When Arthur Conan Doyle invented Sherlock Holmes, he can’t have predicted the longevity of the world’s favourite fictional detective.
It was in 1887 that Holmes first appeared in the pages of Conan Doyle’s novel, A Study in Scarlet. In 2008, 58 per cent of British teenagers surveyed believed that Holmes had really existed.
Conan Doyle’s mother predicted Holmes’s popularity early on, saying to her son: ‘You won’t! You can’t! You mustn’t!’ when he threatened to kill off Sherlock. The detective has such an enormous cultural legacy that we are very pleased he didn’t.
Sir Arthur Ignatius Conan Doyle was a polymath with several interests; he was a physician, keen sportsman, political campaigner, spiritualist, Freemason and architecture enthusiast.
He was married twice and had five children. As none of them had children, he has no direct descendants. His last words, uttered to his wife, were: ‘You are wonderful.’ Quite the romantic!
Conan Doyle was among the best paid authors of his time and reckoned his historical fiction – which includes titles like Sir Nigel and The White Company – was his greatest work.
He once said: ‘It may be that you are not yourself luminous, but that you are a conductor of light. Some people without possessing genius have a remarkable power of stimulating it.’
As far as we are concerned, the author was himself luminous, a conductor of light and a literary genius.
Here, we look at the best things Arthur Conan Doyle left behind.
Enola Holmes And Its Sequel
The charming Enola Holmes movie, which centres on Sherlock’s sleuthing younger sister, has brought Conan Doyle’s creation to a new generation. Starring Millie Bobby Brown, it is a slick and compelling family film. Empire magazine says: ‘Enola Holmes offers a fine, spirited reminder that a traditional story can always be retold.’ The GWG’s younger viewers assure us that the sequel will be ‘huge’. Watch it.
Sherlock’s Deerstalker Hat
Fun fact: Conan Doyle never once referenced a “deerstalker hat” in his writing. It was Sidney Paget, the first illustrator of a Sherlock Holmes story, who drew the detective in the hat with which he became synonymous. Rumour has it that Paget wore a deerstalker – perhaps that is why he assigned one to Holmes. Channel the vibe is this superior example, with its smart British tweed, from Lock Hatters. We particularly like the grosgrain ribbon detail. Buy it.
A Must-Have Holmes Edition
If you’ve never read any ACD, this stylish Sherlock Holmes collection from The Folio Society is a very good place to start. Max Loffler has illustrated it with an ‘unsettling’ contemporary style. At best, the book will spark an obsession; at the very least, it will look lovely on your shelf. Buy it.
The Sherlock Holmes Museum
In Conan Doyle’s stories, Holmes’s address was 221B Baker Street in Marylebone, London. Today the famous address even has a blue plaque. Since 1990, 221B Baker Street has been run as the Sherlock Holmes Museum. Room by room, knowledgeable guides in period costume bring to life the home of the iconic detective. The museum, which attracts thousands of visitors from across the globe, houses the largest collection in the world of Sherlock Holmes gifts and memorabilia. Find out more here.
The BBC’S Sherlock
Way back in 2010, the BBC released a TV series, set in the present day, called Sherlock. Starring Benedict Cumberbatch (Sherlock) and Martin Freeman (Watson), The Guardian called it ‘super-intelligent and highly entertaining’. It became a global obsession, with stampedes surging on Cumberbatch whenever word got out about filming locations. Sherlock ran for four series, ending in 2017. It is all available now on iPlayer and well worth catching up on. Watch it.
The Hound Of The Baskervilles Movie (1959)
Produced by Hammer Films, this was the first movie adaptation of the novel to be filmed in colour. The creepy corker stars Peter Cushing as Holmes, Andre Morrell as Watson and Christopher Lee as Sir Henry Baskerville. Time Out calls it ‘the best Sherlock Holmes film ever made, and one of Hammer’s finest movies’. Old-school filmmaking at its finest. Watch it.
The Arthur Conan Doyle Biography
When it was published in 2008, Andrew Lycett’s Conan Doyle: The Man Who Created Sherlock Holmes broke new ground. The New York Times says: ‘Lycett, a former foreign correspondent (and biographer of Rudyard Kipling and Ian Fleming), gives a scrupulous, authoritative account of how an undistinguished doctor from Portsmouth climbed to the pinnacle of late-Victorian literary fame.’ A must-read for all Holmes fans. Buy it.
By Becky Ladenburg
November 2022
