Sherlock Holmes: Trifles

"one might think that you were afraid of our finding something out" [PRIO] The first week of the month means it's time for another round of Mr. Sherlock Holmes the Theorist, in which we take a look at a piece of old Sherlockian scholarship and discuss it anew. In this case, it's Trevor Hall's essay "A Note on The Priory School" from his book Sherlock Holmes: Ten Literary Studies. Hall manages to find a clue buried later in "The Blanched Soldier" and traces it back to "The Priory School." What he found is enough to shock even the most devoted fans of Thorneycroft Huxtable, M.A., Ph.D., etc. It's just a Trifle. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles288 Sherlock Holmes: Ten Literary Studies by Trevor Hall Sherlock Holmes: Fact or Fiction? by T.S. Blakeney Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon and become eligible for our regular giveaways. Sponsor The BSI Press Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"run down to the advertising agency and have this put in the evening papers" [BLUE] We know Sherlock Holmes valued the agony column; we discussed that previously on Episode 50. Looking back at a paper by an advertising executive from the mid-20th century — a real-life Mad Man — we find the makings of an expert copywriter and marketer. We even identify a media buyer. All of this and more, related to advertising in the Canon. It's just a Trifle. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles287 The Best of the Pips (The Five Orange Pips) Seven on Sherlock (Thayer Cumings) Aboriginals (Linda & Harrison Hunt) Related episodes: Episode 286 - Strange Business Episode 109 - Brands in the Canon Episode 50 - The Agony Column Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock DOT com Support us on Patreon and become eligible for our regular giveaways. Sponsor The Baker Street Journal Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

"the rest of that strange company" [DANC] Men and women from professions of all kinds consulted Sherlock Holmes. And throughout the Canon we're introduced to a number of companies, either by name or type of business. But some of them stand out because of their unusual categories. Strange company, indeed. It's just a Trifle. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles286 Thank you to our sponsor, the BSI Press. Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

"much addicted" [TWIS] This month's Masters Class brings us back to a Morley-Montgomery Award-winning article from The Baker Street Journal. Susan Rice wrote "Watson's Hidden Addiction" for Vol. 47, No. 2 (June 1997) of the BSJ, and it concerned a significant flaw in Watson's character. Perhaps "flaw" is not the right word — let's call it a weakness. She even found a syndrome that would explain it. It's just a Trifle. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles285 Thank you to our sponsor, The Baker Street Journal. Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

"What's this, Mr. Holmes? Man, it's witchcraft!" [VALL] Continuing on our supernatural theme, we land on witchcraft. And not just any witchcraft, either. This was a spell cast at Baker Street. Our monthly "Mr. Sherlock Holmes the theorist" theme lands on Frank Allen's "Witchcraft in Baker Street" from the anthology Beyond Baker Street, and it looks at how some of the people we meet in "Charles Augustus Milverton" were bothered, bewitched, and bewildered. It's just a Trifle. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles284 Thank you to our sponsor, The Baker Street Journal. Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

"some hocus-pocus" [SIGN] The last time we were together, we examined Sherlock Holmes's Tours de Force (Episode 282), in which we discussed a number of ways he wowed people with his unique skills. As we look closer, there are instances when people accuse him of practicing magic, sorcery, or wizardry. What are those examples, and what might have happened to Sherlock Holmes, had he lived in a different era? It's just a Trifle. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles283 Thank you to our sponsor, The Baker Street Journal. Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

"my poor little reputation, such as it is, will suffer shipwreck if I am so candid" [REDH] One of the greatest features of the Sherlock Holmes stories is seeing the master ply his trade. That is, watching Holmes when he dazzles Watson (and us!) with his brilliance. In the first two novels plus The Adventures and The Memoirs, we have some delicious examples of Holmes at his finest. It is just a Trifle. And be sure to tune in to hear if you, Patreon supporter, won some back issues of the Baker Street Journal. We hold this drawing exclusively for our supporters every month. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles282 Thank you to our sponsor, The BSI Press. Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

"a remarkable cow" [PRIO] The third week of the month means it's time for Master's Class: a look at an exemplary piece of Sherlockian scholarship from over the years. In this episode, we turn to an award-winning article in The Baker Street Journal. S. Tupper Bigelow pondered the patterns of hoof-marks as laid out in various editions of the Canon, and won the Morley-Montgomery Award in 1962 for it. It's just a Trifle. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles281 Thank you to our sponsor, The Baker Street Journal. Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

"A touch! A distinct touch!" [VALL] Every author owes something to Shakespeare. His inventiveness with language has withstood the test of time, and many of the phrases he originated or popularized are still in use today. We find Shakespeare's words dotted throughout the Sherlock Holmes stories, well beyond the usual quotes. A number of Shakespearean phrases are allusions in the Canon. It's just a Trifle. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles280 Thank you to our sponsor, The Baker Street Journal. Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

"As to your dates, that is the biggest mystification of all." [CREE] This is another instance of the new product we're calling "I Can't Believe We Didn't Talk About This Already." An early instance of Sherlockian scholarship and commentary, in 1934 Dorothy L. Sayers wrote "The Dates in the Red-Headed League," picking up where H.W. Bell's 1932 Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: The Chronology of Their Adventures left off. It's a fine example of using data at hand and being creative, and it's part of our series covering old Sherlockian scholarship. It's just a Trifle. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles279 Thank you to our sponsor, the BSI Press. Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

"Drive like the devil" [SCAN] Call this the case of the overlooked fact. And one that was staring us in the face, too. It concerns the marriage of Irene Adler and Godfrey Norton in "A Scandal in Bohemia." A listener wrote in and asked us just why Irene Adler had to get married in such a rush. We did a little digging, found some material to discuss, and put our own thoughts into it. It's just a Trifle. We're holding the monthly drawing for our Patreon supporters in this episode. Are you the winner? You'll have to tune in to find out. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles278 Thank you to our sponsor, The BSI Press. Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

"There's not a tree in the park" [EMPT] The third week of the month means it's time for Master's Class: a look at an exemplary piece of Sherlockian scholarship from over the years. In this episode, we look at Nicholas Utechin's masterful piece from the 1972 Baker Street Journal in which he deduced exactly where Colonel Moran was when he shot the Hon. Ronald Adair in "The Empty House." Or was it Moran at all? It's just a Trifle. Don't forget: all of our Patreon supporters are eligible for our monthly and quarterly drawings. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles277 Thank you to our sponsor, The Baker Street Journal. Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

"Holmes turned to his desk and, unlocking it, drew out a small case-book" [SPEC] The first week of the month means it's a "Mr. Sherlock Holmes the Theorist"-themed episode, featuring an old piece of scholarship that investigates some trifling issue. In this episode, we look at an early piece that Martin Dakin wrote for The Sherlock Holmes Journal, questioning the authenticity of some of the stories in The Case-Book of Sherlock Holmes. Which made the passing grade? It's just a Trifle. Don't forget: all of our Patreon supporters are eligible for our monthly and quarterly drawings. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles275 Thank you to our sponsor, the BSI Press. Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

"grazing the top of the oak" [MUSG] I think that I shall never see... a Sherlock Holmes story as lovely as a tree. However, there are plenty of instances of trees in the Canon that make for interesting observation, if only we stop to look at them through the forest. Inspired by one of Don Jewell's books, we spend some time investigating the instances of oaks and elms in the stories (far more than just "The Musgrave Ritual," we assure you) and comment on the state of these trees in Victorian times. Are you the winner of our monthly drawing (for a free back issue of the Baker Street Journal) and our quarterly drawing (for a free annual subscription to the BSJ)? All Patreon supporters are eligible. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles274 Thank you to our sponsor, The Baker Street Journal. Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

