I share the following below from Ben & Sue Vizoskie, as forwarded to me. I share their sentiments. Bob was a kind and gentle man who will be sorely missed by all who had the pleasure of knowing him.
It is with great sadness and regret that we write to tell you that Bob Douty, BSI passed away peacefully yesterday morning, May 30th, after a very lengthy hospitalization. Marsha was with him.
Bob was an early member of the Three Garridebs. In 1980 he and Bruce Kennedy, one of the founders of the Three Garridebs, wrote In the Footsteps of Birdy Edwards: Three Days with the Molly Maguires, a pamphlet which documented their explorations in the coal country of Pennsylvania. Marsha accompanied them, and, as Bob said, "She kept the Sherlockians objective, as well as breaking up any fights that occurred because of our strong opinions." You may have deduced that this experience was a precursor to the BSI Valley of Fear Expedition in 2004.
Bob was invested in 1980 in the BSI as "The Priory School." After a hiatus, he and Marsha rejoined the Garridebs in January 2000. At that meeting Bob spoke fondly of Ralph Williams, his friend and fellow Garrideb, who had passed away. In 2002 Bob was invested in the Three Garridebs as "'Killer' Evans," the investiture which had previously been held by Ralph.
We will greatly miss Bob -- his sense of humor, his quiet, gentle ways, his kindness, and his friendship. On behalf of all the Garridebs, we extend our sincerest condolences to Marsha.
The following information was taken from The Journal News:
Friends may call on Thursday, June 1 from 2 to 4 pm and 7 to 9 pm at the Joseph F. Nardone Funeral Home, 414 Washington Street, Peekskill, New York. (914) 737-1363. Burial Services will be private. A Celebration of Life Service will be held at the Cold Spring Baptist Church in the fall.
Contributions in Bob's memory may be made to Cold Spring Baptist Church, P.O. Box 299, Cold Spring, New York 10516 or the Maine Greyhound Placement Service, 249 Old Belgrade Road, Augusta, Maine 04330. (Bob's full name was Robert Watson Douty.)
Read More...
Summary only...
There was a nice mention of the classic exchange about board-schools in 'The Naval Treaty' in the May 30 Guardian. Ken Lanza was kind enough to forward the article, an excerpt of which is below.
Arthur Conan Doyle, speaking through his alter ego, Sherlock Holmes, likened redbrick Victorian board schools to lighthouses.
"Beacons of the future! Capsules with hundreds of bright little seeds in each, out of which will spring the wiser, better England of the future," Holmes says.But the demands of the modern curriculum, coupled with one the biggest school building programmes since the Victorian age, are putting many of these schools at risk of demolition. Read the entire article here.
And speaking of beacons, you might want to check out the
Beacon Society, a not-for-profit scion society of the Baker Street Irregulars that encourages and rewards those who are bringing Sherlock Holmes to the younger generation.
Read More...
Summary only...
Last Friday, May 26, 2006, the Sherlockian world lost one of its own. Trish Pearlman, ASH ("A Curious Collection") passed beyond the Reichenbach.
Trish was a founding member of the Mini-Tonga Society, a group of collectors of Sherlockian miniatures. She was also a member of a number of New York-area scion societies with her husband and fellow co-conspirator, Jay.
I didn't have the honor of knowing Trish personally, so I would invite any interested reader to add his or her memories of Trish in the Comments section below.
Read More...
Summary only...
While this is not necessarily of note related to the Baker Street Journal or the Baker Street Irregulars, perhaps my many Sherlockian friends will permit me to announce that today my wife blessed me with another son.
Drew Allan Monty was born at 11:17 a.m. today in Boston, weighing 9 lbs., 10 oz. Mother and son are both doing fine.
Read More...
Summary only...
Recently, a reader contacted me for recommendations for incorporating Sherlock Holmes and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle into a trip to London. It's been a few years since my last trip there, but I am aware of a number of great resources out there:
These are but a smattering of books, tours, and locations. Perhaps some more well-informed traveling Sherlockian could use the Comments section below to add your own suggestions.
Read More...
Summary only...
