Because it's Friday and you deserve it. . . .

Hey! We (the Harpooners) made it to the big time. . . .

The Harpooners of the Sea Unicorn

 

Description

Lapel pin of The Harpooners of the Sea Unicorn, a Sherlockian scion society of the Baker Street Irregulars in St. Charles, Missouri

Annotation

De Waal. C16961. The Harpooners of the Sea Unicorn. St. Charles, Mo. Pin design of a sailing ship with full white masts flying a British flag.

Physical Form

Lapel pins

Type of Resource

Three Dimensional Object

Subject

Holmes, Sherlock (Fictitious character)

Language

English

Physical location

University of Minnesota, Elmer L. Andersen Library, Sherlock Holmes Collections http://special.lib.umn.edu/rare/holmes

Provenance

John Bennett Shaw

Local identifier

pin0072

purl

http://purl.umn.edu/98774

Access conditions

Use of this image may be governed by U.S. and international copyright laws. Please contact Special Collections and Rare Books for permission to publish this image. http://special.lib.umn.edu/rare/

Categories:  

• Sherlock Holmes Collections

Some thoughts on our first Jan.(winter) case, REDC

Although I doubt this makes many favorite lists,(matter of fact, out of the four countries with the largest Sherlockian groups, the highest it ranks is thirty-seventh), it does have some fun points.

Favorite quotes;

"What, indeed? It is art for art's sake,. . . "

"Education never ends, Watson. It is a series of lessons with the greatest for the last. . . ."

You can almost imagine it not being written by Watson (Doyle if you aren't 'playing the game'). But it does come rather late in the Canon so that can almost be expected. I always have trouble with English writers doing American dialog. (Then again, we did talk differently back then, English and American.)



Some discussion points; (Which many people may or may not have covered already.)

Gregson.
Location of the house.
Police lanterns.

While Watson's appearance is often just surmised at times (thanks to many artists) we learn here he sports a mustache.

How much would five pounds a week be at today's standards?

History of the Pinkerton's.

What was playing at Covent Garden in 1902?

Share your thoughts, and I will add any more I have.

Readings for Jan.

All these cases take place in Jan.

REDC (actually stated as winter)
CHAS
VALL
BLAN

For your information. . .

Abbreviations for Sherlock Holmes Stories

In Order by ABBREVIATION				In Order by TITLE
Abbrev		Title		Title		Abbrev
ABBE		The Abbey Grange		Abbey Grange		ABBE
BERY		The Beryl Coronet		Beryl Coronet		BERY
BLAC		Black Peter		Black Peter		BLAC
BLAN		The Blanched Soldier		Blanched Soldier		BLAN
BLUE		The Blue Carbuncle		Blue Carbuncle		BLUE
BOSC		The Boscombe Valley Mystery		Boscombe Valley Mystery		BOSC
BRUC		The Bruce-Partington Plans		Bruce-Partington Plans		BRUC
CARD		The Cardboard Box		Cardboard Box		CARD
CHAS		Charles Augustus Milverton		Case of Identity		IDEN
COPP		The Copper Beeches		Charles Augustus Milverton		CHAS
CREE		The Creeping Man		Copper Beeches		COPP
CROO		The Crooked Man		Creeping Man		CREE
DANC		The Dancing Men		Crooked Man		CROO
DEVI		The Devil's Foot		Dancing Men		DANC
DYIN		The Dying Detective		Devil's Foot		DEVI
EMPT		The Empty House		Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax		LADY
ENGR		The Engineer's Thumb		Dying Detective		DYIN
FINA		The Final Problem		Empty House		EMPT
FIVE		The Five Orange Pips		Engineer's Thumb		ENGR
GLOR		The "Gloria Scott"		Final Problem		FINA
GOLD		The Golden Pince-Nez		Five Orange Pips		FIVE
GREE		The Greek Interpreter		"Gloria Scott"		GLOR
HOUN		The Hound of the Baskervilles		Golden Pince-Nez		GOLD
IDEN		A Case of Identity		Greek Interpreter		GREE
ILLU		The Illustrious Client		His Last Bow		LAST
LADY		The Disappearance of Lady Frances Carfax		Hound of the Baskervilles		HOUN
LAST		His Last Bow		Illustrious Client		ILLU
LION		The Lion's Mane		Lion's Mane		LION
MAZA		The Mazarin Stone		Man with the Twisted Lip		TWIS
MISS		The Missing Three-Quarter		Mazarin Stone		MAZA
MUSG		The Musgrave Ritual		Missing Three-Quarter		MISS
NAVA		The Naval Treaty		Musgrave Ritual		MUSG
NOBL		The Noble Bachelor		Naval Treaty		NAVA
NORW		The Norwood Builder		Noble Bachelor		NOBL
PRIO		The Priory School		Norwood Builder		NORW
REDC		The Red Circle		Priory School		PRIO
REDH		The Red-Headed League		Problem of Thor Bridge		THOR
REIG		The Reigate Squires		Red Circle		REDC
RESI		The Resident Patient		Red-Headed League		REDH
RETI		The Retired Colourman		Reigate Squires		REIG
SCAN		A Scandal in Bohemia		Resident Patient		RESI
SECO		The Second Stain		Retired Colourman		RETI
SHOS		Shoscombe Old Place		Scandal in Bohemia		SCAN
SIGN		The Sign of the Four		Second Stain		SECO
SILV		Silver Blaze		Shoscombe Old Place		SHOS
SIXN		The Six Napoleons		Sign of the Four		SIGN
SOLI		The Solitary Cyclist		Silver Blaze		SILV
SPEC		The Speckled Band		Six Napoleons		SIXN
STOC		The Stockbroker's Clerk		Solitary Cyclist		SOLI
STUD		A Study in Scarlet		Speckled Band		SPEC
SUSS		The Sussex Vampire		Stockbroker's Clerk		STOC
THOR		The Problem of Thor Bridge		Study in Scarlet		STUD
3GAB		The Three Gables		Sussex Vampire		SUSS
3GAR		The Three Garridebs		Three Gables		3GAB
3STU		The Three Students		Three Garridebs		3GAR
TWIS		The Man with the Twisted Lip		Three Students		3STU
VALL		The Valley of Fear		Valley of Fear		VALL
VEIL		The Veiled Lodger		Veiled Lodger		VEIL
WIST		Wisteria Lodge		Wisteria Lodge		WIST
YELL		The Yellow Face		Yellow Face		YELL