"a look of grief and despair" [BERY] Let's face it: when clients arrived to consult Sherlock Holmes, they were rarely in positive spirits. Some were confused, others were concerned, and some were just looking for answers. But some were grief-stricken. Or had cases that ended in grief. It's a sad admission of reality, but there is a strain of grief that starts at the beginning of the stories and continues to the final entry. It's just a Trifle. Reminder: in the next episode we'll be holding both our monthly drawing (for a free back issue of the Baker Street Journal) and our quarterly drawing (for a free annual subscription to the BSJ). All Patreon supporters are eligible. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles273 Thank you to our sponsor, The BSI Press. Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

"I want that yellow diamond!" [MAZA] The Masters Class series continues, and this time, Peter Blau instructs us on some finer points of geology and of geopolitical history. "The Adventure of the Mazarin Stone" featured a yellow diamond, and yet, the Crown Jewels don't contain a diamond of that color. So what was the gem and where did it originate? It's just a Trifle. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles272 Thank you to our sponsor, The Baker Street Journal

"the air of London is the sweeter for my presence" [FINA] We're back with the third and final installment in our series On the Scent with Sherlock Holmes, as we investigate the olfactory elements of the city. This time, it's a matter of "obnoxious organic waste," and that encompasses pretty much what you think it does. And then some. We might call it just a Trifle. And you don't want to miss the sound clip at the end. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles271

"this extraordinary league" [REDH] For fans of sportsball, the concept of fantasy leagues might seem like a modern invention. A late-20th century pastime of creating the ideal lineup of teammates for competition. But what if you could do that with literary characters? The first week of the month means it's time to look back at a piece of old scholarship, and in this case we've chosen Henry D. Scott's "Missing Three-Quarter One-Third Discovered" in The Baker Street Journal, Vol. 2, No. 2, (OS) 1947, in which he did just that. It's just a Trifle. And be sure to listen to the entire episode, as we have a challenge for Trifles listeners. Special note: we have a bonus clip for our Patreon supporters. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles270 Thank you to our sponsor, The BSI Press. Please support Trifles on Patreon: https://patreon.com/trifles

"Would you care to try it?" [SCAN] It's the sixth season of Trifles and we realized we hadn't covered a central yet sensitive topic related to Sherlock Holmes: cocaine. Thanks to a helpful article from a listener, we decided to delve into the history of medicinal cocaine and Victorian England's attitude toward it. It's just a Trifle. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles269 Thank you to our sponsor, The BSI Press. Please support us on Patreon at https://patreon.com/trifles

"the source of these outrages is known" [VEIL] The Masters Class series continues, and this time, we delve into the active mind of Nicholas Utechin, who presents a well-reasoned and well-researched explanation for what happened in one of the unpublished cases. We find ourselves focusing on the opening paragraph of "The Veiled Lodger," which took place in 1896 but was published in early 1927. Somewhere between those dates lies the truth, and it may be more than just a Trifle. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles268 Thank you to our sponsor, The Baker Street Journal.

"dropping from branch to branch" [CREE] The London in which Sherlock Holmes lived gave off its own scents. Whether the roads were paved or covered in mud, they would have played into Holmes's identifications. And the transportation, whether mechanical or animal, was also part of this potpourri of aromas. The reality is that the city's smells, as pungent as they may have been, were for many people of the time, just a Trifle. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles267 Support Trifles: https://patreon.com/trifles Sponsor: The Baker Street Journal

"One A, two B, and so on. You will hear soon." [REDC] The secret code that Genarro and Emilia Lucca shared for passing messages to each other in "The Red Circle" was straightforward. Or was it? In 1956, Donald Yates—then a 26 year-old budding Sherlockian—made an observation about the code, the alphabet(s), and the credit that was due to Sherlock Holmes for his invisible but lightning-quick analysis. It's just a Trifle. ATTENTA: Don't forget: if you're interested in receiving some free back issues of The Baker Street Journal, we hold a drawing every month for our Patreon supporters. To be eligible to participate in this monthly drawing, go to patreon.com/trifles. Sponsor: The BSI Press Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles266 --

