Episode 67 - Inside 221B: Chemistry

"abstruse chemical analysis" [SIGN] 

Along with the deerstalker, Inverness cloak, magnifying glass and curved pipe, Sherlock Holmes is most often associated with chemistry – chemical compounds as well as chemistry equipment.

In this installment of our Inside 221B series, we take a look at Sherlock Holmes's experience with chemistry and other laboratory setups we encounter in the stories.

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This episode: ihose.co/trifles67

Sherlock Holmes Knew Chemistry

The Chemistry of Sherlock Holmes

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Episode 66 - Sherlock Holmes's Honorifics

"I was overwhelmed by the honour" [BERY] 

Sherlock Holmes was a well-known public figure. But he was also a known and sought-after expert specifically by other well-known public figures and entities.

Which notable public figures sought and received Holmes's services and then bestowed upon him some gift other than cash?

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The Legion of Honor

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Episode 65 - Time Marches On

"I heard you marching about" [SIGN] 

From the first cricket match in England in 1877 to the wireless mentioned in 1914, there are numerous things connected to Sherlock Holmes that happened in the month of March.

As the month draws to a close, we reflect on happenings historical and Canonical. Let's see if our bluster lives up to the weather this month is known for.

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This episode: ihose.co/trifles65

History of cricket

The Boat Race

The Mikado by Gilbert and Sullivan

Jean Leckie

Guglielmo Marconi

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Episode 64 - Unpublished Cases: The Amateur Mendicant Society

"two rather leprous mendicants" [ILLU] 

When Watson glances across his notes and teases us with adventures that he and Sherlock Holmes have experienced, but only gives us a topic with only the barest of details, it makes us wonder exactly what happened.

So is the case in this episode as we talk about the Amateur Mendicant Society and its rather unique meeting location — which in this case coincides with a real-life Sherlock Holmes society.

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Links / Notes

• This episode: ihose.co/trifles64
• "The Adventure of the Five Orange Pips"
• Mendicant (Wikipedia)
• The Amateur Mendicant Society of Detroit
• 
  

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Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra 

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Episode 63 - Inside 221B: Drink Up!

"as we sat over a glass of whisky and soda in Baker Street" [REDH] 

Step into the sitting room at 221B Baker Street with us again and look around, as we take in the sights, smells and sounds within that most famous of addresses.

This time, we investigate the physical elements that accompany alcoholic drinks within the walls of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson's abode. Namely: the gasogene and tantalus. We explore the origins of those phrases and discuss them in detail.

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Links / Notes

• This episode: ihose.co/trifles63
• Tantalus (spirit case)
• Tantalus (Greek god)
• Gasogene
• "A little song, a little dance..."
• I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Episode 132: Unquiet Spirits (Bonnie MacBird)

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Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra 

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Episode 62 – Reference Sources

"a line of books of reference beside the mantelpiece" [NOBL] 

In Episode 58, we discussed Sherlock Holmes's index books – those collections in which he tracked criminal cases, looked up necessary trivia, etc. But this time, we reach a little deeper and discuss some of the actual named reference books at 221B Baker Street.

Which publications were these and how did they help Holmes and Watson connect the dots and solve some cases? It's a trifle, certainly, but there's nothing so important as trifles.

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Links / Notes

• This episode: ihose.co/trifles62
• "The Noble Bachelor"
• "The Red Headed League"
• "The Five Orange Pips"
• The Valley of Fear
• "The Copper Beeches"
• "The Retired Colourman"
• "Shoscombe Old Place"
• I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Episode 54: How to Think Like Sherlock Holmes

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Image credit: Special Collections Toronto Public Library (Flickr)

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Episode 61 – John Watson, Ladies Man

"Now Watson, the fair sex is your department." [SECO] 

John Watson knew women; Holmes tells us so. And Watson certainly tells us so, in his admiration of Mary Morstan as well as his description of some of the leading ladies of the Canon. He also told us outright in The Sign of Four that he's managed to get around:

"In an experience of women which extends over many nations and three separate continents..."

But three? We know for certain he's been to Europe an Asia. But which of the other five might be the one to round out Watson's travels? We investigate the lively love life of Dr. John H. Watson, MD.

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Links / Notes

• This episode: ihose.co/trifles61
• The Private Life of Dr. Watson
• "Watson Was a Woman"
• "That Was No Lady" ("Nuts to Rex Stout")
• They Might be Giants

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Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra 

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Episode 60 - Unpublished Cases: James Phillimore

"never more seen in this world" [THOR] 

In "The Problem of Thor Bridge," Watson treats us to a tantalizing look at the possibilities that lie before us as readers:

"Somewhere in the vaults of the bank of Cox and Co., at Charing Cross, there is a travelworn and battered tin dispatch-box with my name, John H. Watson, M.D., Late Indian Army, painted upon the lid. It is crammed with papers, nearly all of which are records of cases to illustrate the curious problems which Mr. Sherlock Holmes had at various times to examine."

Possibly one of the most intriguing of the untold tales was "that of Mr. James Phillimore, who, stepping back into his own house to get his umbrella, was never more seen in this world," as the setup was so stark, so mysterious, and so final.

What are some possible explanations of what happened? And how does this untold tale rank among the many that were mentioned? In this latest episode in our Unpublished Cases series, we delve into the rich history of the strange disappearance of James Phillimore.

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Links / Notes

• This episode: ihose.co/trifles60
• "The Problem of Thor Bridge"
• The Best Untold Tales of Sherlock Holmes compiled by Randall Stock
• The Alternative Sherlock Holmes: Pastiches, Parodies and Copies
• BBC Sherlock tie-in
• The Disappearance of Mr. James Phillimore by Dan Andriacco

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Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra 

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Episode 59 - Inside 221B: On the Wall

"applying his tape to the walls" [STUD] 

There's quite a bit we know about the inner sanctum of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson at 221B Baker Street. The cozy sitting room with its fireplace and windows at once beckons us in to look around.

Upon glancing at the walls, though: what do we see? Is it typical of Victorian bachelor decor? Or is there hidden meaning behind any of the wall hangings? We investigate the trifling matter of the walls of the sitting room at 221B.

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• This episode: ihose.co/trifles59
• "The Cardboard Box"

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Episode 58 - Sherlock Holmes's Index

"Good old index. You can't beat it." [SUSS] 

Sherlock Holmes had quite the index. We get glimpses of it in use at various times throughout the Canon, from a biographical reference to a logging of crime. Was Holmes's index a single large volume, or many smaller volumes? Was it hardbound or simply an assembly of files?


And it never quite seemed like it was organized in a sensible way. How did Holmes manage to call to mind whatever he needed to find in this index?

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• This episode: ihose.co/trifles58
• With glimpses of text from SCAN, EMPT, HOUN, BRUC, REDC, SUSS, CREE

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Episode 57 - Coffee, Tea, or 221B?

"Mrs. Hudson entered with the tea and coffee" [NAVA] 

When it comes to British mysteries, tea is like aqua vitae. It's a given that it's part of the scenery. And of course we do come across tea a number of times in the Sherlock Holmes stories.

But have you ever taken a tally of how many times we witness tea being served versus coffee? Or of the therapeutic uses of either? Grab a cup (or a cuppa) and pull up a chair - we're about to have a coffee klatch on Trifles.

Or as one entertainer might put it: Sherlockians in Cars Getting Coffee. Or is it tea?

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• This episode: ihose.co/trifles57
• A Cup of Coffee, a Sandwich, and You

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Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra 

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Episode 56 - The Hudsons

"it is surely Hudson" [GLOR] 

One of the most enduring figures of the Canon after Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, Mycroft Holmes and Inspector Lestrade is Mrs. Hudson. We know a little about her, but how did she happen to become the landlady of 221B Baker Street? And what were the "princely" rent payments that Holmes made?
As we make our way across the Sherlock Holmes stories, we do come across one or two other Hudsons as well. What is their relationship to the landlady? These questions await your attention in the latest episode of Trifles.

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Links / Notes

• How Much Do We Really Know About Mrs. Hudson?

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Episode 55 – Unpublished Cases: Weird Animals

"it is a nice household" [SPEC] 

We've got another recurring feature for you here on Trifles: seeing as there were so many unpublished cases that Watson mentioned, we find that there are plenty of trifles to discuss with regard to those. We're calling this series of episodes Unpublished Cases and we'll regularly revisit the topic.

When we glance across a number of such cases that Watson mentioned in stories like "The Sussex Vampire," "The Problem of Thor Bridge," "The Golden Pince-Nez," "Black Peter," and "The Veiled Lodger," we find some unusual animals mentioned — animals that would not commonly be found in the home or on the farm. Just what are some of these species?

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• The giant rat of Sumatra
• The Sherlock Holmes International Exhibition
• The Canary Trainer by Nicholas Meyer

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Episode 54 - Inside 221B: On the Sideboard

"upon the sideboard" [BERY] 

In this episode of Trifles, we're starting what will become a recurring feature over the course of a few episodes: namely, we're looking at some of the things you'll find in Sherlock Holmes's sitting room at 221B Baker Street. We're calling the series Inside 221B.

The sideboard makes a number of appearances in the Canon, and serves as a solemn but essential member of the Baker Street set as it features beef and fowl, drinks and related accouterments, and as a resting place for various objects. But just what is a sideboard and in which stories do we find it?

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Links / Notes

• The Great Exhibition
• The Festival of Britain
• May - September 1951: An Exhibition on Sherlock Holmes

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Episode 53 - Compounding a Felony

"compound a felony as usual." [3GAB] 

Welcome to Season 2 of Trifles. We'll be working through some of the questions we ask in our show introductions this season, including a number of recurring themes. We hope you'll subscribe.

In Episode 48 ("Gotcha!") we discussed times when Sherlock Holmes caught his criminal red-handed, dead to rights. But what about the times that he caught criminals but let them go?

Was it solely his strong sense of right and wrong that caused Holmes to allow them to go free? Or was he simply disdainful of the official police? And what was it that he was doing with regard to felonies - compounding, commuting, or condoning? It's just a Trifle.

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Links / Notes

• The Hero's Journey
• A Sherlock Holmes Handbook by Christopher Redmond
• The Encyclopedia Sherlockiana by Jack Tracy

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Episode 52 - The Second Morning After Christmas

"compliments of the season" [BLUE] 

"The Adventure of the Blue Carbuncle" is one of the more well-known stories in the Canon. And yet we're presented with a few trifling issues, including the color of the gem.

But beyond that, we have a victim and perpetrators who didn't seem to have thought through things to their logical conclusion. How else can we factor in the use of poultry as a hiding place? And animal anatomy lessons indicate that that place didn't even exist...

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Links / Notes

• "The Blue Carbuncle"
• Line O' Type, Chicago Tribune - December 1946
• More Leaves from the Copper Beeches 

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Episode 51 - Peace in the Canon

"there was peace in our hearts" [SIGN] 

Peace in the canon. We we first considered this topic, we thought, "Reading the Sherlock Holmes stories to find peace is something like going to Casablanca for the water."
     "But there are no waters in Casablanca."

     "I was misinformed."

Regardless, during this season of peace, we reflect on moments — even if they're glimpses — of bucolic, peaceful moments we find scattered throughout the Sherlock Holmes canon. They're there, if you look for them — trifling as they may be.

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• Christmas Peace (Wikipedia)

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Episode 50 – The Agony Column

"what a chorus of groans, cries, and bleatings" [REDC] 

Agony column. Agony column? To the modern reader, that term might be unfamiliar. Well, at least it would be unfamiliar with the reader who is new to the Sherlock Holmes stories. The first time we come across Holmes using the agony column is in The Sign of Four when he advertised for the Aurora in the agony column of the Standard.

Holmes regularly used newspaper classified ads and personal columns to track down criminals and surface clues. But just what is an agony column, how did it help Sherlock Holmes, and in which stories did he and others find a use for it?

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Links / Notes

• Stories mentioned in this episode: A Study in Scarlet, The Sign of Four, "The Engineer's Thumb," "The Noble Bachelor," "The Red Circle," "The Bruce-Partington Plans"
• Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson: A Textbook of Friendship by Christopher Morley
• The Agony Column of The Times: 1800-1881, edited by Alice Clay, London: Chatto & Windus, 1881

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Episode 49 - Sherlock Holmes and Rugby

"You have a grand gift of silence, Watson" [TWIS]

When Cyril Overton sent a telegram to Sherlock Holmes, proclaiming the status of Godfrey Staunton, it was met with puzzlement. And even after Overton arrived at Baker Street, Holmes was still puzzled. We know that he had his "limits," based on Watson's famous list from A Study in Scarlet.

But Watson sat in silence as Holmes twisted in the wind, his ignorance of popular rugby laid bare. Why was this? Was it for the sake of his readers, or did Watson have other intentions in mind?

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• "The Missing Three-Quarter"

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