Preparing to send abt 120 more vintage/rare/unusual Sherlockian greeting cards to Univ of Minnesota’s Sherlock Holmes Collections. They’ll join my previous gift of 1,145 similar Sherlockian cards. Next time you visit Minneapolis, ask to view the Fetherston Collection. Labor of love, for sure!

My favorite holiday is St. Valentine’s Day…… Next time you’re in Minneapolis be sure to visit the University of Minnesota’s Andersen Library. Their #SherlockHolmes Collections includes my vintage Sherlockian greeting cards, more than 1,100 of them. Here’s just one example. Happy ❤️ Day to you!

Now available from BSI Press via bakerstreetirregulars.com (found in the history and biography section) it’s my new book WIGGINS: TOM STIX AND THE BAKER STREET IRREGULARS. Stix was the BSI leader who did away with the Sherlockian group’s unequal treatment of women, welcoming female Sherlockians!

Found this in one of my files. I think I saved it because it's got my favorite quote, from author Booth Tarkington to actor William Gillette: "I would rather see you play 'Sherlock Holmes' than be a child again on Christmas morning."

Happy Easter!

Oh, to have been there for this high school Sherlock Holmes dance performance! From the Bakersfield (Calif.) Californian newspaper 90 years ago today, 26 March 1934. Maybe it was like the...um...unusual Sherlock ballet of the 1950s?

105 years ago today, 21 March 1919, in a newspaper called the San Antonio (Texas) Light, a look at Mutt and Jeff....

65 years ago today (18 March 1959) the Dunkirk, New York Evening Observer ran this #Sherlockian theme ad for an auto repair shop and I'm loving it!

70 years ago today (18 March 1954) the San Patricio County, Texas News ran this #Sherlockian-theme advert. I detect someone in the newspaper's classified department was one of us....

Coming April 13, 7 pm, at the San Francisco Silent Film Festival: Buster Keaton's SHERLOCK, JR. (1924, Metro Pictures) with live musical accompaniment. Palace of the Arts Theatre. See silentfilm.org. Lots of other offerings, too!

Nothing against Moriarty, but I always felt Culverton Smith in "The Dying Detective" was the Sherlockian Canon's biggest creep. Mere crime boss vs. dabbler in biological weaponry. Here he is as he appeared 110 years ago today, March 8, 1914, in the Salt Lake City Tribune:

70 years ago, March 1 and 2 of 1954, the amazingly talented Edith Meiser (with artist Frank Giacoia) debuted the then-new Sherlock Holmes comic strip. It ran several years in many newspapers. Here are the first 2 strips as they appeared in the Chester PA Times on those dates:

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle deduces a former convict...as told in the Batesville, Indiana (USA) Tribune, 120 years ago today, 18 February 1904.

The British company Stoll produced a silent film series about Sherlock Holmes starring Eille Norwood. 100 years ago today, 16 Feb 1924, this thrilling ad appeared in the Daily Sun from Manitoba, Canada. Note our hero brandishing a handgun in the backseat of the speeding car (lower left)!

Valentines Day, my favorite holiday! Guess I’m a mushy romantic at heart; so is Sherlock Holmes, judging by the many valentines (old and new) that bear his image. Here’s a final example from my collection of Sherlockian greeting cards, now housed at the Andersen Library, University of Minnesota. ❤️

Countdown to Feb. 14: Dr. Watson sometimes thought Sherlock Holmes was a “thinking machine,” but generations of Holmesians know there was a softer, sweeter side to the detective. That’s why Holmes has figured in scores of valentines over the years, like this one.

Countdown to Valentines Day: Another card of yore from my collection of Sherlockian-inspired greetings. I understand from Tim Johnson that my collection, now housed at Univ of Minnesota’s Andersen Library, are being digitized. Makes me really happy to share them with others!

St. Valentine’s Day is my favorite holiday: a day to celebrate love! ❤️ Between now and Wednesday I’ll post a few valentines from my collection of Sherlockian greeting cards, which are now housed at the University of Minnesota Elmer Andersen Library.

When your friend pens a wonderful book of Sherlock Holmes-inspired tales, and asks you to blurb it! Absolutely ❤️ Margie Deck’s work and think you will, too. Brand new from Belanger Books…treat yourself today!

Page 1, "above the fold." One hundred years ago today, 7 February 1924, the Brandon, Manitoba (Canada) DAILY SUN newspaper revealed that Sherlock Holmes was officially "dead." The bearer of this bad news: Dr. Watson's literary agent, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Sob!

John Barrymore's SHERLOCK HOLMES (1922) is remembered for its rare longevity in the silent era. Here it is 100 years ago today, almost 2 years after its completion, still playing. This advert ran in the Abilene, Texas Daily Reporter, 3 February 1924 - story by "Sir Cannon Doyle"!!!! Seriously?!

"You do occasionally find a carrion crow among the eagles." So says #SherlockHolmes in SHOS. Life imitates art: The eagle killed a rabbit for breakfast & dropped it on a roof. As it wheeled around to land and eat the crows moved in. Eagle frightened the crows away, took its rabbit and flew off! Wow!

On a chilly winter evening I can curl up in front of my own fireplace, or I can settle in by the fire at this address. See you there….you know the way! #221B

My collection of 1,145 #Sherlockian greeting cards (1890s - 2023) is now at the Univ of Minnesota -- soon to be joined by a few more I have here at home. Birthday, valentines, anniversary, graduation and a surprising number of GET WELL cards...like this one, from the 1950s. Beautiful condition!

"....big job well done." Published 100 years ago today, 22 January 1924, in the Freeport (Illinois, USA) Journal Standard newspaper. I'm loving it! 😘

Now available from www.wessexpress.com CANONICAL CORNERSTONES, ed. by Peter Eckrich and Rob Nunn. A collection of essays about the foundational books for your Sherlockian library. You need this! (Be sure to check out my essay on Jack Tracy’s Encyclopaedia Sherlockiana.)

A terrific book - of COURSE I will say nice things about it!

Two of my favorite Sherlock Holmes quotes:

Sherlock Holmes advert alert: I found this jingle in an old (north island) New Zealand newspaper with the wonderful name of the "Whakatane Bay of Plenty Times," dated 15 January 1904 -- 120 years ago today:

Personally, I would never drive a car that rhymed with "eew-ick." BUT if I did I would buy this used 1950 model that featured a Sherlock Holmes cartoon in the ad, 70 years ago today (12 January 1954) in an newspaper called the Danville (Virginia, USA) Bee:

70 years ago today, 10 January 1954, in the San Antonio (Texas) Express and News..... Love this public deerstalker-ing! Confession: I'm super curious about the guy's shorts. 😳

On this day 70 years ago, 10 January 1954, The Lawton, Oklahoma Constitution and Morning Press "observes" a certain birthday...

110 Years Ago Today: An amusing story about Arthur Conan Doyle...Is it true?...Published in an old newspaper called the Whitewright (Texas) Sun, 9 January 1914.

Happy 170th to the greatest detective ever: Sherlock Holmes!

"Mystery and adventure...they serve no other purpose." That's purpose in and of itself!!! 100 years ago today, 5 January 1924, Sherlock Holmes in the Madison, Wisconsin State-Journal newspaper:

90 Years Ago Today: From the newspaper The Oregonian (Portland, Oregon) 4 January 1914, this bit about Sherlock Holmes, Arthur Conan Doyle and motorcycles:

One Hundred Years Ago Today....from the Reno (NV) Evening Gazette, 2 January 1924. That's not my wish!

Sherlock Holmes is featured on stamps? Why yes! There are lots of examples of Holmes stamps from a number of nations, and at least one Sherlockian scion society devoted to stamp and coin collecting.

Who else here collects Sherlockian pipes? Right now I'm enjoying this one, a churchwarden-style.

One hundred years ago today, 12 December 1923, in the Xenia (Ohio) Evening Gazette...I remember studying the work of Cy Hungerford -- prominent editorial cartoonist -- in my J-school days. But for a decade or so he also produced this comic strip. Love the Sherlock Holmes reference.

Another reason for Sherlockians to drink tea: this one (I got mine today at World Market, BTW) contains Lion's Mane. Not the Canonical jellyfish, but an extract from mushrooms of the same name.

Young Dr. Watson with young Sherlock Holmes? Detail from a vintage postcard:

December 13, back in 1912, subscribers of the Rocky Ford Enterprise newspaper (in Colorado) were eagerly reading the serialized #SherlockHolmes tale, "The Red Circle." Art by V.L. Barnes:

On this day, 130 years ago: A Study in Scarlet was being serialized in the Warren (Pennsylvania, USA) Evening Democrat, 12 December 1893. Those lucky readers, many seeing it for the first time ever!

On this day, 120 years ago: a "Bond of Union" tobacco ad featuring #SherlockHolmes. From the London Evening News and Evening Mail, 11 December 1903.

On this day, 110 years ago...the Joplin, Missouri Daily Globe (Dec. 10, 1913) featured this sweet little pre-Christmas cartoon. We've all known (or been) kids who like to snoop for their presents! Did not know that was an actual #Sherlockian trait.

One hundred years ago today: Suggested books to give as Christmas presents (For men only? - What about the other 50% of the reading public?). It's interesting to see Conan Doyle and Christopher Morley there together!

One hundred years ago today: Cinema-goers in Tasmania settled into their seats and watched "A Scandal in Bohemia" -- which sounds like perfect fun! Clipping is from the Stanley C.H. Chronicle, 5 December 1923.

1898 American newspaper illustration: Arthur Conan Doyle -- and he looks so young!