"Halloa, Beryl!" [HOUN] In The Hound of the Baskervilles, Sir Henry falls for Stapleton's sister, who was said to be "a young lady of attractions." However, Stapleton clearly didn't like the idea of the two of them together. At the conclusion of the story, with Stapleton out of the picture, what was there to stop her and Sir Henry from becoming romantically involved? It's just a Trifle. ATTENTA: In this episode, we hold the drawing for free back issues of The Baker Street Journal, available to all Patreon supporters. To be eligible to participate in this monthly drawing, go to patreon.com/trifles. Sponsor: The Baker Street Journal Full show notes: ihose.co/trifles265

"men of such a different type" [SOLI] We're beginning a new monthly series focused on some of the best scholarship over the years. The kind of articles that highlight the creativity and ingenuity of Sherlockians and Holmesians as they consider some of the minutiae in the stories. The best of the best. We're calling this series "Masters Class." In this inaugural episode, we look at an award-winning article from Baker Street Irregular and legendary science fiction writer Poul Anderson, on the archetype of Sherlock Holmes. From Archimedes to Merlin to Tolkien and a little farther into the future, it's just a Trifle. Don't forget: Patreon supporters are eligible for two regular drawings, courtesy of our sponsor The Baker Street Journal. Go to patreon.com/trifles. Sponsor: The Baker Street Journal Full show notes: ihose.co/trifles264

"I am one of the hounds" [STUD] On two occasions in the Sherlock Holmes stories do we find Holmes employing a dog to help him track a scent. But beyond those two, Holmes himself displays canine-like properties. While Conan Doyle does a wonderful job exposing us to so much of the late Victorian era, there's one area that doesn't come through: smells. What were some of the scents that attracted Holmes's attention on these cases, and why were they important? It's just a Trifle. NOTE: Be sure to catch the announcement of two regular drawings courtesy of our sponsor The Baker Street Journal, and how you can qualify. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles263 Support Trifles: https://patreon.com/trifles Sponsor: The eBSJ

"On the very day that I had come to this conclusion" [STUD] It all began with a chance meeting between two medical school colleagues at the Criterion Bar. Stamford then took Watson to St Bartholomew's Hospital (aka "Barts"), where, in a chemical laboratory, he made the acquaintance of one Sherlock Holmes. In Season 6, we're bringing back our monthly series "Mr. Sherlock Holmes the Theorist," in which we use historic Sherlockian scholarship as a discussion point. In this case, we were inspired by William S. Baring-Gould's "The London of Holmes and Watson" in Vol. 9, No. 3 (1959) of The Baker Street Journal. We explore this fateful meeting, delve into the history of its time-honored location, and determine the exact date of its occurrence. It's just a Trifle. NOTE: Be sure to catch the announcement of two regular drawings courtesy of our sponsor The Baker Street Journal, and how you can qualify. Full show notes: https://ihose.co/trifles262 Support Trifles: https://patreon.com/trifles

