Sherrinford Holmes was a great detective whose exploits have thrilled millions of people for nearly 130 years. Or at least, that is what nearly happened, as Serrinford Holmes was the original, if unused name for the more famous Sherlock Holmes.

This is one of the nuggets to be taken from the Museum of London’s winter blockbuster exhibition devoted to the author, the creation and the city they both inhabited.

Dr Watson, since you ask was nearly Ormond Sacker.

IMG_1869

The great detective had a rather poor reception at first though, with the first book published in 1887 not being particularly popular. It wasn’t until The Strand magazine offered a commission for shorter stories to be published that the character reached a wider audience, and gained equally wide spread appeal.

It was also the magazine, not the book that introduced the famous deer-stalker hat. Sherlock’s creator never mentioned the hat, but the illustrations in the magazine, by Sidney Paget included the distinctive headgear. The illustrator doing as much as the author to cement the familiar image in human consciousness.

Sherlock Holmes is more often seen as a Victorian, and generally shown as an icon of Victorian London, yet of the 60 stories published, 33 were published after 1903, so he was more Edwardian than Victorian.

In fact, the last Sherlock Holmes adventure was “His Last Bow”, which was set on the eve of World War One — the centenary of which we are marking this year.

Despite that, the stories are often what defines the public imagination of what Victorian London was like, with horse drawn cabs and swirling fogs.

IMG_1864

As such a large section of the exhibition is less about the detective, than about the city he would have lived in. A lot of maps to delight the tube geek, and copious drawings and paintings of Victorian London. Most have been chosen for featuring parts of London that appear in the novels, although some gain entry for sheer star power on their own — such as the Monet.

IMG_1868

The rest of the exhibition is given over to a mixture of how the detective worked, with examples of the sorts of implements he might have used, had be been real that is.

Around that is a reminder that the character was fictional — in the guise of how he was shown on stage and later on the big screen, and more recently the small screen.

One of Conan Doyle’s friends was the magician Harry Houdini, who attended a séance laid on by the author. As noted by is friend and biographer, JC Cannell, Houdini was very disappointed by how accepting Conan Doyle was of the Medium, and lacked any of the skepticism that he imparted into Sherlock Holmes.

Houdini was however falling into the trap that snares so many, of expecting an author to share the traits of the character. A problem that befell the modern Sherlock when — shockingly — a journey on the London Underground wasn’t entirely accurate.

In fact, so ingrained into the history of London has the character become, I have a strong suspicion that not everyone realises that Sherlock Holmes is fictional.

Even some of the display boards in the exhibition veer towards describing a real person with real flaws, rather than how the author created the character.

IMG_1875

Conan Doyle never really cared for the character he invented, considering the writing of fiction to be a mere sideshow from more serious pursuits, and regularly tried to kill him off, once nearly succeeding until public clamour (and the lure of cash) drew him back. I often wonder what he would think of how Holmes refuses to die out of the popular imagination.

Sherlock Holmes: The Man Who Never Lived And Will Never Die is open daily at the Museum of London until 12th April. Entry is £10:90.

Do note the outside of the rotunda that sits next to the museum — that “modern art” is actually the dancing men of one of Holmes’s mysteries. It spells out a message, if you can decipher it.

Close-up of first manuscript page of ‘The Sign of Four’, 188

IMG_1882

NEWSLETTER

Be the first to know what's on in London, and the latest news published on ianVisits.

You can unsubscribe at any time from my weekly emails.

Tagged with: ,
SUPPORT THIS WEBSITE

This website has been running now for over a decade, and while advertising revenue contributes to funding the website, it doesn't cover the costs. That is why I have set up a facility with DonorBox where you can contribute to the costs of the website and time invested in writing and research for the news articles.

It's very similar to the way The Guardian and many smaller websites are now seeking to generate an income in the face of rising costs and declining advertising.

Whether it's a one-off donation or a regular giver, every additional support goes a long way to covering the running costs of this website, and keeping you regularly topped up doses of Londony news and facts.

If you like what you read on here, then please support the website here.

Thank you

Home >> News >> Events and Tours