Sherlock Holmes: Trifles

"Cyanea! Cyanea!" [LION] In the third week of every month in our fifth season, Trifles looks at exotic animals. We turn to the sea this time, examining jellyfish. And this episode brought us into contact with an old publication: the Catalogue of an Exhibition Held at Abbey House, Baker Street, London, May–September 1951. For those intimately familiar with the Sherlock Holmes stories, there is only one story in which we find a jellyfish. For those not familiar, spoiler alert. It is just a Trifle. And don't forget to check out the bonus audio content if you're a Patreon supporter. If you're not, what a great excuse to join us! Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles238 Jellyfish (Wikipedia) Lion's mane jellyfish washed up on shore in Maine (Twitter) 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 --

"Let me show you the evolution of this case" [WIST] In our last episode, we discussed the subtle yet undeniable change in the nature of the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and Inspector Lestrade. But what about the evolution of Holmes himself? What aspects of his character changed over the course of his career, from a 20-something during his first case at university to his final case four decades later? What remained the same? It's just a Trifle. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles237 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 --

"That you, Lestrade?" [EMPT] One might say that Sherlock Holmes and Inspector G. Lestrade had a contentious relationship. While this may be the popular stereotype between the two professionals, a long-term assessment doesn't bear this out. Listener Ron Lies has shared a paper of his that takes us through the Holmes-Lestrade relationship chronologically, and things may be a little different than they appear. It's just a Trifle. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles236 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

"Altogether there are eight maids" [MUSG] Two stories. Two jewels. Two lady's maids. And two strikingly similar circumstances. In "The Blue Carbuncle" and "The Six Napoleons," published just 11 years apart, we can find some remarkable parallels that result in the disappearance of minor players who were involved in critical plot points. It's just a Trifle. Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/trifles And leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles234 "Two Maids A-Milking" by William Hyder, The Baker Street Journal, Vol. 70, No. 4 "The Twelve Gifts of Christmas" by Allan Sherman 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 secret society, some implacable organization" [VALL] We know the Mafia, the KKK, and other named secret societies permeate the Sherlock Holmes stories. They add to the mystery and mystique of the plots. But what were some of the lesser-known secret societies? And were they really that secret? 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/trifles234 Vehmgericht Carbonari 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 direct nature of the experiment" [BRUC] It's the third week of the month, and that means it's time for our Exotic Animals feature! When you hear "rat" anywhere near the Sherlock Holmes stories, there are three possible conclusions: the Giant Rat of Sumatra, Ballarat, or... Lab rats, which is our topic of discussion. While lab rats aren't literally mentioned in the Canon, there are some figurative ones. What were they? We look at those, plus the history of animal experimentation in medicine. It's just a Trifle. Oh, and check this out: we have a bonus audio track just for our Patreon supporters. Become one today to unlock it. 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/trifles232 "Animal Testing and Medicine," by Rachel Hajar, M.D., Heart Views, Jan-Mar 2011, via National Library of Medicine 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 best possible" [NOBL] In Episode 231, we left you with a bit of a cliffhanger. The show was filled with answers to questions from listeners, and one asked about our favorite Sherlock Holmes stories. Rather than boring you with only our personal preferences, we got into a history of the best Sherlock Holmes stories, first as judged by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself, and later by multitudes of Sherlockians. 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles232 Randall Stock's The Best of Sherlock Holmes site Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's list of 12 best Sherlock Holmes stories (LitHub) Poll of the best Sherlock Holmes stories as run in The Baker Street Journal 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 --

"they are pretty sure to ask questions anyhow, so it would be as well to have answers" [RETI] We're doing something a little different for this episode. There are certain elements about the Sherlock Holmes stories that are just too trifling out of which to create an entire episode. So we turned to you. We're answering questions that you have submitted, hopefully providing more clarity than less. If this works well, we'll do it again. 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles231 "John Barrington Cowles" by Arthur Conan Doyle Schlock Holmes: The Complete Bagel Street Saga by Robert L. Fish I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Episode 181: The Daily Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes quotes) The full I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere archive: ihose.co/ihoseshows 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 --

