Sherlock Holmes In London

Determined this year

to walk in the footsteps of famous British authors,

I started my quest with Sherlock Holmes,

created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle

Wall Tiles at Baker Street Tube Station

Sherlock Holmes continues to be on bookshelves today,

as The Hound of the Baskervilles

was awarded 128th place in the BBC's Big Read

as a treasured book by three quarters of a million voters

Did you know Sherlock Holmes's Deerstalker cap is not mentioned in any of the books?
It is one of many Holmes's trademarks created by actors and/or illustrators

An interesting fact about Doyle is

he was a Scottish physician without many patients

so he starting writing stories and novels in his office

in Portsmouth and later in London

(I love examples when an apparently bad situation 

turns out to be a good thing)

Original gas lights from Doyle's era are still dotted around London

Conan Doyle was first published in 1886

and continued to write until after World War I

As a playwright, Doyle also brought his popular Sherlock Holmes to the stage
(including to the Adelphi Theater seen here)

Sherlock Holmes was a unique idea at the time

with his character reappearing repeatedly

in novels and short stories

Not only were his contemporary readers 

entranced by Holmes and his sidekick Watson,

but Doyle was clever to throw in tidbits 

that would have been current, possibly to the week,

in his stories published in The Strand Magazine

Previous entrance to The Strand Magazine office, which closed in 1950
The clock would have indicated wealth

I read The Hound Of The Baskervilles recently,

which gives Sherlock Holmes and Watson 

completely different personas from the film, 'Sherlock Holmes' (2009)

The book is a short, quick read

which I would definitely recommended if you are looking for a classic

(I had no idea there were quagmires in Dartmoor!)

As for Sherlock Holmes locations in London,

there is no shortage :)

- all photos by me -

(an unsponsored post)