Sherlock Holmes: Trifles

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Cormorants May 19, 2021

Show notes

"the whole story concerning the politician, the lighthouse, and the trained cormorant" [VEIL]

There is one scant mention of a cormorant in the Sherlock Holmes stories — in one of Watson's enticing throwaway lines of a case which we'll never read. In "The Veiled Lodger," he tells us about the case involving a trained cormorant that might be revealed to the public.

But what is a cormorant? Can it really be trained? It's the third week of the month, and that means we discuss exotic animals in the Canon. It's just a Trifle.

And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes

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Stunning images of Chinese fishermen using cormorants to catch fish (The Atlantic)
More photos of cormorants catching fish (Arkin Space)
Not mentioned in the episode, but The Further Adventures of Sherlock Holmes on Radio 4 featured this untold tale.

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Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

Eyeglasses in the Canon May 12, 2021

Show notes

"I stooped to the eyepiece and focussed for my vision." [SHOS]

Given Arthur Conan Doyle's training in the field of eye medicine, it's no surprise that we find a number of Sherlock Holmes characters who wear glasses.

In fact, an entire story is named after a set of eyewear. Who were some of the bespectacled band in the Sherlock Holmes stories? It's just a Trifle.

Links / Notes

This episode: ihose.co/trifles228
What Did Victorians Make of Spectacles? (Wellcome Library Blog via Wayback Machine)
Arthur Conan Doyle's medical career (Wikipedia)
"The Bespectacled Band" (I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere)
Trifles Episode 46 - A History of Pince-Nez

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Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

More Messages May 05, 2021

Show notes

"the sending of general messages" [VALL]

Sherlock Holmes was an inveterate message sender and receiver. The many notes, letters, telegrams, cryptogram, and other forms of communication that passed by his view made for key clues in some cases.

We wondered how things might have turned out differently in certain cases if the frequency of messages were different. And how, in certain cases, Holmes duped the messengers. It's just a Trifle.

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This episode: ihose.co/trifles227

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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 --

Money Woes Apr 28, 2021

Show notes

"I am a poor man" [PRIO]

Time and again, we find people in the Sherlock Holmes stories who are having money problems. As in money problems drastic enough to cause them to make unfortunate decisions.

Who were some of these people, and what hard choices did they make? We have a few of them; it's just a Trifle. Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts 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/trifles226

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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 --

Viper / Wiper Apr 21, 2021

Show notes

"like a viper's tooth" [DYIN]

Here we are again, ready to tackle the monthly topic of exotic animals. So naturally, we turn to the wiper. Wait, the what?

Suffice it to say that the oddly-identified snake does have a place in the Sherlock Holmes stories, although way down at the East End. Oh, and there's the little matter of a Great War publishing machine. It's just a Trifle.

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Links / Notes

This episode: ihose.co/trifles225

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Music credits

Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0

The Crimes of Sherlock Holmes Apr 15, 2021

Show notes

"It is fortunate for this community that I am not a criminal."[BRUC]

Sherlock Holmes certainly ran with a rough crowd. Burglars, murderers, blackmailers, thieves, spies, kidnappers, and even politicians. Given his store of criminal knowledge, what stopped him from becoming a criminal himself? Wait just a moment; while his cause was justice, his practice wasn't always on the right side of the law. Thanks to a suggestion from Erik Deckers, we're examining the criminality of Sherlock Holmes. It's just a Trifle. And please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes

This episode: ihose.co/trifles224

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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

Brain Fever Apr 07, 2021

Show notes

"a sharp touch of brain-fever" [MUSG] Inspired by two sources of Sherlockian medical scholarship, we decided to discuss brain fever. What was brain fever, medically speaking? And why does it only rear its head in Victorian literature? Was it an actual affliction, or just a literary device? It's just a Trifle. Please consider supporting our efforts through Patreon or PayPal. Links / Notes

This episode: ihose.co/trifles223
Did Victorians Really Get Brain Fever? (JSTOR Daily)
Reference: "Brain Fever" by Stephen Tolins, The Baker Street Journal, Vol. 41, No. 2 (1991)
Nerve and Knowledge: Doctors, Medicine, and the Sherlockian Canon (BSI Press)

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Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

No. 221B Baker Street (Part 2) Mar 31, 2021

Show notes

"Apply 221B, Baker Street" [NAVA] Last week, we left you hanging with Vincent Starrett's chapter in his book The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes. We couldn't leave it unfinished, so we're back with the second half. And a special treat at the conclusion of the episode—also with a 221B theme. It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts 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/trifles221b
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes by Vincent Starrett

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Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

No. 221B Baker Street (Part 1) Mar 24, 2021

Show notes

"I have my eye on a suite in Baker Street" [STUD] There is no question that 221B Baker Street is the most famous address in all of fiction. What makes it interesting is its non-existence at the time of the stories' publications, and legions of fans attempting to determine its actual location afterward. Vincent Starrett was a huge fan of this game. So much so that he dedicated a chapter in his book The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes to it. To celebrate our 221st episode, Scott and Burt read "No. 221B Baker Street" from the book. It's just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts 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/trifles221
The Private Life of Sherlock Holmes by Vincent Starrett

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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 --

Mongoose Mar 17, 2021

Show notes

"some creature of the weasel and stoat tribe" [CROO] There was a fad in mid-century Victorian England that led to pets becoming more common. But the third week of each month, our episodes focus not on everyday household animals but rare and unusual creatures. In this case, we focus on a member of the family Herpestidae. Namely, the mongoose. Making a few appearances in popular fiction, they're just a Trifle. Find Trifles wherever you listen to podcasts: Listen to Sherlock Holmes: Trifles Have you left us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts 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/trifles220
Mongoose (Wikipedia)

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The BSI Press

Music credits Performers: Uncredited violinist, US Marine Chamber Orchestra Publisher Info.: Washington, DC: United States Marine Band Copyright: Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 --

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