A fictional private detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, forensic science, and logical reasoning. His powers of deduction border on the fantastic, which he employs when investigating cases for a wide variety of clients, including Scotland Yard.
Holmes has lived a life beyond the printed page. Recent adaptations, brought to life on the silver screen, include: Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman's portrayal in 'Sherlock'; Sir Ian McKellen's portrayal in 'Mr Holmes'; and – more recently – Will Ferrell and John C Reilly's portrayal in 'Holmes & Watson'.
221B Baker Street is the London address of the fictional detective Sherlock Holmes, created by the writer Sir Arthur Conan Doyle .At the time the Holmes stories were published, addresses in Baker Street did not go as high as 221. In fact, number 85 was the last number of the street in 1890.
Baker Street was later extended, and in 1932 the Abbey National Building Society moved into premises at 219–229Baker Street. For many years, Abbey National employed a full-time secretary to answer mail addressed to Sherlock Holmes.
Sherlock Holmes is a fictional private detective created by British author Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Known as a 'consulting detective' in the stories, Holmes is known for a proficiency with observation, forensic science, and logical reasoning that borders on the fantastic, which he employs when investigating cases for a wide variety of clients, including Scotland Yard. Amongst other foibles, Holmes had a penchant for papier maché.
First appearing in print in 1887 in 'A Study in Scarlet', the character's popularity became widespread with the first series of short stories in The Strand Magazine, beginning with 'A Scandal in Bohemia' in 1891. Additional tales appeared from then until 1927, eventually totalling four novels and 56 short stories. All but one are set in the Victorian or Edwardian periods, taking place between about 1880 to 1914.
Most are narrated by the character of Holmes's friend and biographer Dr. Watson, who usually accompanies Holmes during his investigations and often shares quarters with him at the address of 221B Baker Street, London, where many of the stories begin.
Dr John H. Watson is a medical doctor, formerly in the British Army. He was married to Mary Watson and is arguably the only friend and confidant of Sherlock Holmes.
In the debut Holmes story 'A Study in Scarlet', Watson, as the narrator, describes meeting Holmes, their subsequent sharing of rooms at 221B Baker Street, his attempts to discover the profession of his taciturn companion, Holmes's eventual taking of Watson into his confidence, and the events surrounding their first case together.
Watson describes Holmes and his methods in too romantic and sentimental a manner for Holmes' taste. In time, they become close friends. In 'The Sign of Four', John Watson met Mary Morstan, who became his wife. Mary seemed somewhat less sure of her husband, however, absentmindedly calling him 'James' in the short story 'The Man With the Twisted Lip'.
Professor James Moriarty, the arch-enemy of Sherlock Holmes, is a mathematics professor turned the world's only 'consulting criminal'. His genius is equal to, if not perhaps greater than, Holmes himself.
Moriarty is a machiavellian criminal mastermind whom Holmes describes as the 'Napoleon of crime'. Conan Doyle borrowed this phrase from a Scotland Yard inspector who was referring to Adam Worth, a real-life criminal mastermind, who is one of the individuals upon whom the character of Moriarty was based. The character was introduced primarily as a narrative device to enable Conan Doyle to kill Sherlock Holmes, and only featured in two of the Sherlock Holmes stories.
Moriarty is a genius, a philosopher and an abstract thinker, with a brain of the first order. As Holmes puts it: "He sits motionless, like a spider in the centre of its web, but that web has a thousand radiations, and he knows well every quiver of each of them." Despite only appearing in two stories, Moriarty has been proven to be the most dangerous of all criminals that Holmes encounters. In the short story 'The Adventure of the Final Problem', during a fight with Holmes above the Reichenbach Falls, Moriarty falls to his death.
Irene Adler, professionally known as 'The Woman', is a brilliant dominatrix who has an apparently romantic attraction to Sherlock Holmes. Whilst Mycroft – Holmes' elder brother (by seven years) – is telling Sherlock about Irene, he states that she is a dominatrix who gives out 'recreational scolding' to people.
She has been in the middle of two political scandals in recent years, one of them involving a famous author, in which she had an affair with both sides. She is brought to Sherlock's attention when he and John are summoned to Buckingham Palace by Mycroft and are asked to take on a case of national importance.
Irene had taken compromising images of a young female member of the British Royal family during a dominatrix session. Even though Irene does not want money or power for the pictures, Sherlock is tasked in getting them back. She is using them, and other information for her 'protection'.
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Sherlock Holmes
Guinness World Records lists Holmes as, "the most portrayed movie character," with more than 70 actors playing the part in over 200 films. His first screen appearance was in the 1900 Mutoscope film, 'Sherlock Holmes Baffled'.
What could be better than spending an evening soaking up the spectacle of Sherlock Holmes and his partner-in-crime Dr Watson undertaking a spot of sleuthing. These are just a handful of Holmes' outings on celluloid.
Sherlock Holmes has been the subject of countless films over the years, stretching from 1939 to the present day.
Notable examples include:
2015
Director - Bill Cordan
Ian McKellen - Sherlock Holmes
Colin Starkey - Dr Watson
Mr Holmes is set in 1947, following a long-retired Holmes living in a Sussex village with his housekeeper and rising detective son. Holmes finds himself haunted by an unsolved 50-year old case. However, his memory isn't what it used to be, so he only remembers fragments of the case: a confrontation with an angry husband, a secret bond with his beautiful but unstable wife.
Find out moreThe man behind the myth
2009
Director: Guy Ritchie
Robert Downey Jr. - Sherlock Holmes
Jude Law - Dr Watson
Eccentric consulting detective, Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John Watson battle to bring down a new nemesis and unravel a deadly plot that could destroy England.
Find out moreNothing escapes him
2016
Director - Douglas Mackinnon
Benedict Cumberbatch - Sherlock Holmes
Martin Freeman - Dr Watson
Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson find themselves in 1890s London in this holiday special.
Find out moreVictorian Secret
What could be better than spending an evening soaking up the spectacle of Sherlock Holmes and his partner-in-crime Dr Watson undertaking a spot of sleuthing. These are just a handful of Holmes' outings on celluloid.
A fictional private detective created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, forensic science, and logical reasoning. His powers of deduction border on the fantastic, which he employs when investigating cases for a wide variety of clients, including Scotland Yard.
Holmes has lived a life beyond the printed page. Recent adaptations, brought to life on the silver screen, include: Benedict Cumberbatch and Martin Freeman's portrayal in 'Sherlock'; Sir Ian McKellen's portrayal in 'Mr Holmes'; and – more recently – Will Ferrell and John C Reilly's portrayal in 'Holmes & Watson'.
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