Credit where credit is due.. . .


Which we will use in just a moment.

Took a while to find. . .

Jude Law in 'Shoscombe Old Place." 1991, March.

For those of you who are slaves to fashion. . . .

 

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows Costume Trailer Arrives

The first trailer for Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows starring Robert Downey Jr, Jude Law, Noomi Rapace and Jared Harris has hit the net. It seems on track with the first film; lots of action and banter, only this time grimy London has been replaced by snowy Europe. Jenny Beavan returns for costume design; the look is late Victorian with a twist.

A few interesting sartorial notes pop up, mainly attributable to ever dapper Dr. John Watson (Law), though we are given a glimpse of Sherlock Holmes’ (Downey Jr.) nemesis, Professor Moriarty (Harris). New love interest Sim (Rapace) only really gets to showcase a wide brim hat, fringed bodice and long, billowing skirts. Yet there is no mistaking her role in the film; they do not call them ‘gypsy skirts’ for nothing.

Nice to see the return of Watson’s brown bowler hat and the scarf is a fun addition. Not typically wool until the 20th century, in fact cravats were generally known as scarves until this time; if it appears homemade then this was intentional. As Jenny Beavan explains exclusively to Clothes on Film:

“The idea was that Mary had knitted it for him (Watson) and Holmes therefore absolutely hated it! I chose colours she would have thought he would like, and he loves it because she made it for him”.
The design is distinctive but not specific to any particular institution. “No school or university colours intended!” she adds.

Watson getting married in a vibrant silk stock, although eschewing a hat, while his bride Mary (Kelly Reilly) wears an ivory, long sleeve wedding dress edged in lace and full veil. Perhaps something involving Holmes and his cravat, an explosion and/or fight is either about to happen or already has..?

Holmes is in drag, which he claims is necessary, while Watson displays his customary tweed and stiff double collar with necktie. Watson is a somewhat ‘countrified’ gent in Ritchie’s vision, his attire semi-formal but suggestively ready for action.

Our first reveal of Moriarty; he is wearing a double breasted overcoat, likely of the Chesterfield variety, as based on a frock but for use as outerwear, possibly fur trimmed or concealing a scarf. Moriarty’s hat gives credence to the idea that a Victorian gentleman’s social standing could be told by the height of his topper. The next shot of Moriarty shows him in a soft collar, striped shirt and four in hand necktie. This would have been hugely forward thinking for the era – could it be part of a disguise?

Holmes looks uncharacteristically smart in a 3 piece, dogtooth check suit. Later we get a peep of his tweed suit with ‘cutaway’ (morning coat) front, or his jacket has got caught behind Sim’s elbow. That there are two buttons yet to be fastened would suggest the latter. Sim appears to have changed broomstick skirt at this point in the story, from burnt orange stripe to teal.

Who do these pumps belong too? Likely a waiter dropping glasses (possibly in 18th century period garb), though swap the buckles for satin bows and those shoes could be worn for strict male evening dress now.

Definitely Watson’s finest costume moment is this ‘slip on’ raglan sleeve raincoat, seemingly covering his Blues Patrol tunic from Sherlock Holmes 1. The coat appears to be gabardine, which would mean it could only have been made by Burberry, in the context of the film anyway, as they patented the cotton weave fabric and retained exclusive manufacturing rights until 1917. It is amazing how much this garment jumps out of the trailer. Jenny Beavan cleverly mixes old and new, modern and traditional to ensure these movies are era specific, yet easily relatable to a contemporary audience.

Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows is released on 16th December.

© 2011,

Credit where credit is due. Chris Laverty.