A Trifling Reference is a "cross reference of the cases of the Consulting Detective, Mr. Sherlock Holmes, as chronicled by his friend and colleague, John H. Watson, M.D."
Some features include an entirely searchable Canon - customizable by collection or novel, with results grouped by story and with excerpts around the word or phrase for which the user searched.
In addition, the names of the 60 stories are listed in alphabetical order, with links to read the full stories. There is also a clickable link that sorts them in the order of the date of their first publication.
And finally, the major chronologies are shown side by side, and - this is a very cool and useful feature - are sortable by a clickable link at the top of each column, thus allowing the stories to be sorted in chronological order by chronologer: Bell, Christ, Zeisler, Brend, and Baring-Gould 1 and 2.
Read More...
Summary only...
In honor of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's birthday today, Google has commissioned one of their famous holiday logos:
Read More...
Summary only...
We have been informed by his publisher that Jonathon King has written a new novel: Eye of Vengeance. While his narrator Nick Mullins - like Dr. Watson, is a writer - he is a crime journalist. His setting is not foggy London, but sunny South Florida. In this book, a serial sniper (a descendant of Col. Sebastian Moran, perhaps?) is picking off criminals like so many rusty cans on a fence.
More information is available on Jonathon King's website. Fans of mystery and suspense won't be disappointed with King's lastest.
Read More...
Summary only...
The Baker Street Irregulars received a mention in Roger Ebert's review of "The Da Vinci Code" in the Chicago Sun Times. Not our best comparison, but it's an acknowledgement nonetheless.
Read More...
Summary only...
In honor of the birthday of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle on May 22, host Elizabeth Foxwell will be playing two episodes of "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" series with John Gielgud and Ralph Richardson on her radio show, "It's a Mystery" on WEBR.
Foxwell hosts the weekly radio show which is broadcast only on the Web on WEBR, a freeform radio station.
"The Final Problem" and "The Empty House" will be aired as as webcast on Monday, May 22 at 11:00 a.m. EDT.
Ms. Foxwell, managing editor of CLUES, a Journal of Detection, typically interviews mystery authors on her program. Of interest to Sherlockians is a clip of Jon Lellenberg and Daniel Stashower talking about recommended Sherlock Holmes reading for young people.
Read More...
Summary only...
With the imminent release of "The Da Vinci Code" in theaters, there has been a good deal of talk about the Masons. In fact, one of the Sherlock Holmes discussion lists asked about the connection between Conan Doyle and Freemasonry.
There are a number of articles that have covered the topic. In particular on the web are:
Ron has gone so far as to establish a scion society of the Baker Street Irregulars,
The Master's Masons for Sherlockians who are Masons.
Read More...
Summary only...
Dr. Richard Kellogg, professor of psychology, Social and Behavioral Sciences Department at Alfred State College, has published an article, "Freud and the Queen of Crime" in the latest issue of
the Newsletter of the Society for the Teaching of Psychology, a publication of the American Psychological Association.
Of course, Sigmund Freud also played a central role in The Seven Per-Cent Solution by Nicholas Meyer, BSI. This work, which featured Sherlock Holmes receiving treatment from the legendary father of modern psychology, was a watershed publication (and film) in the 1970s that led to a resurgence of interest in the Great Detective. We have Mr. Meyer to thank for that, and as Dr. Kellogg reminds us, we have Dr. Freud to thank as well.
Read More...
Summary only...
A bit of housekeeping from Mrs. Hudson. We have received some inquiries from readers who have been unable to locate the poll mentioned in an earlier post.
"I don't think that you have any cause to be uneasy, Mrs. Hudson," [SIGN]
This has likely occurred because of clicking on the link to a particular entry rather than clicking on the
Baker Street Blog homepage. Simply click on the title banner at the top of the page to take you there, and voila! You'll find the poll in the upper right corner.
As Sherlock Holmes said, "
Omne ignotum, pro magnifico."
Read More...
Summary only...
A happy Mother's Day to all of the Sherlockian mothers out there. It got me to thinking of mothers in the Canon, when I realized that there were a good number of people who lost their mothers within the 60 tales.
