Sherlock Holmes: Trifles

"Cyanea! Cyanea!" [LION]

In the third week of every month in our fifth season, Trifles looks at exotic animals. We turn to the sea this time, examining jellyfish. And this episode brought us into contact with an old publication: the Catalogue of an Exhibition Held at Abbey House, Baker Street, London, May–September 1951.

For those intimately familiar with the Sherlock Holmes stories, there is only one story in which we find a jellyfish. For those not familiar, spoiler alert. It is just a Trifle.

And don't forget to check out the bonus audio content if you're a Patreon supporter. If you're not, what a great excuse to join us!

Links / Notes

• This episode: ihose.co/trifles238
• Jellyfish (Wikipedia)
• Lion's mane jellyfish washed up on shore in Maine (Twitter)
• Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube
• Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com
• Support us on Patreon

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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 --

"Let me show you the evolution of this case" [WIST]

In our last episode, we discussed the subtle yet undeniable change in the nature of the relationship between Sherlock Holmes and Inspector Lestrade. But what about the evolution of Holmes himself?

What aspects of his character changed over the course of his career, from a 20-something during his first case at university to his final case four decades later? What remained the same? It's just a Trifle.

Links / Notes

• This episode: ihose.co/trifles237
• Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube
• Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com
• Support us on Patreon

Sponsor

• 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 --

"That you, Lestrade?" [EMPT] One might say that Sherlock Holmes and Inspector G. Lestrade had a contentious relationship. While this may be the popular stereotype between the two professionals, a long-term assessment doesn't bear this out. Listener Ron Lies has shared a paper of his that takes us through the Holmes-Lestrade relationship chronologically, and things may be a little different than they appear. It's just a Trifle.

Links / Notes

• This episode: ihose.co/trifles236
• Find us on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram and YouTube
• Email us at trifles @ ihearofsherlock.com
• Support us on Patreon

Sponsor

• 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

"Altogether there are eight maids" [MUSG]

Two stories. Two jewels. Two lady's maids. And two strikingly similar circumstances.

In "The Blue Carbuncle" and "The Six Napoleons," published just 11 years apart, we can find some remarkable parallels that result in the disappearance of minor players who were involved in critical plot points. It's just a Trifle.

Support us on Patreon: patreon.com/trifles

And leave us a rating and review on Apple Podcasts. Links / Notes

• This episode: ihose.co/trifles234
• "Two Maids A-Milking" by William Hyder, The Baker Street Journal, Vol. 70, No. 4
• "The Twelve Gifts of Christmas" by Allan Sherman

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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 --

"some secret society, some implacable organization" [VALL]

We know the Mafia, the KKK, and other named secret societies permeate the Sherlock Holmes stories. They add to the mystery and mystique of the plots.

But what were some of the lesser-known secret societies? And were they really that secret? 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. Links / Notes

• This episode: ihose.co/trifles234
• Vehmgericht
• Carbonari

Sponsor

• 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 --

"the direct nature of the experiment" [BRUC]

It's the third week of the month, and that means it's time for our Exotic Animals feature! When you hear "rat" anywhere near the Sherlock Holmes stories, there are three possible conclusions: the Giant Rat of Sumatra, Ballarat, or...

Lab rats, which is our topic of discussion. While lab rats aren't literally mentioned in the Canon, there are some figurative ones. What were they? We look at those, plus the history of animal experimentation in medicine. It's just a Trifle.

Oh, and check this out: we have a bonus audio track just for our Patreon supporters. Become one today to unlock it.

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. Links / Notes

• This episode: ihose.co/trifles232
• "Animal Testing and Medicine," by Rachel Hajar, M.D., Heart Views, Jan-Mar 2011, via National Library of Medicine

Sponsor

• 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 --

"The best possible" [NOBL]

In Episode 231, we left you with a bit of a cliffhanger. The show was filled with answers to questions from listeners, and one asked about our favorite Sherlock Holmes stories.

Rather than boring you with only our personal preferences, we got into a history of the best Sherlock Holmes stories, first as judged by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle himself, and later by multitudes of Sherlockians. 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/trifles232
• Randall Stock's The Best of Sherlock Holmes site
• Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's list of 12 best Sherlock Holmes stories (LitHub)
• Poll of the best Sherlock Holmes stories as run in The Baker Street Journal

Sponsor

• 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 --

"they are pretty sure to ask questions anyhow, so it would be as well to have answers" [RETI]

We're doing something a little different for this episode. There are certain elements about the Sherlock Holmes stories that are just too trifling out of which to create an entire episode. So we turned to you.

We're answering questions that you have submitted, hopefully providing more clarity than less. If this works well, we'll do it again. 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/trifles231
• "John Barrington Cowles" by Arthur Conan Doyle
• Schlock Holmes: The Complete Bagel Street Saga by Robert L. Fish
• I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere Episode 181: The Daily Sherlock Holmes (Sherlock Holmes quotes)
• The full I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere archive: ihose.co/ihoseshows

Sponsor

• 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 --

"That is very fortunate" [SCAN]

Sherlock Holmes didn't believe in superstition, the supernatural, or random guesses. He was a detective who dealt in facts and data.

And yet, the canon of Sherlock Holmes stories is littered with coincidences (happy or otherwise) and instances of luck. How did these play into the stories and Holmes's ability to solve 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/trifles230
• Scott's presentation to the Sherlockians of Baltimore (YouTube)

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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 --

"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

• This episode: ihose.co/trifles229
• 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.

Sponsor

• The BSJ

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