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Home , Michael Hardwick, Sherlock Holmes, Sherlock Holmes (play), The Sherlock Holmes

March 2003 Volume 7 Number 1

"Your merits should be publicly recognized (STUD)

Contents A Black Sherlock Holmes

A Black he silent images flicker across the screen, showing all too well the damage Sherlock Holmes from the chemical decomposition of the original nitrate film stock. Despite the damage, "The Black Sherlock Holmes" is a welcome new addition to the 1 TSherlock Holmes Collections. I Items make their way to the Sherlock 100 Years Ago Holmes Collections by many routes. "A Black Sherlock Holmes" arrived via a reference in Issue 47 of Sherlock magazine where it was noted that the 2002 Crime Scene at 's 50 Years Ago National Film Theatre would focus on 3 Sherlock Holmes. Among the silent movies to be shown was "the very rare A Black Sherlock Holmes." Why would Acquisitions this film be considered very rare? The majority of silent films are gone, 4 either through decomposition or pur- poseful destruction as it was believed Musings no one would be interested in silents with the advent of "talkies." Thinking 5 B that the film was no longer extant, I Sam Robinson as Knick Caner contacted Catherine Cooke, B.S.I., to see if she had any thoughts as to how From the President to determine the availability of the film. She referred me to the British Film Institute, 7 who in turn referred me to the Library of Congress; over the Atlantic Ocean and back again. The Library of Congress advised that they could make a copy of the original film, and after Curator Tim Johnson approved the purchase, the film was finally An Updatefrom received at the Andersqn Library. the Collections To put this film in the proper context, we should consider that the era of the silent 8 films was a time of segregated movie audiences. "In the age of Jim Crow...blacks, or whites in blackface, began to appear in movies as they did in minstrel shows, in Remembrances vaudeville and in potboilers.. .black images on the screen increasingly mirrored the.. .racist images in society at large." (Woll, 39) The first film with an all African- 8 American cast was noted as early as 1905, but white movie makers utilized black racial stereotypes for simple vaudevillian entertainment for white audiences, often

