September 2006 D S O F N Volume 10 Number 3 E T I H R E F Sherlock Holmes COLLECTIONS “Your merits should be publicly recognized” (STUD) Contents Emory Lee or some people, the collecting mania starts at a young age. It all began innocent- Emory Lee ly enough, with stamps, toy soldiers, and comic books for Emory Lee of Palo 1 Alto, California, but it quickly took a turn down the slippery path of collecting F items related to Sherlock Holmes. Emory noted “it was natural to collect Sherlockiana once I got into it…what got me started was buying a copy of Vincent Curiosity Camp Starrett’s The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes at a Stanford bookstore sale when I was a 2 graduate student. That led me to reading the Doubleday edition of the collected writings while neglecting my studies, I must admit.” 50 Years Ago 3 Using the Collections 3 Acquisitons 4 From the President 4 Musings 4 An Update from the Collections 5 Hammer Material Arrives at Library 7 Photo by Julie McKuras Emory Lee with The Sherlock Holms Collections’ four copies of Beeton’s Christmas Annual Remembrances 8 Continued on page 6 Friends of the Sherlock Holmes Collections 1 Curiosity Camp ummer’s almost over, and by “rediscover how much fun learning od, or for the “naturally inquisitive.” the time you read this the can be!” “Why should kids have all It is a time to treat oneself “to a day of leaves will be turning and the the fun at summer camp?” says Margy productive play...where each adventure S crisp air of autumn will turn Ligon, director of Personal will engage your mind and refresh our minds towards such Enrichment Programs at the U’s your spirit.” The camp employs delights as fresh apple cider, the last College of Continuing Education. “We University and community experts and days of the baseball season, or the created these daylong experiences to focuses on an intriguing topic or many things that bring you joy during give adults an excuse to take a vaca- favorite place. There were twenty-one my most favorite season of the year. tion day and explore an interesting offerings this past summer, but of But for the moment, I want to linger topic. They’ll get a chance to hear course, my favorite course was the one over some thoughts of summer. from U experts, meet people with sim- I was asked to participate in: “More ilar interests, and tour the quiet cam- Than Elementary: Our Fascination When I was a young boy I went to a pus to discover beautiful gardens, fas- with Sherlock Holmes.” Joining me in number of camps: day camps run by cinating laboratories, and 150 years of our camp experience was author the local parks department, Boy Scout inspirational architecture and sculp- Larry Millett. and church camps full of hiking, ture. We’re hoping these Curiosity camping, fishing, Our camp, with swimming, and twenty registrants, other outdoor began at the activities. It was a Continuing time to explore, a Education and time to grow, and Conference Center a time to relax. I on the University’s was surrounded St. Paul Campus. by new sights and Following a brief sounds, and introduction, I things that went spent an hour talk- bump in the ing about “What’s night. It was a Up, Sherlock,” our time, as I look fascination with back, full of won- Holmes, the derful memories endurance of the and enriching Sherlockian legacy, experiences. Photo courtesy of Tim Johnson Photo courtesy of Tim and the fun of Camps of one playing the great kind or another Game. Next on the have been, and agenda was Larry, continue to be, who talked about part of my life. “The Reincarnation Or, to put it into Larry Millett and Tim Johnson of an Icon,” his a Sherlockian con- experience as an text (quoting author and the challenges faced in Watson), “My experience of camp life Camps will encourage adults to take bringing Holmes and Watson to in Afghanistan had at least had the time for themselves and remember Minnesota through his various tales effect of making me a prompt and how incredibly stimulating and fun such as Sherlock Holmes and the Red ready traveler.” (BOSC) learning can be.” Demon or Sherlock Holmes and the Ice Palace Murders. I was very pleased So it was no surprise to discover that Curiosity Camp is designed for adult that Larry could take time out from a the University of Minnesota offered a learners, for folks who need, or want, busy schedule, which includes work- camp experience in the form of the a summer vacation, but might not be ing on another book, to offer his College of Continuing Education’s able to get away for an extended peri- unique insights as an author. “Curiosity Camp,” where one can Continued on page 7 2 Friends of the Sherlock Holmes