"That is very fortunate" [SCAN] Sherlock Holmes didn't believe in superstition, the supernatural, or random guesses. He was a detective who dealt in facts and data. And yet, the canon of Sherlock Holmes stories is littered with coincidences (happy or otherwise) and instances of luck. How did these play into the stories and Holmes's ability to solve them? 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles230 Scott's presentation to the Sherlockians of Baltimore (YouTube) 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 --

"the whole story concerning the politician, the lighthouse, and the trained cormorant" [VEIL] There is one scant mention of a cormorant in the Sherlock Holmes stories — in one of Watson's enticing throwaway lines of a case which we'll never read. In "The Veiled Lodger," he tells us about the case involving a trained cormorant that might be revealed to the public. But what is a cormorant? Can it really be trained? It's the third week of the month, and that means we discuss exotic animals in the Canon. It's just a Trifle. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles229 Stunning images of Chinese fishermen using cormorants to catch fish (The Atlantic) More photos of cormorants catching fish (Arkin Space) Not mentioned in the episode, but The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes on Radio 4 featured this untold tale. Sponsor The BSJ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

"I stooped to the eyepiece and focussed for my vision." [SHOS] Given Arthur Conan Doyle's training in the field of eye medicine, it's no surprise that we find a number of Sherlock Holmes characters who wear glasses. In fact, an entire story is named after a set of eyewear. Who were some of the bespectacled band in the Sherlock Holmes stories? It's just a Trifle. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles228 What Did Victorians Make of Spectacles? (Wellcome Library Blog via Wayback Machine) Arthur Conan Doyle's medical career (Wikipedia) "The Bespectacled Band" (I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere) Trifles Episode 46 - A History of Pince-Nez Sponsor The eBSJ Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

"the sending of general messages" [VALL] Sherlock Holmes was an inveterate message sender and receiver. The many notes, letters, telegrams, cryptogram, and other forms of communication that passed by his view made for key clues in some cases. We wondered how things might have turned out differently in certain cases if the frequency of messages were different. And how, in certain cases, Holmes duped the messengers. It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles227 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 --

"I am a poor man" [PRIO] Time and again, we find people in the Sherlock Holmes stories who are having money problems. As in money problems drastic enough to cause them to make unfortunate decisions. Who were some of these people, and what hard choices did they make? We have a few of them; 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles226 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 --

"like a viper's tooth" [DYIN] Here we are again, ready to tackle the monthly topic of exotic animals. So naturally, we turn to the wiper. Wait, the what? Suffice it to say that the oddly-identified snake does have a place in the Sherlock Holmes stories, although way down at the East End. Oh, and there's the little matter of a Great War publishing machine. It's just a Trifle. Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/trifles Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles225 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

"It is fortunate for this community that I am not a criminal."[BRUC] Sherlock Holmes certainly ran with a rough crowd. Burglars, murderers, blackmailers, thieves, spies, kidnappers, and even politicians. Given his store of criminal knowledge, what stopped him from becoming a criminal himself? Wait just a moment; while his cause was justice, his practice wasn't always on the right side of the law. Thanks to a suggestion from Erik Deckers, we're examining the criminality of Sherlock Holmes. It's just a Trifle. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles224 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 sharp touch of brain-fever" [MUSG] Inspired by two sources of Sherlockian medical scholarship, we decided to discuss brain fever. What was brain fever, medically speaking? And why does it only rear its head in Victorian literature? Was it an actual affliction, or just a literary device? It's just a Trifle. Please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles223 Did Victorians Really Get Brain Fever? (JSTOR Daily) Reference: "Brain Fever" by Stephen Tolins, The Baker Street Journal, Vol. 41, No. 2 (1991) Nerve and Knowledge: Doctors, Medicine, and the Sherlockian Canon (BSI Press) 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 --

"Apply 221B, Baker Street" [NAVA] Last week, we left you hanging with Vincent Starrett's chapter in his book The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. We couldn't leave it unfinished, so we're back with the second half. And a special treat at the conclusion of the episode—also with a 221B theme. It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles221b The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes by Vincent Starrett 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 --

"I have my eye on a suite in Baker Street" [STUD] There is no question that 221B Baker Street is the most famous address in all of fiction. What makes it interesting is its non-existence at the time of the stories' publications, and legions of fans attempting to determine its actual location afterward. Vincent Starrett was a huge fan of this game. So much so that he dedicated a chapter in his book The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes to it. To celebrate our 221st episode, Scott and Burt read "No. 221B Baker Street" from the book. It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles221 The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes by Vincent Starrett 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 --

"some creature of the weasel and stoat tribe" [CROO] There was a fad in mid-century Victorian England that led to pets becoming more common. But the third week of each month, our episodes focus not on everyday household animals but rare and unusual creatures. In this case, we focus on a member of the family Herpestidae. Namely, the mongoose. Making a few appearances in popular fiction, they're just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles220 Mongoose (Wikipedia) 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 --

"rarefied heights of pure mathematics" [VALL] As we know, James Moriarty was a professor of mathematics. We know little about his academic appointment, other than having to step down from a chair. What we do know is he has two publications to his name. What are they, and what do they tell us about Moriarty's approach to a life of crime. They're just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles219 The Dynamics of an Asteroid The binomial theorem Previous episodes: Episode 211: The Three Professors 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 --

"I return with an excellent appetite" [BLAC] The Sherlock Holmes stories are a cornucopia of content. A smorgasbord of smarts. A full menu of fulfillment. So it shouldn't be terribly surprising that we find buffets mentioned in the Canon. Perhaps you skipped over the Canonical buffet line. We can't blame you. The references are fleeting, at best. As we say, it's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles218 Buffet (Wikipedia) Richard Doyle's depiction of a station buffet Previous food-related episodes: Episode 163 - Vegetarian Restaurants Episode 158 - British Food Episode 104 - Sherlock Holmes's Dining Habits Episode 42 - A Noble Supper Episode 3 - Simpson's 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 --

"Our own colours, green and white." [WIST] Yes, the circle was red, the study was scarlet and the pips were orange. But there are so many other colors (or colours) to explore in the Sherlock Holmes stories. Conan Doyle did a masterful job of using color to give us a vivid sense of the settings. But more than that, what does his use of various colors tell us? It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles217 Episode 10: The Dressing Gown of Many Colors 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 a nice household," he murmured. "That is the baboon." [SPEC] It seems that Dr. Grimesby Roylott had a bit of a wild side. Killed a man in India. Threw a blacksmith off a small bridge. Had a cheetah and baboon wandering his grounds. You know, as one does. As we looked at the animals in detail, we came across a startling detail about Roylott's menagerie. You might say it's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles216 Pets Peeved (I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere) Cheetah (Wikipedia) Victorian London: The London Zoo (Victorian Voices) Baboon (Wikipedia) How to Survive an Encounter with a Baboon (LiveAbout) 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 --

"There are certainly one or two indications upon the stick." [HOUN] Walking sticks were once fashionable. They were just as necessary as a pair of gloves and a hat in a gentleman's daily attire in Victorian England. But they also served a practical purpose from time to time. And Sherlock Holmes was able to use these personal effects as clue givers. What do we know about walking sticks and canes in the Canon? It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles215 The History of Walking Canes James Smith & Sons Penang lawyer (Language Hat) 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 --

"shoes, but no socks." [PRIO] Over the course of our first four seasons, we covered a wide variety of haberdashery: dressing gowns, clothes, disguises, and hats, to name a few. But we haven't covered anything related to footwear (unless you count that fleeting reference to tennis shoes in Episode 119). Shoes, boots, and slippers are a few of the kinds of footwear we come across in the Sherlock Holmes stories, and they all help Sherlock Holmes in some way. Which way is that, you ask? It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles214 Soundcloud playlist: Appearance and Attire A Quick Succession of Subjects by Chris Redmond 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 --

"I can tell a Moriarty when I see one." [VALL] Quick: in "The Final Problem," what is the name of Sherlock Holmes's arch-rival? Yes, we know it's Professor Moriarty, but what's his first name? If you said "James," you'd be wrong. Would you be surprised to learn that he has not only one, but two brothers, at least one of whom is also named James? It's a conundrum worthy of Moriarty himself. And it's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles213 Colonel James Moriarty (Baker Street Fandom) "Moriarty Times Three" (Walter Jaffee, The Baker Street Journal Vol. 57, No. 2, 2007) 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 great black-faced monkey of the Himalayan slopes," [CREE] It's only mentioned in passing, but the langur played an important role in "The Aventure of the Creeping Man." It showed you could make a monkey out of Professor Presbury. In this episode, we begin a monthly series on exotic animals. What do we know of langurs? Or of the other choices at hand during that time? It seems like a peculiar choice, but then again, it's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or Substack. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles212 Gray langur (Wikipedia) The Medical Casebook of Doctor Arthur Conan Doyle by Alvin Rodin and Jack Key (Amazon) Monkey Gland Cocktail (Spruce Eats) 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 --

"His life as been academic" [CREE] Sherlock Holmes and academic affairs are, well, elementary. [Sorry] But have you considered those who hold the title "professor" when it comes to the stories? Of course you know Professor Moriarty. But there are only two others, which is a tad surprising, given the stories that involved the academy. It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles211 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 --

"you could not celebrate him without being known yourself." [HOUN] Every year, the Baker Street Irregulars meet in early January to celebrate Sherlock Holmes's birthday. Why January, or more specifically January 6? It's an interesting story. We discuss what factors may support that supposition and highlight the scholarship that helped us arrive at this date. It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles210 Happy 167th Birthday, Sherlock Holmes (I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere) "What Was the Month?" by Nathan Bengis, BSJ Vol. 7, No. 4 (1957) 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 --

"As I expected, his reply was typewritten" [IDEN] While handwriting was and is distinctive enough for a detective like Sherlock Holmes to draw some inferences, typography isn't quite so forgiving. Whether it was through fonts used in newspapers or flourishes of individual typewriters ("the fourteen other characteristics to which I have alluded are there as well." [IDEN]), Holmes was able to wring more out of typography than the average investigator. It's just a Trifle. This is our final episode of Season 4. Should we continue into Season 5? Let us know. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles209 The Gorgeous Typeface that Drove Men Mad and Sparked a 100-Year Mystery (Gizmodo) 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 ever had occasion to study character in handwriting?" [SIGN] More than once, Sherlock Holmes used someone's handwriting to guide him toward a solution. Whether it was a hastily-scribbled legal document or a red herring of a note, he was able to discern certain facts by observing the handwriting. But was this a mere fiction, a literary license to make his powers seem more impressive? Or was it more practical in nature? It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles208 Graphology (Wikipedia) 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 --

"Holmes smiled and rubbed his hands" [WIST] Sherlock Holmes enjoyed breakfast. But it was often interrupted. He had a variable knowledge of botany but knew enough to feel chagrined for missing green peas at 7:30. What can we tell about Sherlock Holmes's food habits from Earle Walbridge's essay from 1940 titled "The Care and Feeding of Sherlock Holmes"? It's the monthly installment of our "Mr. Sherlock Holmes the Theorist" theme, and it's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles207 "The Care and Feeding of Sherlock Holmes" by Earle F. Walbridge in 221B: Studies in Sherlock Holmes Previous episodes mentioned in this show: Episode 42: A Noble Supper Episode 54: On the Side Board Episode 158: British Food 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 --

"Holmes smiled and rubbed his hands" [WIST] Did Sherlock Holmes care about teeth? There's evidence that he cared about his own teeth, as seen through his recommendation of dental hygiene, and through his remark about losing a tooth. But what about the potential of dental science as applied to the art of detection? Sherlock Holmes had the potential to be the world's first forensic dentist. Did he make any progress? It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles206 The Big Book of British Smiles (YouTube) "The Dental Holmes" by Charles Goodman, D.D.S. in Profile by Gaslight 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 --

"sinister atmosphere of forgotten nations," [DEVI] It's not quite a holiday for Sherlock Holmes in "The Devil's Foot," but rather a time away from London to be able to recuperate. "The villages which dotted this part of Cornwall" gave a quaint, other-worldly feeling to the setting. But so too did the traces of "some vanished race which had passed utterly away, and left as it sole record strange monuments of stone, irregular mounds which contained the burned ashes of the dead." The Cornish coast was the perfect place for this story. And it's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles205 History of Cornwall (Wikipedia) The Game Is Afoot! by David Hamer (Amazon) "The Devil's Foot" episode of The Return of Sherlock Holmes by Granada (BritBox) Previous episodes mentioned: Episode 195: The Setting of Dartmoor Episode 200: The Setting of Agra 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

"I have my eye on a suite in Baker Street" [STUD] In the first part of this two-episode series, we looked at the Baker Street area of Victorian London and the changes that it has seen in the century and a half since that time. This time, we sharpen our powers of observation and search for the specific address that must have stood in for 221B Baker Street in Holmes's time. Many Sherlockian scholars have attempted to identify it. Who was right? It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles204 "Dear Starrett" / "Dear Briggs" (The BSI Archival Series) The eBSJ I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Episode 204: Frederic Dorr Steele 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 --

"we made our way back to Baker Street" [3GAR] The address is legendary. Synonymous with its famous inhabitant, just as the deerstalker and meerschaum pipe. But it may be just as fanciful as those two accoutrements. This is the first in a two-part discussion of Baker Street of the Victorian era, and where Sherlock Holmes was supposed to have lived. What was different then? It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles203 The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes by Vincent Starrett "The Street and the Detective" by A.J. Hearn from the 1957 Baker Street Journal Christmas Annual (available via the eBSJ) I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Episode 204: Frederic Dorr Steele 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, a child has done this horrid thing" [SIGN] Many of us find our way to the Sherlock Holmes stories as children, yet there is a decided absence of children in the Canon. When we do find them, they tend to be in service of furthering a plot point rather than as fully developed characters. There are perhaps one or two exceptions, but children in the Sherlock Holmes stories are there in service to Sherlock Holmes. It's just a Trifle. Download | 11.6 MB, 25:57 Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles202 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 --

"I desire you to spare no expense and no pains" [WIST] Sherlock Holmes had to go places, see people, investigate things. And doing so meant that he incurred expenses. If we itemized what some of these were—absent the specific amount—what would that tell us about Sherlock Holmes? Where did he go? How did he travel? Where did get get the funding when there wasn't a well-off client behind his cases? It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles201 Related episodes: Episode 74 - The Administrative Side of Baker Street Episode 75 - Nummi in Arca, or The Fiscal Holmes 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 --

"Yes, this is the great Agra" [SIGN] It's where Jonathan Small met Mahomet Singh, Dost Akbar and Abdullah Khan and together they made a pact known as the Sign of the Four. The Fort of Agra, in the city of the same name. Small described it as a queer and enormous place, with deserted halls and winding passages. In other words, the perfect setting for a treasure hunt and murder. We explore the ins and outs of the great fort. It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles200 Agra Fort (Cultural India) Agra Fort (Wikipedia) Agra Fort (Lonely Planet) Battle of Agra (Wikipedia) Agra Fort Directory according to the Census taken on the 27th July 1857 by Asst Surgeon JP Walker, MD (Families in British India Society) Previous episodes in this series: Episode 195 - The Setting of Dartmoor 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 have been cruelly used" [SPEC] We're at the end of our four-part series on Women in the Canon from The Best of the Sherlock Holmes Journal, Vol. 2. This time we look at "The Victims." That may seem a broad topic for a 20-something minute podcast. And it is. But we hit some of the highlights on which women were the most cruelly used and Conan Doyle's take on women's rights. It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles199 The Best of the Sherlock Holmes Journal, Vol. 2 Previous episodes in this series: Episode 185 - Women of Influence Episode 190 - The Working Girls Episode 194 - Ladies of Title 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 --

"we did not meet to talk about the cut of my socks" [3GAR] When you think of attire in the Sherlock Holmes stories, the mind usually turns to the deerstalker and Inverness, and perhaps Sherlock Holmes's disguises. But what about day to day attire, specifically of Holmes's clientele? We picked up on an article from The Sherlock Holmes Journal and ran with it. It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles198 Gaiters (Wikipedia) Shepherd's check The Best of the Sherlock Holmes Journal, Vol. 2 Three previous episodes mention disguise: Episode 96 - Trick or Treat Episode 105 - Beards in the Canon Episode 148 - Aliases and Disguises 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 the dates of those letters?" [HOUN] The Hound of the Baskervilles is one of Sherlock Holmes's most famous cases. But what can we say about the date of the case? Watson never specifically mentions a date, but many chronologists fix it in October 1889. How did they come to that conclusion? And what else do we know about Holmes and Watson that make such a date worthy of questioning? It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles197 "The Date Being—?" by Andrew J. Peck and Leslie S. Klinger I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Episode 144: The Chronologies of Sherlock Holmes 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 --