Continued on page 6

Friends of Collections P 1

Q? Sachem of the Tammany Society and In deducing where a young man Chairman of the Elections would go to seek entertainment, Committee of Tammany Hall, who Jones stated "... it occurred to me has held the offices of State Senator, that if there was one place in New Assemblyman, Police Magistrate, York to which a feeble-minded per- County Supervisor and ~lderman, son would go on a blood-chilling and who boasts of his record in fill- night like this it was to an open-air YEARS AGO ing four public offices in one year meeting." and drawing salaries from three of His other , "The Stolen Frederic Dannay and Manfred Lee, them at thesame time." ( Riordan, Diamonds" begins with "Padlock cousins who wrote together uncler xxiii) Plunkitt referred to a boot- Jones picked up the shoes which our the pseudonym , wrote black's stand in the old New York early morning visitor had inadver- in the introductory notes to The County Courthouse as his office and tently left behind him." Stressing Misadventures of Sherlock Holmes, it was there that he gave talks on that he never guesses, he deduces that "the name Sherlock Holmes is politics. Riordan published the text that the owner of the shoes was peculiarly susceptible to the twistings of these discussions in the New York absent-minded among other things, and misshapenings of burlesque- Sun, the New York Evening Post, the and that Jotson sees, but does not minded authors." Boston Transcript, and the New York World, and saw them reprinted in observe. "Why, my deductions are simplicity itself!" When the owner One early writer who was able to papers throughout the United States. returns to gather his shoes he tells twist and misshape the name He collected them into book form in the duo he has been robbed of $3000 Sherlock Holmes was William L. 1905 and described the volume as worth of diamonds from his jewelry Riordan who published two "the mental operations of perhaps store. The thief, Jones deduces, is a in the October 1903 Sunday maga- the most thoroughly practical politi- young woman employee led astray by zine supplements of The New York cian of the day" (Riordan, xxiii) a scamp and has taken the diamonds Times. John Bennett Shaw had Among the numerous chapters were to finance her wedding to him. The copies of these two short articles in those titled "Honest Graft and " young woman was to be found at a his massive collection. (Editor's Note: Dishonest Graft, "Tammany clothing sale at Beagle's; "Is not the Please see Musingsfor more infoma- Leaders not Bookworms" and "Reciprocity in Patronage." deduction plain? Would your young tion about how these articles found woman or any other young woman their way to M1: Shaw.) The first to be with money miss that sale even if she published was "The Adventure of Utilizing his knowledge of New York risked state prison by going to the Padlock Jones: The Stolen politics, Riordan wrote "The store?" The thief confesses and is let Diamonds" which ran on October 11 Adventure of Padlock Jones: A go for the sake of her family. and the second, "The Adventure of Bedlamite." This short parody fea- Padlock Jones: A Bedlamite" on tured Padlock Jones and Dr. Jotson Riordan might be best remembered October 25. They were reprinted in in their quarters on Candlestickmaker for his documentation of George the June, 1976 and September, 1976 Street jn New York. A Brooklynite Washington Plunkitt but issues of the Miscellanea. seeks Jones's help after his son, "fee- ble-minded from boyhood," escapes Sherlockians still enjoy his clever parodies. He is, after all, as Arthur Riordan (1861-1909) was more from a sanitarium near Central Park. Mann noted in his introduction to familiar with Tammany Hall of New The -using Jones considers the 1968 edition to Riordan's book, York than with Baker Street of the case, then proceeds to a political "Plunkitt's Boswell." v London. He was a newspaper jour- rally later that night. Accompanied nalist and "like so many newspaper- by Jotson and the unhappy father, Julie McKuras men of the day, was fascinated by Jones finds the boy amidst the crowd New York City's endless variety of gathered to hear about "beet sugar References: characters." (Mann, viii) One char- and reciprocity." The next morning, acter who particularly fascinated when questioned about how he guessed the boy would be at the Mann, Arthur. Introduction. Riordan was George Washington Plunkitt of Tammany Hall. Plunkitt. Riordan wrote in his own rally, Jones responds with "Guess! By William L. Riordan. New York: preface to Plunkitt of Tammany Hall, Guess! Why will everybody, even E. P. Dutton, 1963 edition. that Plunkitt was "Tammany leader you, Jotson, talk about my taking of the Fifteenth Assembly District, guesses?. . .I never guess; I deduce."

2 f! Friedof the Sherlock HolmesCoWections society must be at first perceived as Brown. In Holmes "scientific curiosity good, innocent, in a state of grace. The is raised to the status of a heroic pas- murder discloses that someone in that sion." Holmes's reason for being a con- Edenic world has fallen out of grace, so sulting detective is "a love for neutral that his or her identification by the truth coupled with a need to escape detective is necessary to allow the his "feelings of melancholy" Inspector restoration of innocence to the Great French, whose adventures are not Good Place. By this definition, Auden much read these days "detects for the excludes much hard-boiled private eye sake of the innocent members of soci- fiction. The work of Raymond ety," works from a devotion to duty, and THE GUILTY VICARAGE Chandler, he maintains, offers a study of relies on other innocent people doing by W H. Auden the criminal milieu and the Philip their own duties as postmen, clerks, Marlowe - which Auden judges and milkmen to break down seemingly Throughout his career, the Anglo- powerful but "depressing" - ought to airtight time tables and alibis. Father American poet WH. Auden (1907- be judged not as escape fantasies but as Brown's prime motivation is compas- 1973) produced a steady stream of jour- works of art. This, probably, the sion, and he investigates murders in nalism, writing on subjects as various as weakest section of Auden's essay: I order to save the souls of the sinners. opera, Henry James, Kierkegaard, cold doubt that anyone regards The Big Sleep "He solves his cases, not by approach- weather, Mozart, the moon landing, bal- or Farewell, My Lovely as naturalistic ing them objectively like a scientist or a let and, not least, the detective story. studies. policeman, but by subjectively imagin- "The Guilty Vicarage" an analysis of the ing himself to be the murderer." classic English - first As Auden proceeds, he grows both appeared in 1948 in 's magazine increasingly theological and Freudian in In his last set of reflections Auden takes and was later reprinted in Auden's 1962 his statements, even viewing the mur- up the reader of mysteries, and the collection The Dyev's Hmd. [Editor's derer as a Satanic rebel. Here, though, appeal of this form of "daydream litera- note: John Bennett Shaw's collection Auden makes a brilliant point: An ture." He provocatively asserts, albeit included the 1953 Modem Essays,* edit- essential task for the writer of the mys- without a lot of evidence, that "The ed by Russel Nye. On the cover page is tery is to the "demonic pride" identification of fantasy is always an Sbaw's wed note "Much Holmesian of the killer both from the other charac- attempt to avoid one's own suffering: referencyin THE GUILTY VICARAGE ters and from the reader. the identification of art is a sharing in pp. 400-412."] It is one of his best- the suffering of another." So detective known essays, and one that any afi- As an act of "disruption," the murder stories allow us to assuage our human cionado of the mystery should read. leads to a tension between individuals sense of guilt and sin by proffering "the and the law Each of the various sus- illusion of being disassociated from the Auden's mind was categorical, and he pects, he concludes, should be guilty of murderer." Auden ends by reemphasiz- liked nothing better than to create something, even if not actual murder, ing that the detective story addict grids, diagrams and definitions. Though The "principal causes of guilt" are the indulges in "the fantasy of being he confesses that for him "the reading wish to kill, secrets such as "illicit restored to the Garden of Eden, to a of detective stories is an addiction," he amours," intellectual hubris (a feeling of state of innocence, where he may know analyzes their appeal in the spirit of an superiority to the actual investigator love as love and not as the law The dri- Aristotle systematizing Greek tragedy or that leads to suspicious interference), a ving force behind this daydream is the an Aquinas dissecting some subtle theo- kind of innocence that results in a feeling of guilt." logical question. The result is a series of refusal to aid the inquiry, and "a lack of reflections presented like an outline. faith in another loved suspect," which As powerful as Auden's argument is, These are, as the original magazine arti- causes the well-intentioned friend to some readers - including this one - cle had it, "notes" on the nature of the or confuse clues. have long felt uneasy about his essay. whodunit. First of all, Auden's definitions work After describing the job of the detective best, if at all, only for the "pure" classic For Auden the most satisfying detective as the restoration of "the state of grace tale. He skips over what he would prob- stories follow a set of rules as rigorous in which the aesthetic and the ethical ably dismiss as the mystery's omamen- as the classical unities. One needs a are as one," Auden points to three tal elements - elements that other fans "closed society" - a village, a universi- exemplary figures: Arthur Conan would deem central: for instance, ty, a snowbound countryhouse - so Doyle's Sherlock Holmes, Inspector humor, style, atmosphere, the human that the murderer isn't any random psy- French (created by Freeman Wills interaction between the detective and cho just passing by What's more, that Croft), and G.K. Chestenon's Father his Watson. He also undervalues the Continued on page 7

Friends of the Sherlock Holrnes Collections P 3 Acquisitions

he Sherlock Holmes Inspector of The Ribston-Pippins for 13 Collections now has two years, forwarded copies of the entire copies of The Norwegian run of Footprints G Lens of the Ribston- T Explorers Christmas Annual Pippins. The monthly newsletter origi- 2002. ~dito;~ohn Bergquist present- nated with the February, 1989 issue. ed these to Curator Tim Johnson, one copy with a red cover and the sec- Francine Swift is pictured here at the ond, a variant, with a green cover. B.S.I. Cocktail Party in January, where (Only three copies were printed'with she took the opportunity to donate a a green cover.) copy of the play "Upstairs, Downstairs, All Around the Holmes: Jill Fritz Torwarded a copy of On Air A Drama of Sherlock Holmes in 13 Magazine, the publication of San 3 5 Episodes" by Norman . Davis and Diego's- -public radio station, KPBS. -ct Wayne B. Swift. The script indicates it This January 2003 issue features an Phll cornell's artwork from wa; presented by The ~edCircle advertisement entitled "Holmes and The Adventure of the Amencan Molm~st Players of the Red Circle of the Hound" and gives information original artwork that graces the cover, Washington D. c.,1974-1978. In about the ExxonMobil Masterpiece This private edition of was done addition to the play itself, a brief his- Theatre adaptation of fie Hound of for Christmas, 2002 and is inscribed tory of the Red Circle Players as writ- the Baskewilles. by Mr. Koch. More recently received ten Swift is

I be; 2 of this W Clark Russell story, I which is illustrated by Charles Doyle, $ Gustav Dore and E W Hayes, with an introduction by Hugo- Koch. %-

Mary K. St. John, Assoc~ateProfessor at the General College of the -, - I University of ~inneiota,gave Special Klcnara weum, rrancme >nrr, anajonn ocqqulsr-. John Bergquist, Don Hobbs and Richard Sveum collections and Rare ~ookscurator Timothy Johnson the February 1997 Jean Tretter, Collection Specialist for the Don Hobbs, the Maniac Collector, Gourmet magazine which had an arti- Tretter Collection at the Elmer L. donated a copy of one of his latest cle "The Case of the Victorian Andersen Library, donated several maga- findings in foreign language editions Detective: On the Trail of Sherlock zines to the Holmes Collections. Among of the . While in New York in Holmes" by Jo Durden-Smith. the periodicals were the October 2000 january, Don -gave Dick Sveum and American Philatelist featuring- the article John Bergquist the paper and elec- "The Adventure of the Detective Stamp" tronic copy of the Inuit version of by William R. Hanson; the September The Hound of the Bashewilles. 1997 Smithsonian with Tom Huntington's "The Man Who Believed in Fairies"; and Les Klinger- forwarded the manu- the November 1998 American Phikztelist script material for his recently - I with the article "Victor Lynch, Forger" lished The Return of Sherlock Holmes. % bv Hammer. This is the fifth volume in The Sherlock Holmes Reference Library, C. C. Williamsen has provided the which is published by Wessex Press. 2 Collections with a copy of Sherlock Holmes and the Adventure ofthe Hugo Koch has forwarded two pack- Julie McKuras, Dan Stashower, and Regina Stinson Beleaguered Cub Fan by John H. Watson, at the 2003 B.S.I. Dinner ages recently The first contained his M. D. The title page states this book was A - ionograph*~heAdventure of the Regina Stinson of Royal Oak, written by Dr. Watson with help from C. American Violinist and Phil Cornell's Michigan, who served as Chief C. Williamson. The book was published in 2001 by Chazcliffl Books.

4 P Friends of the Sherlock Holrnes Collections Musings

have the enviable task of wel- odies by John Kendrick Bangs, one ATLAS were reproduced in (his) AN coming another distinguished of which had appeared in the Ellery ATLAS OF FANTASY (Mirage, 1973: writer to this newsletter. Queen "Misadventures of Sherlock Ballantine/Souvenir, 1979.)" The I Michael Dirda is a writer and Holmes" (Fred Dannay no longer Sherlock Holmes Collections holds senior editor for The Washington recalled where he'd found it, and I copies of these books with John Post Book World. He received the 1993 spent more Saturday mornings than I Bennett Shaw's bookplate. Karen Pulitzer Prize for criticism and is the can remember at the Library of Murdock, a geographer by trade, also author of Readings: Essays and Literavy Congress going through tons of old wrote in to comment about Dr. Wolff's Entertainments and An Open Book: 1903 newspapers. 1 eventually found maps, stating that they "are the more Coming of Age in the Heartland, to be them in the New York Herald (more remarkable when you consider the published by Norton this fall. In 2002 of them than Fred had ever realized technology available (and unavailable) he was invested in the Baker Street had been published), but in the to him at the time he made his Irregulars as "Langdale Pike." Mr. meantime I'd also found a number of Sherlockian maps.. .He lettered those Dirda gives us a fresh look at W H. other unknown Sherlock Holmes maps with something called a 'Leroy Auden's essay on in parodies, including these two by set'. . .A Leroy lettering set is a difficult- the 50 Years Ago column. Riordan which had appeared in the to-master mechanical device. In using Times. Shaw was so magnetic - it, the mapmaker traces a letter on a Our lead article was a collaborative both in the attractiveness of his per- plastic template with the point of a sty- process in many ways, from the initial sonality and enthusiasm for the lus pen, while the other end of the pen discovery of the film's existence, to hobby, and in the way that he col- (which has a little ink reservoir) marks obtaining it, to writing about it. I lected, in the way that Sherlock that letter on the map. Using the Leroy would like to thank John Holmes material moved in set with any success requires a great deal Wright for his assistance with this arti- his direction irresistibly, like iron fil- of time and patience and the rock-steady cle. Prof. Wright is the Director of ings toward a magnet - one of hand of a master diamond cutter." Graduate Studies and Associate the greatest pleasures of especially Professor in the African-American and younger and newer Sherlockians And so we begin our seventh year of African Studies Department, and such as I was at the time was to find writing this newsletter. I was invited to Assoc. Professor in the English something to send him ti-om the accompany Norwegian Explorer Board Department, at the University of past, however slight and ephemeral Member Gary Thaden (author of Minnesota. I had the great pleasure of it might be, like those Riordan paro- "Watson's Books" in The Norwegian taking the course "African-American dies, that he had never seen before. Explorers Christmas Annual 2002) to his Cinema" from Prof Wright several We drew delight from delighting him daughter's school on Feb. 25. The stu- years ago and knew he would be the that way I've just gone to my Shaw dents of Emerson School in perfect resource for this article. correspondence file and find this in a Minneapolis performed adaptations of letter dated September 27, 1972: "Yes "The Boscombe Valley Mystery" and 100 Years Ago focuses on two little I did get the two unknown pastiches "The Hound of the Baskervilles." It known parodies by W L. Riordan. by Riordan - thanks for sending was such a pleasure to see the plays The stories were pasted into a note- them via Saul [Cohen, who'd been and to note the children so engaged in book labeled "Before 1903" by John visiting Washington - the begin- both stories. Afterwards, Gary present- Bennett Shaw but there is no indica- ning of another extremely valuable ed the play's director with a number of tion as to how he came to have them. relationship in my Irregular career]. books with Holmes stories to be given Sometimes the story of how Shaw And they are interesting finds to the students. As 1 often have the amassed his collection is as interesting indeed. I am listing things that opportunity to wander through the as the item itself. Jon Lellenberg, read- should go in the first de Waal sup- Sherlock Holmes Collections, I don't ing the article before it went to press, plement and I have more than 50 so believe we're in any danger of running sent me the following note about John far .....poor fellow, he tackled a task out of material to cover in future issues Bennett Shaw: indeed. He knows it." of this newsletter. And with the next The "50 Years Ago" item about the generation being introduced to Holmes Riordan parodies from John Bennett J. B. Post of Paoli, PA sent an email and nurtured by teachers and parents Shaw's Collection took me back. I regarding John Bergquist's article on like Gary, I don't believe we'll run out sent them to John some 30 years Julian Wolff's The Sherlockian Atlas in of readers and writers in the yean to ago. In 1972 I was determined to the last issue. Mr. Post noted that "two come. v find the missing Shylock Homes par- of the maps in THE SHERLOCKIAN Julie McKuras, A.S.H., B.S.I.

