then went to Debbie’s home (with Greg) and then pulled out each item from each evidence box and took 2 photos of each item (from 2 angles)… It took 2 days, and over 3,400 photos total… Debbie and Greg helped sort the items, Rusty took all the photos, and I helped unpack, repack, and stage the items…

We then matched the photos to the descriptions and developed the .pdf for each story."

The Bowery Ruffians update

In January the Bowery Ruffians had their first meeting as a Sherlockian society. The rules of the Ruffians are simple. It takes at least two participants, the meeting must take place in the Bowery, and the only toasts can be to those nefarious criminals and ne'er-do-wells in the canon. 

Anyone who can demonstrate they've met in the Bowery in Manhattan is a member, and if you message me I'll send you a pin! Each January during the BSI week(end) the scion will meet in the Bowery for a drink and some toasts to those less desirable characters in the Canon.

I was excited to receive in the mail this week the official certificate certifying that The Bowery Ruffians are now an offical scion of the Baker Street Irregulars! I'll hvae this framed, and while I don't think it would last long posted on the wall of a bar in the Bowery, I'll try to take it with me to each meeting.

And here's something cool. On the Facebook group 'The Strangers Room' (which all Sherlockians should join!) I was stunned recently to see a post from Karen Ellery. Karen was preparing for the BSI Midwest Canonical Conclave, and posted a shot of her manicure work. Each nail has the logo/crest of a Sherlockian scion.... I see among them a beautiful Bowery Ruffians logo - just like that on our pin! Karen has offered to send me a few decals, and it also makes me realize I need to create some other logo-containing merch for future meetings.... tote bag. Any other ideas??

And THANK YOU Karen for repping the Bowery Ruffians in a way I could never have imagined :)

The novels of Dorothy Violet Bowers

I've spent quite a bit of energy putting together the information I can on the novelist Dorothy Bowers (1902-1948). I have a listing of most of the information I've managed to track down in a biography with sourcing, recently found the only known photograph of Dorothy, as well as transcribed the only short story found so far - The Spy at Chateau Bas.

Bowers published five novels:

- Postscript To Poison (1938)

- Shadows Before (1939)

- A Deed Without A Name (1940)

- Fear For Miss Betony (1941)

- The Bells at Old Bailey (1947)

The first four novels featured the character Inspector Pardoe of Scotland Yard. When her fifth novel 'The Bells at Old Bailey' was published after a six year pause, and with a new Detective.

Collecting all of Bowers' novels presents some challenges. For a start, I have not been able to find a bibliography of her publications. To address this, I've tried to track down all the editions (and images of their covers) that I've seen to date. Some of these, I have, others I've never even seen for sale. If any reader is aware of editions not shown here, please get in touch!

For Bowers' first book, I've only identified the UK release from Hooder & Stoughton, both editions in hardcover.

For Bowers' second book, there was a US edition released through Crime Club. There was again a second hardcover edition in the UK, with a yellow cover. 

For Bowers' third book, I have not found a direct US edition. There was a paperback release from Pan Books (London), and a Pan Books release is mentioned in some US papers.

For Bowers' fourth book (the last with Inspector Pardoe), I have found a UK and a US release. Note that the title was slightly different in the US.

For Bowers' fifth and last book (the last with Pardoe), there were two UK editions, with the second having a completely different cover design. Note that the title was slightly different in the US.

In 2005, the now-defunct Rue Morgue Press released editions of all five Bowers novels. The Colorado publishers retained the US titles.

My Musgrave Monograph monomania - third (and final) version

This is a third updated version of my post on the Musgrave Monograph series. It includes some extra information and covers of all monographs. The first version and second version of the post can be found at the links.

The complete set

FINALLY, I've finally managed to accumulate copies of all ten Musgrave Monographs. Some of the copies were issues in limited numbers (the first was an edition of fifty, the second probably also in an edition of fifty) so there likely aren't many complete collections.

My favorite scion publications come from the Northern Musgraves. Sadly, the Musgraves wound down 15 years before I discovered Sherlockiana. There were two primary periodicals published by the Northern Musgraves. The first was a regular newsletter called "The Ritual", and the second an 'annual' titled "The Musgrave Papers". Both publications contain absolutely outstanding Sherlockian articles, and many issues can easily be purchased on sites such as eBay.

There were a number of other Northern Musgraves publications. My favorites are the "Musgrave Monograph" series. Each publication is a short monograph on a single topic. While visiting New York I was lucky enough to spot a copy of the first Monograph at Otto Penzler's Mysterious Bookshop, and have now added a photograph. I've cobbled the list below together and have not found a complete list anywhere including in Northern Musgraves publications. The Northern Musgraves publications do carry announcements and reviews of the Monographs and I'll add some of that information in the future.

The Musgrave Monograph Series.

Musgrave Monograph Number One. Pacing The Musgrave Ritual, Carol Whitlam, 1990. Fifty copies issued.

Musgrave Monograph Number Two. Diving down into the cellar : uses of photography in the canon, Matthew Booth, 1991. This cover image was designed by Kathryn White (one of the co-presidents/founders of The Northern Musgraves).

Musgrave Monograph Number Three. "Ready when you are, Mr. Rathbone" : a review of the Universal Holmes films, Roger Johnson, 1995.

Musgrave Monograph Number Four. 'I looked in at Mecca ...': an insight into Sherlock Holmes' visit to Mecca, Anne Jordan, 1993. Reviewed in 'The Ritual' No 12 (Autumn 1993): "Anne divides her monograph into two sections: why Holmes might have wanted to visit Mecca, and, having arrived there, what he would have discovered... maps and illustrations are included in the text".

Musgrave Monograph Number Five. 140 different varieties : a review of tobacco in the Canon, John Hall, 1994. Reviewed in 'The Ritual' No 14 (Autumn 1994): "John Hall has managed to pull together all references to smoking, tobacco and other related topics in the Canon with consumate skill... there is also background information about the social attitudes to and practice of smoking, along with sections on Holmes the smoker, Matches, Snuff, Transport and Storage. 

Musgrave Monograph Number Six. The Misadventure of the Sherlock Holmes Pilot. An account of the making of the first pilot film for a Sherlock Holmes television series. Richard Launcelyn Green. 

Musgrave Monograph Number Seven. Some knowledge of Baritsu: An investigation of the Japanese system of wrestling used by Sherlock Holmes, Hirayama Yuichi and John Hall, 1996. Reviewed in 'The Ritual' No 19 (Spring 1997): "Two leading Sherlockian writers.... review the various fighting techniques of jujitsu, bujutsu, aikido, sumo, bartitsu, and judo, and the influence of Japanese wrestling in Victorian London.... The monograph begins with a consideration of the possibility that Holmes may have visited Japan".

Musgrave Monograph Number Eight. Sherlock Holmes, Conan Doyle and the British Empire : an investigation into Conan Doyle's links with the British Empire as expressed through his Sherlockian and other literature, Jeffrey Richards, 1997.

Musgrave Monograph Number Nine. 221 BBC : writing for the world's first complete dramatised canon : (with some observations upon previous radio appearances of Mr. Holmes and Dr. Watson), Bert Coules, 1998. Reviewed in 'The Ritual' No 23 (Spring 1999): "His account begins with a thoughtful analysis of the radio careers of Holmes and Watson both in Britain and America up to the time of his own involvement. This began in 1987... Coules proceeds to give us a revealing and instructive insight into the making of radio plays."

Musgrave Monograph Number Ten. The somnambulist and the detective : Vincent Starrett and Sherlock Holmes, Susan Rice, 2000. Reviewed in 'The Ritual' No 27 (Spring 2001): "Rice has provided a fine overview of {Starrett's} five major Sherlockian works.... there are also assessments of Starrett's involvement in Chicago scions.... the monograph is rounded off by a comprehensive, if not exhaustive, Starrett bibliography".

NOT A MONOGRAPH

I'll also add a few publications here from Musgrave Monographs that are also chapbooks, but turn out to be one-off publications, rather than part of the 'Musgrave Monograph' series.

Sherlock Holmes and the Shadow of the Wolf. Ron Weighell, 1992. This is a pastiche, rather than a Sherlockian study. From Wikipedia: "In 1992, the Northern Musgraves... invited Weighell to produce a story for their ‘Aspects of Holmes’ weekend. The positive reception of The Shadow of the Wolf, read out at the society's annual dinner." I've written a separate post on this edition.

NOT A MONOGRAPH

Guilty of several monographs : the published writings of Mr. Sherlock Holmes. John Hall, 1996. This is a one-off 'special publication', in he same format. The cover states that it was created for 'Write On Sherlock'. According to a Musgraves report 'The big event in the Musgraves’ calendar is Write On Sherlock, “an examination of Sherlockian writing” held at the Victoria & Albert Hotel in Manchester over Saturday 26th & Sunday 27th October.' 

A little piece of Brettian memorabilia or two

Looking at my blog I'm amazed that I haven't really every posted about the Granada series, Jeremy Brett, etc. I'm hugely enjoy the Jeremy Brett podcast series, and have a small collection of Granada-related 'things', some more... recherche than others.

So I thought I'd highlight two here - one I picked up today, one I acquired recently that's a bit special.

The first item I came across accidentally. I've written elsewhere how much I enjoy the writings of members of the Northern Musgraves ; based in the north of England and founded by David Stuart Davies and Kathryn White. They published delightful monographs, as well as two different regular journals of articles, with outstanding content. 

In looking for Musgraves papers I came across this 32-page booklet titled 'A Musgrave Tribute to Edward Hardwicke 7 August 1932-16 May 2011'.

The tribute is apt given that Hardwicke was an honorary member of the Northern Musgraves. The booklet includes a short biography, followed by articles including reflections or memories by the following:

- Owen Dudley Edwards ('Edward Cedric Hardwicke')

- David Stuart Davies ('Goodbye, Watson')

- Roger Llewellyn (' An Actor Remembers Edward Hardwicke')

- Bert Coules ('Consumate professional and staunch friend')

- Lynda Henderson ('Edward Hardwicke remembered by...')

- Keith Frankel ('Tribute to Hardwicke's Watson')

- Allison E Smith ('Edward Hardwicke: Television Actor')

- John Addy ('Thoughts on Edward Hardwicke')

 

This is a delightful little book. Tucked inside is a membership form, including an introduction. In reading it learnt something of the recent history of the Northern Musgraves:

We were originally formed as The Northern Musgraves in 1988, but from 2004 we have been known simply as The Musgraves.

I wonder why the name changed. I do know that around the early 2000s the journals - called 'The Musgrave Papers' and 'The Ritual' ceased publication. It's great to know the society lived on for so much longer (at least 2011) and possibly beyond.

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The second item is fun.

The Jeremy Brett Sherlock Holmes Podcast recently covered the stage play written by Jeremy Paul, and starring Jeremy Brett and Edward Hardwicke. 

At around the same I managed to purchased a copy of the Jeremy Paul published script. This one is great - it is signed on the title page by Jeremy, Edward, and the author Jeremy Paul. It was owned by a member of the Northern Musgraves who had a chance to have the book signed at the play in Manchester.

As another quaint aside, the signed copy has the orange cover. That was published in 1989, but there's also a green cover version, that is the 1991 reprint. Why the change of color on the cover? 

 There is also a third edition, published by Players Press in 1996 which I do not have..... YET: