Thursday, May 23, 2013

Rare work.

In 1952, an seller of books and Sherlockian named Madeleine B. Stern wrote an article later published as a booklet called Sherlock Holmes: Rare-Book Collector. In it she set about trying to identify all of the rare editions Holmes owned, starting with clues given in the Canon and working from there.

In 2013, we suddenly find a counterpart to Ms. Stern called simply "mid0nz," who has once more demonstrated that BBC's Sherlock has inspired a wave of new Sherlockian scholarship. mid0nz's contribution? The "BBC Sherlock Books & Magazines Master List."

Where Madeleine Stern once went through being published in The Baker Street Journal and small press publishing to get her list of what was in Sherlock Holmes's library out there, after combing the Canonical text, mid0nz has resorted to her livejournal after combing the neo-Canonical video, and the results are equally impressive.

Stern catalogued 111 books from Victorian Holmes's library. mid0nz catalogues nearly 70 in Sherlock's library, and then goes on to report every other book in every other location seen in the series. It's the kind of dogged attention to detail that have set Sherlock Holmes fans apart for a hundred years, and apparently will continue to do so, whether we're talking original Canon or an inspiring television adaptation. Whether you're a fan of the modern Sherlock or not, you have to respect that kind of dedicated documentation and want that kind of savvy soul in your club.

Well done, mid0nz!  If there is the equivalent of a "Shaw 100" Basic BBC Sherlockian Link Library, I would hope someone has placed your page there.

1 comment:

  1. Oh wow! Thanks muchly-- what a lovely notice. I'm heartened to know somebody else can appreciate the fruits of my obsession. Cheers!

    ReplyDelete