"something further from Brook Street" [RESI] When Percy Trevelyan went to open up his practice, he found that he had more in brains than he did in his pocketbook. Until a shrewd businessman came along and made a business proposition that suited them both nicely. All was well until that benefactor-cum-landlord met an untimely end. What became of the good doctor after that? And of his residence? It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles195 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 --

"forbear from crossing the moor in those dark hours" [HOUN] One of the most iconic characters in the Sherlock Holmes stories is not a character at all. It's Dartmoor. As Holmes himself said of it, "Never been there? Ah, well, I don't suppose you will forget your first visit." Dartmoor is a land that's filled with beauty, mystery, and intrigue. In other words, the perfect setting for a Sherlock Holmes story. It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles195 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 --

"Title and money—who could carry them better than she?" [ABBE] We've investigated which women were influential in their own right in the Sherlock Holmes stories, and then those who had to work for a living. Next up, we look at women with titles. In her article in The Sherlock Holmes Journal, Vol. 10, No. 3, Pat Dalton reviewed some such ladies. Of course the term "lady" is a title granted to a certain class, but in late Victorian times it was becoming a title based on behavior and deportment as well. Which characters might we be talking about here? It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles194 Episode 185: The Women of Influence Episode 190: The Working Girls The Sherlock Holmes Journal 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 --

"Palmer and Pritchard were among the heads of their profession" [SPEC] When he was facing off against Dr. Grimesby Roylott, Sherlock Holmes asserted "When a doctor does go wrong he is the first of criminals. He has nerve and he has knowledge. Palmer and Pritchard were among the heads of their profession." Claiming that Roylott struck even deeper, we wondered: just what did Palmer and Pritchard do that might compare to Dr. Roylott's ophidian crimes? What we discovered was more than a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles193 William Palmer (Wikipedia) Edward Pritchard (Wikipedia) 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

"Philosophy, astronomy, and politics were marked at zero," [FIVE] Sherlock Holmes called Professor Moriarty "a genius, a philosopher, and abstract thinker" in "The Final Problem." But what did Holmes know about philosophy? According to Watson's initial list titled Sherlock Holmes—His Limits, his knowledge of philosophy was "Nil." But Holmes called out a few philosophers by name, and had an attitude that reflected a combination of traditional and modern British philosophy. Join us to ponder this Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles192 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 --

"once a clergyman, always a clergyman" [SOLI] We see influences of religion here and there in the Sherlock Holmes stories. From Biblical references in "The Crooked Man" to the then-mysterious religion of Mormonism, we see the world of Holmes and Watson as it occasionally intersects with these influences. But what about the men of the cloth we encounter? Who were they? Which stories did they appear in? And what religions did they represent? It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles191 Danites in popular culture Nonconformist 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 --

"in the capacity of governess" [SIGN] Sherlock Holmes had a number of clients who were women, and in certain cases, they were gainfully employed. In her article in The Sherlock Holmes Journal, Vol. 10, No. 2, Patsy Dalton takes us through some of these clients. What was the status of the "working girl" at the time, and what range of professions do we see from them? How do these roles bear on their consideration in society? It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles190 Episode 185: The Women of Influence The Sherlock Holmes Journal 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 --

"My old friend Charlie Peace was a violin virtuoso" [ILLU] No, Charlie Peace was not a colleague of Norman Neruda or Sarasate. He was a notorious criminal, convicted of killing a policeman and the husband of a neighbor with whom he became obsessed. How did Sherlock Holmes know him? Were they acquainted through the world of music, or perhaps in the underground world of crime? Come with us: it's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles 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. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles189 Charles Peace (Wikipedia) Charlie Peace (History by the Yard) 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 --