Friends of the Sherlock Holrnes Collections P 5 The Black Sherlock Holmes.. . Continued from Page "...shamelessly [playing] on race The Ebony Film Corporation had a sidered the productions humiliating. humor, with blacks as the butts of "stock company of 40 black actors, 26 The plots weren't based on any real jokes and pranks." (Woll, 40) of whom were members of the George experience, "but rather on what M. Lewis Stock Company" (Sampson, whites 'knew' about blacks based pri- Entrepreneurs looked to the new 201) The George M. Lewis Stock marily on the literature of the South business of movie making and the era Company of black vaudevillians and and its stereotypes." (McMahon) of race films began. acef films fea- stage actors worked not only for Ebony, Black readers had read the serialized tured African-American casts and but also for the great black filmmaker publication from 1907 to 1909 of were "aimed primarily at black audi- and producer Oscar Micheaux, accord- John Edward Bruce's "The Black ences who had grown weary of the ing to Professor John Wright of the Sleuth," "but the attitude toward the 'good old darkeys' and dancing pick- African-American and African Studies black detective in Bruce's militantly aninies of mainstream cinema and Department at the University of race proud tale is worlds apart from who were outraged by the success of Minnesota. Among the members of the that of Ebony Corps's minstrelsy- D. W. Griffith's 'The Birth of a stock company were Sam Robinson, based caricature," wrote Professor Nation.' These audiences could be whose cousin was Bill "Bojangles" Wright. Black audiences had also targeted in an economically efficient Robinson, Samuel Jacks, Yvonne Junior, been treated to the film representa- way because their viewing was pri- Will Starks,Julia Wilson, Evon Skeeter, tions such as the earnest detective in marily restricted to all-black the- Walter Brogsdale, Robert Dupree, and Oscar Micheaux's "Within our Gates." atres.. ." (McMahan) The studios Frank Pollard. producing these films featured black The Ebony Film Corporation pro- actors but were often owned by white "A Black Sherlock Holmes," the first duced 21 films featuring their stock entrepreneurs. As did producers of production of the newly reorganized company but many of their releases most movies of the day, the producers Ebony Film Cooporation, was were not booked into the black the- of race films looked to popular cul- released in April, 1918 and distrib- atres. The black newspaper The ture and literature for their films, uted by the General Film Corporation Chicago Defender urged theatre own- including white sources. of New York City. The plot focuses ers not to book Ebony films because on Knick Carter, portrayed by Sam they caused "respectable ladies and By 1910, black showman William Robinson, who believes he is a great gentlemen to blush with shame and Foster and his Foster Photoplay detective. He and his assistant humiliation." (Sampson, 207) The Company began producing all Reuma Tism, portrayed by Rudolph company went out of business in African-American cast shorts for Tatum, attempt to save a kidnapped 1919. With the acquisition of "The black audiences in Chicago, more young woman, Sheeza Sneeze, por- Black Sherlock Holmes," we have a accurately addressing black life while trayed by Yvonne Junior. Knick even- film which, while it may be objec- adhering to the model of Hollywood tually saves Sheeza, who is able to tionable in its characters stereotypical genres. Other race picture companies marry her true love. The film was behavior, still serves to indicate the appeared, including the Historical directed by R. G. Phillips and runs for popularity of the truly great detective, Feature Film Company of Chicago in 12 minutes. Sherlock Holmes. w 1915. It catered to both black and white audiences and produced 2-reel The plot of the film was similar to Julie McKuras, A.S.H., B.S.I. slapstick comedies which relied on "Spying the Spy," released the same racial stereotyping. Drawing criticism year, in which Sam Robinson plays References: for the racist images, which resulted the lead character of Sambo Sam, an in a boycott of their pictures, they "amateur spy hunter" (Sampson, 271) McMahan, Alison. Race Pictures Before Race reorganized in 1917 as the Ebony who tries to be a hero by catching Cinema. Available n: mcmahanl.htm Film Corporation and opened offices German spies. The movies were well Richards, Larry. African-American Films at 608 S. Dearborn St. in Chicago. received by white audiences who Through 1959. Jefferson, NC and London: They had an indoor production stu- enjoyed the novelty of "colored play- McFarland and Co., Inc., 1998. dio on N. California Ave. in Chicago ers who have an original and inborn Sampson, Henry T. Blacks in Black and White, and an outdoor facility at Lake sense of humor all their own" A Source Book on Black Films. Winnebago near Oshkosh, (Sampson, 241), according to a Metuchen, NJ and London: The Scarecrow Press, 1995. Wisconsin. Ebony was still white review in the Exhibition Herald. controlled but the director of the Where this, and the other Ebony pro- Woll, Allen L. and Randall M. Miller. company was an African-American ductions, failed was with black audi- Ethnic and Racial Images in American Film and Television. New York and London: named L. J. Pollard. ences and the black press who con- Garland Publishing, 1987.