"nothing but a welcome for my friend and colleague" [TWIS] The great heroes of literature are frequently teamed up with a sidekick: Don Quixote with Sancho Panza, Robinson Crusoe with Friday, Huckleberry Finn with Tom Sawyer. But the key to these pairings is an underlying friendship. In the final episode of Season 5, we take a look at one of the most obvious features of the Sherlock Holmes canon: the friendship between Holmes and Watson. It's just a Trifle. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles260 "The Friendship Club" by Charles E. Lauterbach, The 1958 Baker Street Journal Christmas Annual Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The Baker Street Journal Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"a curiously reptilian fashion" [FINA] Aside from vipers, cobras, and adders, there are other reptiles in the Sherlock Holmes stories that either have a bearing on cases or are mentioned in passing. We're even able to find an amphibian or two. In this final episode of our Exotic Animals series in Season 5, we visit the Reptile House and explore what the Victorians knew (or didn't know) about these creatures, hoping not to rouse anyone's snakish temper. It's just a Trifle. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles260 Frog (fastening) Previous episodes mentioned: Episode 14: Its Snakish Temper Episode 225: Viper / Wiper Episode 242: Worms Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The Baker Street Journal Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"Homes seldom laughed." [MAZA] Sherlock Holmes could be deadly serious. As in his encounter with Professor Moriarty, his matter-of-fact explanations, and when Watson wrote "Holmes seldom laughed" in "The Mazarin Stone." But was Sherlock Holmes really all that humorless? Fortunately, we have decades of Watson's chronicles from which to choose. Let's get into it. After all, it's just a Trifle. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles259 Data! (Futility Closet) Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The Baker Street Journal Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"Holmes pointed to the street lamp" [SIXN] It's impossible to think about Victorian London without imagining street lamps. We're most familiar with the gas-powered versions, but there were other iterations before. What was the origin of London's famous gas-lamps, and which Sherlock Holmes stories do they feature in? It's just a Trifle. We also have an announcement about a special episode only for our Patreon supporters. Be sure you're on board to take part in that. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles258 Boulevardier recipe Inspiration from "A Light on the Problem" by Nicholas Utechin from "Occasionally to Embellish" The gas-lamp scene in Charlie Chaplin's Easy Street A history of gas-lamps Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The BSI Press Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"she confessed with distress" [LADY] Sherlock Holmes took on clients of all sorts, often when they were puzzled, had nowhere else to turn, or were particularly worried. And three ladies in particular in the Canon were worried. But they stand head and shoulders above some of the other female victims we find. Who are they and in which stories do they appear? It's just a Trifle. We also have an announcement about a special episode only for our Patreon supporters. Be sure you're on board to take part in that. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles257 Previous episodes mentioned: Episode 185 - The Women of Influence Episode 190 - The Working Girls Episode 194 - The Ladies in Waiting Episode 199 - The Victims Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The Baker Street Journal Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"a love-story or an elopement" [SIGN] We don't think of the Sherlock Holmes stories as being romances, and yet there are elements of romance that find their way into these tales about complicated human relationships at all levels. We look across a handful of stories to tease out the romantic elements and love interests in them. It's just a Trifle. We also have an announcement about a special episode only for our Patreon supporters. Be sure you're on board to take part in that. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles256 Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The BSI Press Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"a fierce old bird of prey" [SPEC] Birds are part of British life. Such is the reality of living on an island. And there were a great variety of birds we hear about in the Sherlock Holmes stories. While many of them were commonplace and part of the hunting and dining habits in Victorian England, there were others that were a little more exotic. It's just a Trifle. We also have an announcement about a special episode only for our Patreon supporters. Be sure you're on board to take part in that. Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles255 Inspired by Donald Jewell's A Few Hours to the Birds: A Monograph on Birds and Birding in the Time of Sherlock Holmes, Volume 2 in The Sherlock Holmes Natural History Series (Pinchin Lane Press, 1991) Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The Baker Street Journal Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"You're crazy!" [DANC] Sherlock Holmes had his eccentricities, without a question. Many scholars over the years have debated his mental health, with a wide variety of diagnoses. But there has been a suggestion that a physical condition in Holmes and its treatment may very well have masked another disorder—one of the mind rather than the body. It's just a Trifle. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles254 Inspired by "Was Sherlock Holmes Crazy?" by Gideon Hill, BSI ("Dr. Hill Barton") in 70 Years By Gaslamp - The Illustrious Clients' Sixth Casebook Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The Baker Street Journal Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"to produce his meretricious finales" [BLAN] There are a number of times in the 60 Sherlock Holmes stories when Holmes criticizes Watson's efforts as a writer. Holmes takes the view of a practitioner, while Watson is trying to reach a different audience. Indeed, it's when Holmes himself attempts to fill in for Watson that he finds just how difficult it is. Were Watson's conclusions meretricious, or were they in service of Holmes's abilities? It's just a Trifle. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles253 Inspired by "Meretricious Effects?" by Vincent W. Wright in 70 Years By Gaslamp - The Illustrious Clients' Sixth Casebook Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The BSI Press Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"hereditary tendencies of the most diabolical kind" [FINA] Family matters a great deal in the Sherlock Holmes stories, although we don't discover anything about Holmes and his family background until halfway through the stories that make up The Memoirs of Sherlock Holmes, where we meet Mycroft. And yet, there were many instances in which family bloodlines gave Holmes an indication of what he was looking for. It's just a Trifle. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles252 Inspired by "Pooled Resources" on I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The Baker Street Journal Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"a pin, a cork, and a card" [HOUN] When it came to exotic insects, butterflies were all the rage in Victorian England. They were sought after by naturalists and collectors, to become part of collections in studies as well as institutions. We have a few collectors in the Canon who made it their business to pin butterflies to cork and display them. Here's what we know about them and about their hobby. It's just a Trifle. Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles251 Inspired by Donald Girard Jewell's Butterflies & Blind Beetles, #4 in the Sherlock Holmes Natural History Series Norm MacDonald's moth joke (YouTube) Other episodes mentioned: I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Episode 226: Sherlockian Collecting Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The Baker Street Journal Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"extraordinary stories about your financial ability" [STOC] Money was occasionally a concern for Sherlock Holmes. But when, and more importantly, why? All of those police engagements were likely pro bono work, after all. His relationship with Watson began over the need to economize, and over the course of his career, he enjoyed some remarkably wealthy individuals as clients. It's just a Trifle. Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles250 Inspired by Ian McQueen's Sherlock Holmes Detected "Thinking About Money in the Sherlock Holmes Stories" by Christopher Redmond (I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere) Previous money-related episodes mentioned: Episode 75: Fiscal Holmes Episode 121: Old Money Episode 201: Expenses Episode 226: Money Woes Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The Baker Street Journal Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"Have you noticed anything amiss with them of late?" [SILV] "The Three Gables" isn't likely to be found on anyone's "best of" list of Sherlock Holmes stories. It arrives late in the Canon, and rather weakly at that. But it is worth pointing out a few items within that are rather curious. One might even call them a Trifle. Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles249 Inspired by Bob Byrnes' work in Baker Street Essays, Vol 1 No. 1 Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The Baker Street Journal Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"it was her plot as much as mine" [ABBE] From the realm of conjecture: what if the star-crossed lovers in "The Adventure of Abbey Grange" and "The Problem of Thor Bridge" weren't simply victims of circumstance? What if the damsels in distress weren't being unfairly persecuted? That is, what if they plotted the demise of the hated member of their love triangle and were able to fool Sherlock Holmes? It's just a Trifle. Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles248 Inspired by Bob Byrnes' work in Baker Street Essays, Vol 1 No. 1 and Vol II No. 1. Previous episodes mentioned: Episode 245: How Do You Solve a Problem Like Maria? Episode 180: The Eternal Triangle Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The Baker Street Journal Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"Maybe you collect yourself, sir" [EMPT] Sherlock Holmes shared his reading interests on occasion, and they tended to be wide and varied. Some of them were for professional development purposes, yet others seem to exist to expand his thinking. Was Sherlock Holmes a book collector? And if he was, what kind of care did he take for his volumes? It's just a Trifle. Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles247 Sherlock Holmes: Rare Book Collector by Madeline Stern "Ex Libris Sherlock Holmes" by Howard Collins in Profile by Gaslight "The Empty Bookshelf: or, the Missing Three Quartos: Reasonable Editions at a Comfortable Price" by Robert D. Madison, The Baker Street Journal, Vol. 71, No. 2 (2021) Previous episode mentioned: Episode 62: Reference Sources Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The BSI Press Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"pinned like a beetle on a card" [BLAC] It's the third week of the month, and that means it's the exotic animal episode. Last month we covered worms, and we mentioned the slow-worm, which Mr. Sherman said kept the beetles down. A listener called in with a comment on that episode, and it led to this one, where we look at this detestable insect, its place in Victorian England, and how it spread. It's just a Trifle. Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles246 Inspired by Donald Jewell's Butterflies and Blind Beetles: Vol. 4 of the Sherlock Holmes Natural History Series German cockroach (Wikipedia) Croton bug (Epehemeral New York) Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The e-BSJ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"passionate, whole-hearted, tropical, ill-balanced" [THOR] Maria Gibson (nee Pinto) was a troubled woman. What could have driven her to her final acts? Is she a victim? A villain? A sympathetic character? If anything she was less two-dimensional than she is typically assumed to be. Could her demise have indeed been a murder rather than a suicide? It's just a Trifle. Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles245 Inspired by Bob Byrnes' Baker Street Essays, Vol. II, Issue 1 Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The Baker Street Journal Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"a general practitioner with very limited experience and mediocre qualifications" [DYIN] We know Watson had a serious medical career before he met Holmes. But what do his qualifications mean? And aside from the brandy, how did his training come in handy? Helen Simpson's "The Medical Career of John H. Watson" in H.W. Bell's Baker Street Studies provides some insight into what Watson was telling us and what he wasn't. It's just a Trifle. Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles244 Baker Street Studies by H.W. Bell (Amazon) Previous episodes mentioned: Episode 87: The Good Doctor Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The BSI Press Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"some arm-chair lounger who evolves" [STUD] From a humble beginning to the heights of international fame and importance, the career of Sherlock Holmes was a rocket ride. And his personal relationships took an opposite ride. This is the third and final entry in this series on the evolution of Sherlock Holmes. And it's anything but a Trifle. Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles243 Episode 237: The Evolution of Sherlock Holmes, Part 1 Episode 239: The Evolution of Sherlock Holmes, Part 2 Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The Baker Street Journal Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"Why does fate play such tricks with poor, helpless worms?" [BOSC] On the third episode of every month in Season 5, we explore exotic animals in the Sherlock Holmes canon. This month's animal is a rare one: worms. While you may be thinking the only reference is the remarkable worm unknown to science that left Isadora Persano stark staring mad, there are a few others. But just a Trifle more. Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles242 Poor Helpless Worms I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Episode 158: The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The Baker Street Journal Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"window-breaking Furies" [VALL] Windows are everywhere in the Sherlock Holmes stories. But in certain cases, they form an essential part of the plot. In some cases, it may be transparent. In others, not so much. Whether they're decorative, a passage of one form or another, or are broken in the course of a crime, some windows serve a purpose in the Canon. It's just a Trifle. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles241 Mullioned windows Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The Baker Street Journal Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"It is full of old houses which are named after the men who built them centuries ago." [SUSS] Sir Arthur Conan Doyle was a master storyteller. He gave us memorable characters and plots that painted a picture over the course of the entire Canon. But more than plot or characters, place played an outsized role. What does the geography in the Sherlock Holmes stories tell us? It's just a Trifle. And for our Patreon supports, we have another bonus clip. For as little as $1 a month, you can join this growing group of insiders. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles240 Triangle Shirtwaist Fire A Quick Succession of Subjects David Hammer Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The Baker Street Journal Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"evolved from his own inner consciousness" [BOSC] In Episode 237, we looked at how Holmes's personality traits changed over the course of his career. We're back for another look using four separate stories, each 10 years apart. What can the Canon tell us about the ways Holmes's interests, tastes, enthusiasms, relationships, reputation, and more changed during his long career? It's just a Trifle. Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts yet? You don't need to own an Apple device, and every review helps more people find the show. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles239 Other episodes mentioned: Episode 224: The Crimes of Sherlock Holmes Episode 237: The Evolution of Sherlock Holmes Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com Support us on Patreon Sponsor The Baker Street Journal Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --