CHENNAI: A list of the most famous personages who walked the earth during the most romanticised period of Western history, the Victorian era, would include giants — be it Queen Victoria, Charles Darwin or Alexander Graham Bell. But none of these very real people have stayed as long and as strong in human minds as another contemporary of theirs, albeit, a fictional one. The uncontested, and trailblazing king of the detective genre, Arthur Conan Doyle’s most famous creation — Sherlock Holmes, turns 162 on Wednesday.
Sherlock’s birthday itself is a matter of theory put together in bits and pieces by hordes of loyal fans that the sleuth has collected over the years. January 6, 1854 is theorised by ‘Sherlockians’ through a series of brilliant deductions themselves. In ‘His Last Bow’, the last Holmes story, Holmes is described as a man of sixty and operating as a British spy in North America, using the name Altamont.
Since the event clearly occurred on the eve of World War I, we learn Holmes was born in 1854. As for the date, the theorisation is more nebulous. Christopher Morley, an American writer and intellectual, a devoted fan of Holmes and founder of the Baker Street Irregulars theorised that of all Shakespeare’s works, only one, Twelfth Night, is quoted twice. Why was this Holmes’ favourite? Because January 6, (epiphany or Twelfth Night) is Holmes birthday. Morley being one of the most prestigious Sherlockians of his time, the date became generally accepted. Making his first appearance in Doyle’s book — A Study in Scarlet, released on November 1, 1887, Sherlock has spawned a mini-universe of his own, with over 54 short stories and six main stories released so far.
City Express spoke to a few people on what attracted them to a character that has grown constantly with his many avatars in pop-culture. From the silhouette with a deerstalkers hat and pipe in hand to his most recent portrayal — the suave looking, blackberry-toting modern sleuth. “I was presented Arthur Conan Doyle’s The Complete Sherlock Holmes when I was eleven. My favourite Holmes book is The Blue Carbuncle and while a tradionalist, I feel the TV show is a refreshing take on the books,” shares Sudarshan R, a software developer.
“One of my favourite Sherlock anecdotes is one where he shares his intent with Watson in the story ‘Silver Blaze’,” narrates Sudarshan. “Holmes mentions the curious case of the dog in night-time, to which a flabbergasted inspector says the dog did nothing in the night time. And Sherlock replies, ‘that is the curious incident.’ Insights like this are what make him a brilliant character,” points out Sudarshan.
So strong has the character’s impression been that many continue to see shades of Sherlock in real life — someone who is street-smart and knows his way about solving crime just by observing the world around him is now called a Sherlock by definition. “The way he analyses things! In fact I heard about Sherlock Holmes through the films first, and then watched him on the TV series. My favourite episode of Sherlock is The Reichenbach Fall where (Holmes’ arch-rival) Moriarty launches simultaneous heists on the tower of London, bank of England and the Pentonville prison!” gushes Vishnu Sheth, a B Com student.
“The books were best-sellers in a previous era while the recent TV show is based on today’s world. I was introduced to this fictional character through the book as a child and the TV series in recent years has sustained my interest in it,” says Madhusudhan N, a businessman. “Sherlock holmes, despite being fictional intrigues me, with his genius in problem solving. He has fascinated me since childhood,” he says
On-screen Clue Hunter
Sherlock Holmes has the most number of actors portraying him, with over 70 actors in 200 films. The upcoming one in 2015 is Mr. Holmes, where Ian McKellen plays a retired Sherlock with a fading memory.
Peter Cushing played Sherlock Holmes many times, starting with The Hound of the Baskervilles in 1959. This was the first Holmes film made in colour.
Other famous portrayals include Basil Rathbone(1939 series), Jeremy Brett (1984 TV series), Robert Downing Jr (2009) and Benedict Cumberbatch (BBC TV series). Jonny Lee Miller also plays Sherlock in Elementary.
Eugène François Vidocq
(1775-1857) Was a reformed thief, who is also known as the father of modern Criminology. He was the first private detective who helped form the first plainclothes police force. He also pioneered the science of ballistics.
Alphonse Bertillon
(1853–1914) Was a French criminologist who created the first standard operating procedure for forensic examination, which involved physical measurements, photography, and record-keeping that could use to identify recidivist criminals.