6 P Friends of the Sherlock Holmes Collections From the President

his issue starts our seventh What else can you do? To cover the year of reporting about the loss in acquisition allocation we hope Sherlock Holmes that authors will donate a copy of T Collections and the work of every new monograph so we do not the Friends. As I look back at my need to purchase-the book, and that collection of the Friends Newsletters every editor of a will consider I can see that we have covered the donating a subscription to the The Friends OJthe Sherlock Holmes Collections history of the collections, new dona- University The Sherlock Holmes is a quarterly newsletter published by the Friends of the Sherlock Holmes Collections tions and gifts, and the exceptional Collections has funding for Beth which seek to promote the activities, inter- generosity of our friends. Bogle, the Library Assistant and ests and needs of the Special Collections Collection Specialist. This leaves and Rare Books Department, Libraries. I am happy to report the completion Curator Tim Johnson with only stu- Mail editorial correspondence c/o: of the cataloging project thanks to a dent help to run Special Collections gift from the Hubbs Family with and Rare Books. We are counting on Julie McKuras additional funding from the you, the Friends of the Sherlock 13512 Granada Ave. University Library and the Hench Holmes Collections, to help now more Apple Valley, MN 55124 952-431-1934 Endowment. We can now truly say than ever to cover the fall in State 952-431-5965 Fax that we have access as well as preser- funding. Money is always needed. [email protected] vation. The E. W. McDiarmid Editorial Board Curatorship fund has topped As we consider how we can best con- John Bergquist, Timothy Johnson, $40,000 with much more in pledges. tinue to obtain new publications, I Jon Lellenberg, Richard J. Sveum, M.D. We are still looking for new members want to thank two special friends of Copyright 0 2003 to join the Sigerson Society with a the Sherlock Holmes Collections, University of Minnesota Library The University of Minnesota is an Equal gift or pledge of $10,000 to the Francine Swift and Don Hobbs, who Opportunity Educator and Employer. Curatorship Endowment. made special donations this year in New York. It is with the generosity of Looking forward we can see a finan- such donors that we can continue to cial challenge looming. The State of collect previously printed materials. Minnesota is facing a major revenue shortfall and the University of Please help it what ever way to can as Minnesota has cut the Library bud- we try to make the Sherlock Holmes get. It appears that Special Collections the World Center for the Collections will suffer cuts in both study of Sherlock Holmes and related acquisitions monies and staffing dur- areas. a~ ing the first round of cuts. We expect that a second round of cuts Richard J. Sveum, M.D., B.S.I. that address the impending state deficit will be deeper still.

50 Years.. Continued from Page 3 appeal of the puzzle - not the who- appeal of these stories: The gratification gods; but in the traditional mystery we done-it but the how-done-it - and in watching not innocence restored, but are comforted by entering a universe hence fails to touch on the work of such rather a complex, seemingly random or where everything, no matter how giants as , John Dickson even apparently supernatural tangle of bizarre or improbable, ultimately makes Carr and Ellery Queen, all masters of events gradually given order and pur- sense. Y this aspect of the mystery Above all, pose. In our own lives we often feel our- Auden misses one great psychological selves the playthings of fate and the Michael Dirda, B.S.I.

