Kilts in new Sherlock Holmes

[McMurdo]

I just joined, thanks for starting the group.

[OC Richard]

Like these?

For me, the image of Holmes will never be like those above, but rather will be how he appears in the Sidney Paget illustrations.

I must admit that I have only two such books at hand, Adventures and Memoirs, but in those Holmes only rarely wears the Deerstalker hat (in Boscome Valley Mystery and Silver Blaze). In those, by the way, he does NOT wear an Inverness cape but rather a trenchcoat with hood, or a suit of tweed.

When he does wear an Inverness cape it is with either the slightly battered-looking felt hat he often wears outdoors, or a derby.

(Perhaps he wears the Deerstalker and Inverness cape together in Hounds or Return: my copies of those lack the Paget illustrations.)

By far Holmes' usual appearance is in a suit, frock-coat, or top coat, and either hatless or wearing a derby, top hat, or that battered felt hat. Also he often lounges about his apartment in a lounge suit, smoking-jacket, or dressing-gown.

And by the way Holmes' pipe is straight and long, not curved (it is mentioned and illustrated in The Copper Beeches).

[creagdhubh]

For me, the image of Holmes will never be like those above, but rather will be how he appears in the Sidney Paget illustrations.

I must admit that I have only two such books at hand, Adventures and Memoirs, but in those Holmes only rarely wears the Deerstalker hat (in Boscome Valley Mystery and Silver Blaze). In those, by the way, he does NOT wear an Inverness cape but rather a trenchcoat with hood, or a suit of tweed.

When he does wear an Inverness cape it is with either the slightly battered-looking felt hat he often wears outdoors, or a derby.

(Perhaps he wears the Deerstalker and Inverness cape together in Hounds or Return: my copies of those lack the Paget illustrations.)

By far Holmes' usual appearance is in a suit, frock-coat, or top coat, and either hatless or wearing a derby, top hat, or that battered felt hat. Also he often lounges about his apartment in a lounge suit, smoking-jacket, or dressing-gown.

And by the way Holmes' pipe is straight and long, not curved (it is mentioned and illustrated in The Copper Beeches).

Two words...Jeremy Brett.


Cheers,

[Father Bill]

Two words...Jeremy Brett.

Cheers,

+ 1!!!

[Sheep In Wolf's Clothing]

For me, the image of Holmes will never be like those above, but rather will be how he appears in the Sidney Paget illustrations.

I must admit that I have only two such books at hand, Adventures and Memoirs, but in those Holmes only rarely wears the Deerstalker hat (in Boscome Valley Mystery and Silver Blaze). In those, by the way, he does NOT wear an Inverness cape but rather a trenchcoat with hood, or a suit of tweed.

And to be fair, in both the text of BOSC and SILV (and the rest of the stories) it never states he wears a deerstalker.

"Sherlock Holmes was pacing up and down the platform,his tall,gaunt figure made even gaunter and taller by his long gray travelling-cloak and close-fitting cloth cap." BOSC

"And so it happened that an hour or so later I found myself in the corner of a first-class carriage flying along en route for Exeter, while Sherlock Holmes, with his sharp, eager face framed in his ear-flapped travelling-cap, dipped rapidly into the bundle of fresh papers which he had procured at Paddington. We had left Reading far behind us before he thrust the last one of them under the seat, and offered me his cigar-case" SILV

A " tweed cloth cap" is mentioned in HOUND too.

According to Martin Fido's "World of Sherlock Homes", Doyle really didn't care for Paget's illustrations. But both Paget's Holmes drawings, and William Gillette early stage productions, had a huge influence on how the great detective looks and is recognised today.

Thankfully because of the longevity and quality of stories, every reader, tv viewer and movie goer, has their own favourite Holmes look/actor. As long as it leads them back to the original stories, I'm ok with them all.

Sara

(As an odd trivial fact, Sidney Paget was not suppose to be the Paget that illustrated the stories for the Strand. It was suppose to be his brother Walter. Sidney intercepted the offer and based his "Holmes" on his brother Walter.)

[Java]

.........And by the way Holmes' pipe is straight and long, not curved (it is mentioned and illustrated in The Copper Beeches).

Compared to those posting in this thread, I know very little about Holmes. What I do know is pipes. Thank you, Richard for that reference. I've long said that based on the time period, Holmes would have smoked a straight stemed pipe. I'm told the "tradition" of Holmes with a curved pipe came about because the curved stem has less leverage (it brings the weight of the pipe in closer to you), so the actors that played Holmes had an easier time saying their lines with them.

[BoldHighlander]

According to Martin Fido's "World of Sherlock Homes", Doyle really didn't care for Paget's illustrations. But both Paget's Holmes drawings, and William Gillette early stage productions, had a huge influence on how the great detective looks and is recognised today.

Quite right Sara (in all you wrote), and you can also Frederic Dorr Steele (Collier's magazine) who's been cited along with Paget & Gillette as a major influence on how we perceive the "classic" Holmes look.

And by the way Holmes' pipe is straight and long, not curved (it is mentioned and illustrated in The Copper Beeches).

I always like the long stem briar that Jeremy Brett smoked in some episodes of Holmes. In fact back in 1991 or 92 (when I still smoked) I ran across one just like it in a smoke shop & almost bought it. Though I no longer smoke I wish I had!

p.s. ~ the social-group ABERDEEN SHIPPING CO. is up and running (since Sunday). These discussions would be a great addition (hint!hint!)

[OC Richard]

I love that photo of Jeremy Brett! That's more like the Holmes I think of.

Sadly, I've not seen his movies, or any Holmes movies. I dimly remember seeing Hounds as a child, and that's all.

So no one has a photo of the pipers they can post?

[WillieMacG]

Saw the movie last night. Downey not a good Holmes. I wish they had focused a bit more on the "deduction skills" of Holmes to solve the plot. They seemed to have saved all that for a scene near the end of the movie. I also wish they had limited the slow motion shots which became tedious to say the least. Law was a good Watson.

[creagdhubh]

Saw the movie last night. Downey not a good Holmes. I wish they had focused a bit more on the "deduction skills" of Holmes to solve the plot. They seemed to have saved all that for a scene near the end of the movie. I also wish they had limited the slow motion shots which became tedious to say the least. Law was a good Watson.

Jude Law is a pretty good Dr. Watson isn't he? A superb younger version indeed.