Many of these these motherless children had tragic and heart-wrenching descriptions of their situation. Of note:
- Lucy Ferrier, who was near death in the Great Alkalai Plain, stating "as long as we die we'll be with mother again." [STUD]
- Mary Morstan, who returned to England when her father was stationed in the Indian army: "my mother was dead, and I had no relative in England." [SIGN]
- Julia Stoner, step-daughter of Dr. Grimesby Roylott, stated "Shortly after our return to England my mother died - she was killed eight years ago in a railway accident near Crewe." [SPEC]
- Violet Hunter sought Sherlock Holmes' perspective on her strange experience with Jephro Rucastle, saying "I have no parents or relations of any sort from whom I could ask advice..." [COPP]
Not to mention mothers who had to bear the unthinkable: the death of a child. Ironically, the examples I have pulled here - just off the top of my head - are all shooting victims.
- The mother of the Hon. Ronald Adair, felled by Col. Moran's bullet. [EMPT]
- William Kirwan's mother, who was put into shock that "has made her half-witted." [REIG]
- Arthur Cadogan West's mother, described as "the bereaved mother. The old lady was too dazed with grief to be of any use to us..." [BRUC]
And we all know how influential Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's mother was in his life - from inspiring him to write "The Copper Beeches," to being a lasting influence on his love life. Expect to learn a good deal more when Daniel Stashower and Jon Lellenberg are finished with a book on his private letters, including to the Mam.
So be good to your mother for Mother's Day. Or honor her memory by doing something of which she would have approved. And for God's sake, lock up the firearms.
Read More...
Summary only...
As part of an effort to understand what is important to our readers, we'd like to gauge your level of enthusiasm and interest in the various features in The Baker Street Journal. On the right, you'll notice a new poll. With this tool or through your comments below, you can help us be more informed as to the Sherlockian content that you prefer or would like to see.
As Sherlock Holmes remarked in 'The Copper Beeches,'
“Data! data! data! I can’t make bricks without clay.”
So how about it? Give us your clay.
Read More...
Summary only...
"but Watson will tell you that I can never resist a touch of the dramatic."
[dramatic pause]
The Spring 2006 Baker Street Journal is on its way!
Some choice items you'll find in the latest issue include:
- A recap of the 2006 BSI Weekend festivities
- Paul Singleton's "From Sodality to Sardines" examines the first location of a BSI function: the Hotel Duane.
- Al Silverstein and Marie Ventura embark on "The Search for Forbidden Knowledge" by exploring Holmes, Moriarty and the Faust legend with some mental calesthetics.
- Jon Lellenberg promotes a scion society's aversion to self-promotion in "An Old Campaigner" as his mission is accomplished.
- Sonia Fetherston draws parallels between Lewis Carroll's and Conan Doyle's efforts in "Shoscombe Through the Looking Glass"
- The usual assortment from the Editor's Commonplace Book, some terrace-standing, and the Baker Street Inventory.
On
The Baker Street Journal website you'll find the featured article of this quarter (which one will it be?...), as well as the latest Editor's Gaslamp.
You might be interested in a couple of improvements we've added to the BSJ website. First is a set of
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs). If you have additional questions that you think should be listed, please use the comments section below to add yours.
Also, following on the reintroduction of "Letters to Baker Street," in the printed pages of the Journal, we have added a section on the
Current Issue page for submitting your letters to the editor.
We always want to know what you think - of the Journal, of the blog - the sky's the limit.
Drop us a line or make a comment below. And as always, enjoy your Journal!
Read More...
Summary only...
As I reflected on Mike Whelan's comments at the Copper Beeches meeting regarding Sherlockian fellowship, it made me think back to a toast I was asked to give at the 2003 Dinner of the Baker Street Irregulars.
In October 2002, I received a phone call by a fellow BSI asking me to give a toast at the BSI dinner - a tall order for a recently investitured Irregular. I immediately and effusively answered, "Sure, I'd be honored to give a toast. Who will I be toasting?" The answer followed:
"Sherlock Holmes."
Gulp. The Big One. The persona who represents why we're all gathering year after year. What could I, a young thirty-something Irregular say that had not been said by much greater Sherlockians than myself? By Christopher Morley, Edgar W. Smith, Isaac Asimov, Julian Wolff, Rex Stout, William Baring-Gould, etc.?
I remembered that Christopher Morley's called the Canon
A Textbook of Friendship, which further reminded me that I have forged many friends while in the pursuit of this unique pasttime. Then, reaching into my musical bag of tricks, I applied the music from the 1946 song
"The House I Live In" (made popular by Frank Sinatra) and applied it to the following lyrics.
What is Sherlock Holmes to me?
A pipe, a cap, or the man I see
A certain word: elementary
What is Sherlock Holmes to me?
The Canon I read,
A flat on Baker Street,
Lestrade and Mrs. Hudson,
Or the people that I meet.
The scion in my hometown,
The faces that I see,
All races and religions,
That's Sherlock Holmes to me.
The papers I write,
The quizzes that I take,
The journal I subscribe to,
Or the toasts I have to make.
Wonter, Cushing, Rathbone,
Brett, Gillette and Lee,
And Paget’s many portraits,
That's Sherlock Holmes to me.
The things I see about me,
The big things and the small,
Each one provides a ref’rence
To a tale that I recall.
Napoleons and vampires,
The thumbs of engineers,
And the dream that's been a growing
For a hundred twenty years
Our dear old Wiggins,
The weekend filled with food,
The final cocktail party
Is a fine way to conclude.
The Band the Pips the Beeches,
Irregulars I see;
It’s especially the people
That's Sherlock Holmes to me.
And so it is with many of us involved in the Game. The scholarship, the mental sparring and such are all invigorating, but it's the relationships with each other that make this hobby one of the most enjoyable of any I can imagine.
Read More...
Summary only...
On a personal note, I had occasion to visit Philadelphia and attend a dinner of the Sons of the Copper Beeches, a 60 year-old scion society that is thriving under the able leadership of Headmastiff Gideon Hill, BSI.
Among those in attendance was Michael Whelan, the "Wiggins" (the titular head) of the Baker Street Irregulars. Mike made some great remarks about Sherlockians and the Great Game that are worth paraphrasing here. Among them:
A general truth: at times, we take the Game seriously, but as a rule, Sherlockians generally enjoy themselves. One thing all scion societies have in common, whether they are six decades or six months old, is the desire for fellowship - that quiet confidence and satisfaction that we engage in a common interest.
An observation: that with over 400 Sherlockian/Holmesian societies worldwide, over 300 of them are in the United States. Why is it that more than 70% of the world's Sherlockian groups are in our backyard?
A reminder: the Baker Street Irregulars is not simply a group of people who gather once a year for a dinner in New York. The BSI are not "Jupiter descending," as Holmes once referred to Mycroft coming to Baker Street - they are people in your midst at every meeting; Sherlockians, like you, who have a sincere interest in the stories and in each other.
I can highly recommend Philadelphia and its Sherlockians. The next time you're in town, consider getting in touch with Gideon Hill. You won't regret it.
Read More...
Summary only...
Peter Blau has graciously allowed us permission to post the HTML links from his monthly newsletter, Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press. Below are the links from his latest issue.
- Mozilla's Mycroft collection of browser plug-ins
- The Baker Street Irregulars Trust
- Request a copy of the Sherlockian Times e-newsletter at Classic Specialties
- Action figures from Archie McPhee - Holmes, Wilde, Poe, Houdini, Shakespeare, Wagner and more!
- Laurie R. King's tour schedule
- An account of the George Edalji case: Conan Doyle and the Parson's Son
- "The Amazing Adventure of Old Marvel" in Blood & Thunder - possibly an early influence on Conan Doyle
- Malice Domestic - the current conference is over, but check for future dates
- "Case Closed" - the English-language version of "Meitantei Conan"
- Murder Rooms
- "Sherlock Holmes and the Speckled Band" - a one-man play by Neill Hartley
- Zippy the Pinhead - featuring Gillette Castle on June 25, 2000, July 31, 2002, and October 18, 2002 (one featured below)
Read More...
Summary only...