Friends of the Sherlock Holmes Collections 7 An Update from the Collections

n the midst of war preparations Professor) from the School of Library De Waal number (where available). The and yellow and orange alerts, life and Information Studies at the Library's cost share in the project - goes on in the world of Sherlock University of Oklahoma. The theme originally pegged at $80,000 - finished Holmes and the Collections at issue - Mysteries: From Creation to at $112,753. The total project- - cost for Minnesota. I am reminded of Holmes's Consumption -will include articles on cataloging and processing was nearly own thoughts on the subject as they are mystery book publishers, specialist mys- $263,000. recorded in "." The quota- tery book stores, mystery books in alter- tion is a familiar one: "Good old native formats, mystery book research On a related note, I have completed the Watson! You are the one fixed point in a collections (here is where the Holmes preliminary manuscript of a bibliogra- changing age. There's an =om- Collections fit in), reviewing mystery phy that may become a supplement to ing all the same, such a wind as never books, and mystery book clubs. Second, Ronald De Waal's The Universal Sherlock blew on England yet. It will be cold and after the journal issue appears, the col- Holmes. The bibliography includes bitter, WaGon, and a good many of us lected articles will be published as chap- 3,227 entries for items that appeared may wither before its blast. But it's God's ters in book format. The Acquisitions after the publication of The Universal. own wind none the less, and a cleaner, Librarian is a biannual publication (two My thanks to those of you who sent me better, stronger land will lie in the sun- issues per volume) produced by The lists of items for inclusion in this shine when the storm has cleared." Haworth Press. The exact date of publi- Sherlockian update. Stay tuned for fur- cation is unknown, but we will inform ther news on the publication of this The reminder, and the , comes readers of the date when it is made bibliography from 's The Complete known. My thanks to Julie McKuras and Guide to Sherlock Holmes, a book I have Dick Sveum for reading the manuscript Finally, let me offer a word of thanks for enjoyed paging through over the last and offering helpful comments. your continued support of the Sherlock weeks. I came upon Hardwick's Guide Holrnes Collections at Minnesota. In while preparing an article for publica- And while we wait on the unknown, we front of me, pinned to a board by my tion. (For the completists among our can report on something that has come desk, is Jeff Decker's cartoon of an ele- readership, here is an advance notice of to completion - the cataloging of books phant caravan with John Bennett Shaw something for your collection.) The arti- and periodicals in the Holrnes atop the lead pachyderm, the road lead- cle, entitled "The Adventure of the Collections. The three-year project, ing to the U of M. I keep it there as a Unopened Box: Building the Sherlock financed in part by a gift from the Hubbs reminder of past journeys traveled and Holmes Collections at the University of Family, was completed in December paths yet ahead. We have come a long Minnesota Libraries," will appear in the 2002. Together, the MINITEX contract way on that road, and your assistance future under two guises. First, it will catalogers and the University Libraries' along the way is greatly appreciated. But appear as an article in the professional staff cataloged 15,252items, all of which there are more steps to take. I hope you journal The Acquisitions Librarian, in a appear in the online catalog will continue with us on the trek, and special theme issue edited by Judith (mlib.umn.edu). The items are endure the winds along the way v Ovennier (Professor Emeritus) and searchable by author, title, and subject as Rhonda Hanis Taylor (Associate well as other access points, such as the Timothy Johnson

For any inquiries contact: Remembrances Timothy J. Johnson, Curator In supporting the Sherlock Holmes Collections, many donors have made 612-624-3552 or contributions either in honor or in memory of special persons. [email protected]

IN HONOR OF FROM Sherlock Holmes Collections John Baesch & Evelyn Herzog's engagement Julie McKuras Suite 111, Elmer L. Andersen Library Susan E. Dahlinger Laura Kuhn University of Minnesota Ralph E. Edwards, B.S.I. James E. Smith I1 222 21st Ave. S. Fred Kittle, M. D. Larry and Ann Koppers Minneapolis, MN 55455 Karen Murdock Rosemary Michaud Telephone: 612-624-7526 FAX 612-626-9353 IN MEMORY OF FROM Don Hardenbrook Jim Coffin Timothy J. Johnson, Curator A1 Rodin Roy Pilot John Bennett Shaw Saul Cohen John Bennett Shaw John E. Stephenson Mailing list corrections requested- Murray Shaw Julie McKuras Because of the high cost of returned newsletters, we would appreciate being informed of changes of address or other corrections. 8 P Fridof the Sherlock Holmes Collections