Sherlock Holmes: Trifles

"Did you tell him of our telephone appointment?" [3GAR]  From the Gramophone to the telephone, November seems to be quite the month of technology here on Trifles.   Yes, even though Holmes did most of his work in the late 19th century, there were opportunities to use the newfangled voice-to-voice communications device known as the telephone. We explore just when and where, as well as certain supporting clues.    And we need your help for 2019! Let us know what additional topics you'd like us to discuss.     Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes 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/trifles100 RadioPublic   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 retained in this case of the Ferrers Documents" [PRIO]    The arrival of Dr. Thorneycroft Huxtable on the doorstep (and hearth rug!) of 221B Baker Street was dramatic. He collapsed like a beached whale, and Sherlock Holmes was able to infer a great deal about the reason for his visit.   And yet, Holmes gave an excuse for potentially turning down the case: he was involved with the Ferrers Documents. We're not told what that is, but we think it may just be a Trifle...     Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes 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/trifles99 RadioPublic Les Klinger on Episode 155 of I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere The Alternative Sherlock Holmes: Pastiches, Parodies and Copies by Peter Ridgway Watt and Joseph Green   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinis

"modern gramophones are a remarkable invention" [MAZA]                    When you glance across the Sherlock Holmes stories, there really aren't that many instances of children. Some of the tales are just not suitable for little ears, after all.   But there were key instances in which children played a vital role in the plot or moving the action forward. We explore some of those, as well as the warning signs that you might want to spend a little more (or less) time with the young ones. It is just a Trifle...    Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes 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      Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles98 Trifles Episode 80   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 Attributio

"Children, my dear boy, children." [GREE]      When you glance across the Sherlock Holmes stories, there really aren't that many instances of children. Some of the tales are just not suitable for little ears, after all.    But there were key instances in which children played a vital role in the plot or moving the action forward. We explore some of those, as well as the warning signs that you might want to spend a little more (or less) time with the young ones. It is just a Trifle...      Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes 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/trifles97 RadioPublic The Four Stages of Cruelty - William Hogarth   Sponsor The Baker Street Journal   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative

"Disguised, and under an assumed name" [STUD]    Sherlock Holmes was a master of disguises. They allowed him to infiltrate areas that would have otherwise been off-limits or situations in which he would have been discovered.   What were some of the incarnations he undertook? Can you remember the four named aliases he assumed? It is just a Trifle...   Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes 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/trifles96 RadioPublic   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0  

"a small monograph upon the uses of dogs in the work of the detective" [CREE]    There are a handful of dogs sprinkled throughout the Sherlock Holmes stories. And while a few of them are used in a traditional police-tracking way, the great detective found other uses for them.    Whether friendly, hostile, or just plain silent, dogs were vital to helping Sherlock Holmes solve some of his cases. It's just a Trifle...    Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes 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/trifles95 RadioPublic The Cynological Mr. Holmes: Conanical Canines Considered: Dog-Lore and Dog-Love in the Sherlockian Saga by Michael Harrison   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0  

"the peculiar persecution of John Vincent Harden" [SOLI]    The famous year of 1895 holds many wonders. Many of the cases in The Return of Sherlock Holmes took place in this year, and as you would imagine, many of the untold tales are mentioned during that timeframe.   And it would seem that if one has three names — John Hector McFarlane, John Scott Eccles, or in this case John Vincent Harden — there's some dirty work afoot. How is it that a tobacco millionaire can come to be persecuted in a peculiar way? It's just a Trifle...     Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes 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/trifles93 RadioPublic Sherlock Holmes: The Peculiar Persecution of John Vincent Harden by Dan Andriacco I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Episode 141: Baker Street Beat   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US M

"Pray take a seat" [MAZA]    As we glance around the sitting room at 221B Baker Street, the famous lodgings of Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, there's no lack of seating. In fact, one might have the pick of any number of seating styles.    From armchair to basket chair, settees to sofas, we explore the seating arrangements found in Sherlock Holmes's flat. We discuss who sat where and when, and how one particular chair gave away a criminal. These are just Trifles...      Have you left us a rating and review on iTunes yet? Every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles93 Wessex Press Archie and Edith Bunker's chairs at the American History Museum Christopher Morley: Minty's Varsity Chair I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Episode 153: The Rooms at 221B Baker Street   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United St

"he could send some telegrams" [PRIO]  "My correspondence certainly has the charm of variety," said Sherlock Holmes in "The Noble Bachelor." He could have been easily referring to the medium as well as the message. For Holmes was an inveterate sender and receiver of telegrams. What was the messaging industry like in those days? And why did Holmes have Watson read his correspondence to him from time to time? That's what we explore in this episode of Trifles.      Have you left us a rating and review on the podcast player of your choice yet? Every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles92   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

"either a very bad joke or an insult" [SILV]    We occasionally hear "Mr. Cocksure" and "jack-in-office" thrown about as epithets in the Sherlock Holmes stories. But by and large, there is very little profanity in these Victorian and early Edwardian detective tales.   But Sherlock Holmes manages to insult and put down some of his rivals, in a decidedly cool and casual way. Explore the sometimes harsh language that was meant to insult in this episode of Trifles. Have you left us a rating and review on the podcast player of your choice yet? Every review helps more people find the show.  And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or Substack.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles91   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0  