Collections Mr. Allan does not name the episode If the date is indeed correct, the BBC he listened to that sparked his enthusi- may have re-broadcast the series in astic review, but from his description 1956, with Mr. Allan not having been the story dramatized was clearly “The aware of the original broadcasts in Bruce-Partington Plans.” This episode 1954. (The first U.S. broadcast of the was especially interesting from the episode in question was on February standpoint of casting, in that John 5, 1955.) An exhaustive search has 50 Gielgud’s elder brother Val Gielgud, turned up several print and online ref- YEARS AGO who was one of the directors of the erences verifying the dates of the origi- series, played Sherlock’s elder brother nal broadcasts, but no dates of n “The Adventure of the Three Mycroft! rebroadcasts, so we can only surmise Garridebs,” Dr. Watson reports on this point. that Sherlock Holmes refused a The series was originally broadcast in I knighthood, but at least one actor the U.K. during the last three months Recordings of the series can readily be who portrayed the Great Detective did of 1954 and then in the U.S. during found for sale on cassette or CD. The not refuse the knighthood offered to the first six months of 1955. Only programs hold up well and are him. Some fifty years ago a radio series twelve episodes were broadcast in the remarkably faithful to the original sto- was broadcast that boasted not only a U.K., with an additional four episodes ries as written by Conan Doyle. knight of the realm portraying Holmes and six re-broadcasts being aired in the Gielgud’s Holmes is masterful, and but another portraying Dr. Watson! U.S. All episodes were dramatizations Richardson’s Watson is an intelligent This illustrious pair was Sir John of tales from the Holmes Canon. “The helpmate to Holmes – thankfully not Gielgud as Holmes and Sir Ralph Bruce-Partington Plans” (alternative in the bumbling Nigel Bruce mold of Richardson as Watson. title: “The Traitor”) was the fourth earlier radio broadcasts in the U.S. episode broadcast and was originally How the listener of today wishes that Among the shelves and shelves of John aired in the U.K. on October 26, 1954, the BBC and this illustrious pair of Bennett Shaw’s collected ephemera that eighteen months before the hand-writ- actors had gone on to record the entire compose a large part of the Collections ten date on our copy of the review, in Canon! was found a yellowed clipping from which Mr. Allan states that the series the Sunday Times (of London), hand has “been on the air for several weeks.” John Bergquist, BSI dated April 8, 1956. The clipping is of If the hand-written date of April 8, “John Allan’s Radio Review” column, in 1956 is accurate, Mr. Allan’s statement which Mr. Allan extols the virtues of is puzzling. (As Watson said to Holmes the Gielgud-Richardson series on the in “The Adventure of the Creeping BBC. Mr. Allan writes, “This must be Man,” “As to your dates, that is the one of the most distinguished Holmes biggest mystification of all.”) The most series ever broadcast….The players likely explanation is that Shaw – or who take the part of the principals are whoever sent him the clipping – was from that rare strata of actors who mistaken about the date of the review. make theatre great.” Using the Collections Ron Levitsky of Lake Forest, Illinois toured the Collections in June. Also this summer, Sara Janes, a graduate student in archival studies at McGill University, was able to view the holdings of the Sherlock Holmes Collections. Friends of the Sherlock Holmes Collections 3 Acquisitons erham Groves added to the Hugo Koch forwarded copies of his lat- His latest contribution consists of over Collections’ holdings of his est pamphlet, “The Real Irene Adler: 400 Sherlockian Periodicals and 72 books with the addition of Caroline Norton née Sheridan” or books, as well as other items from the D what Curator Tim Johnson “Some Observations Upon a Three Pipe 1980s. described as “two artist’s books. They’re Problem: The Extra-Canonical Identity really quite wonderful and unique. ‘Tire of ‘the Woman’.” 115 numbered copies Periodicals continue to arrive at the Eye’ (the title I’m working with at the were privately printed. Collections and include the latest issues moment) was printed in twenty copies. of The Crier from the Criterion Bar The other, ‘McPherson’s Guide for the Andy Peck, one of the generous donors Association, material from Hugo’s Handyman’ was printed in sixteen highlighted in the March 2006 issue of Companions, the Summer 2006 copies.” this newsletter, has sent additional Canadian Holmes, and The Whaling materials to the Holmes Collections.