"come on to the Continent with me" [FINA]    Watson occasionally accompanied Sherlock Holmes onto the Continent (i.e., Europe), but there were many other instances when Holmes's work took him there without Watson. And we, along with Watson, were later treated to tantalizing hints as to what happened.   What were some of these places and what were the untold and exotic tales that Sherlock Holmes was involved with? They are the topic of this episode of Trifles.   Have you left us a rating and review on the podcast player of your choice yet? Every review helps more people find the show.    And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon  or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles90 Episode 66: Sherlock Holmes's Honorifics The Alternative Sherlock Holmes: Pastiches, Parodies, and Copies The Island of Uffa identification by James O'Leary via Doyleockian Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United S

"off to violin-land, where all is sweetness and delicacy and harmony" [REDH]    One of the most off-hand but arresting comments that Sherlock Holmes made was that he owned a Stradivarius violin. That he had purchased for a mere 55 shillings!   What do we know of Stradivarius instruments, and about Holmes's own ability on the violin?    Have you left us a rating and review on the podcast player of your choice yet? Every review helps more people find the show.    And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon      Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles89 Stradivarius (Wikpedia) The tale of Roman Totenberg's stolen Stradivarius (NPR) Top image via the Falk Archive - KFA Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0  

"when a doctor does go wrong, he is the first of criminals" [SPEC]     The Sherlock Holmes stories are told from the perspective of a doctor. So it only stands to reason that he would notice other medical men throughout his adventures with the great detective.   As we look at doctors across the Canon, we find heroes, villains, suspects, victims, clients and more. This episode takes a closer look at who some of these medical types were, and what roles they played in the plots.       Have you left us a rating and review on the podcast player of your choice yet? Every review helps more people find the show.    And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon  or PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles88 Sherlock Holmes Reference Library: The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes William Palmer Edward Pritcher     Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution

"the good doctor took us to the yew alley" [HOUN]       John H. Watson, M.D., late of the Army Medical Department, had a number of medical practices throughout the Sherlock Holmes stories. He waffled between being a flat-sharing colleague of Holmes and a doctor with his own thriving practice.   From Paddington to Queen Anne Street, we follow Watson's rise. But what of his methods? Did he dispense reasonable medical care of the age? Or was he too far removed from the practice of medicine by the time he took on his own practice in the mid- to late-Eighties?    Have you left us a rating and review on the podcast player of your choice yet? Every review helps more people find the show.    And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or  PayPal.   Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles87     Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

"any other spirit but rum" [BLAC]      We're accustomed to thinking about Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson being associated with whiskey and brandy. But there are plenty of other kinds of alcohol in the Canon.   More than the infamous Imperial Tokay of "His Last Bow," or the ancient and cobwebby bottles, there are some curious references to wine and spirits that warrant your attention. Even if they're a trifle.   Have you left us a rating and review on the podcast player of your choice yet? Every review helps more people find the show.    And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon  or PayPal.   Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles86   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

"I shall run over to Camberwell and call upon Mrs. Cecil Forrester" [SIGN]    We know what you're thinking: The Sign of Four wasn't an unpublished case. You, as a Trifles listener, are very astute. We should have expected nothing less.   However, within The Sign of Four, we do have a glimpse of a number of unpublished cases: including one with Mrs. Cecil Forrester, with whom Mary Morstan lives in Camberwell. Could this be a connection to a later case mentioned in "The Adventure of the Five Orange Pips"? Or perhaps it's a reference to "the most winning woman" Holmes ever knew, who is also mentioned in The Sign of Four?   These trifles await your consideration.     Have you left us a rating and review on the podcast player of your choice yet? We could really use your help.    And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.       Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles85   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington,

"neat morocco case" [SIGN]  We all know that Sherlock Holmes used drugs. "A seven-per-cent solution" of cocaine is what he recommended to Watson in The Sign of Four. But in the prelude to that, we're told that Holmes took "his hypodermic syringe from its neat morocco case." This case must have graced the interior of 221B Baker Street. But just what is it? And what do we really know of Holmes's drug mania? Have you left us a rating and review on the podcast player of your choice yet? We could really use your help. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon   Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles84 Morocco leather   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0  

"I trust you have no objection to tobacco smoke" [SIGN]    Sherlock Holmes is probably the most famous smoker in the world. But in popular culture, he's always pictured with a pipe. The Canon tells us that he also smoked cigars and cigarettes.   What was the frequency with which he smoked each? Did he tend to favor one form of smoking over another? And was there something that cause him to choose a pipe versus a cigarette versus a cigar? Step into the smoking room with us as we investigate.   Have you left us a rating and review on the podcast player of your choice yet? We could really use your help.    And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or   PayPal.     Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles83 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 irregulars are useful sometimes" [RETI]    Homeless children. A gossip columnist. A dog. What do all of these have in common? They're part of the underground network of helpers that Sherlock Holmes cobbled together.    With these individuals and more, Holmes was able to fan out across the great metropolis and gather information that helped him solve his cases. And they're the subject of this week's Trifles episode.     Have you left us a rating and review on the podcast player of your choice yet? We could really use your help.    And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or  PayPal.    Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles82 The Bakerloo line The Baker Street Irregulars Episode 58 - Sherlock Holmes's Index Episode 62 - Reference Sources   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

"before my biographer had come to glorify me." [MUSG]     We've previously covered the tantalizing cases that Sherlock Holmes pulled out of his tin box. This time, we spend time thinking about some of his other clients before he met Dr. Watson.   There's one we know by name, but the speculation begins fairly early on, as we try to use Holmes's methods to determine who some of his other clients might have been in those first years of his consultancy.   Have you left us a rating and review on the podcast player of your choice yet? We could really use your help.    And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal.       Links / Notes This episode: ihose.co/trifles81 Tit-Bits (Wikipedia) Sherlock Holmes at Oxford by Nick Utechin (2nd edition 1981) "The Adventure of the Clapham Cook" by Agatha Christie   Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0