1887: Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s A Study in Scarlet was published in The Strand magazine, the first of countless stories he wrote over the next forty years that featured his famous fictional detective Sherlock Holmes.
Before publication, Doyle sent the manuscript to the author Robert Louis Stevenson who wrote back to Doyle asking whether he had based the main character on their mutual friend Dr. Joseph Bell. Indeed, he had.
Scotland 1877: At age 18, Arthur Conan Doyle was a medical student at the Edinburgh Royal Infirmary. He clerked for Dr. Joseph Bell.
Bell was a surgeon like his father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. He wrote medical textbooks, published articles in medical journals, and gave lectures on surgical procedures.
Doyle admired Bell’s uncanny ability to ascertain facts and diagnose patients from his keen attention to the smallest observations. He could often discern medical problems before even speaking to his patients and could also deduce details about their lives almost like a mindreader.
Dr. Bell’s interests weren’t limited to medicine and science. He also studied architecture, poetry, handwriting analysis, bird watching, and the study of regional dialects. Bell was also said to have introduced the field of forensic science.
He helped police investigate several crimes, including the infamous Jack the Ripper case.
When Sherlock Holmes became well-known, Bell took pride in inspiring the fictional detective.
Also, the character of Dr. John Watson - Holmes’ trusty sidekick - was based on another of Doyle’s medical teachers: a surgeon named Dr. Patrick Heron Watson. He and Bell both taught and practiced in Edinburgh. Like his fictitious counterpart, Heron Watson was a veteran after having fought in the Crimean War.
Sherlock Holmes had a recurring arch enemy - Professor James Moriarty. He was described in the stories as ‘the Napoleon of Crime.’
That character was also derived from a real life criminal mastermind named Adam Worth aka Henry Raymond. Before Doyle created the fictional foe, the Pinkerton Detective Agency referred to Worth as the Napoleon of Crime.
Born in Cambridge Massachusetts, Adam Worth became embroiled in New York’s criminal underworld of Little Five Points. He grew wealthy as a master thief.
The famous detective William Pinkerton, who had faced down gunslingers in the Wild West, chased after Worth for decades.
Escaping to London, Worth changed his name to Henry Raymond and posed as a wealthy American aristocrat. In secret, he led an organization of pickpockets, thieves, and forgers.
Worth’s brother joined him in England where he promptly botched a simple forgery exchange job. The brother was sent to prison.
Gainesborough’s Duchess of Devonshire was an incredibly valuable work of art. The portrait exuded sexuality, such as it was in the Victorian era.
Worth stole the painting and held it for ransom in return for his brother’s freedom.
But surprisingly the brother was set free. No need for ransom. As a result, Worth simply kept the stolen artwork… for the next 25 years.
Worth got sloppy and was arrested in Belgium. William Pinkerton found him in prison there and wrote about Worth with a kind of admiration.
Before arranging for his release and the return of the Gainesborough painting, Worth died in prison.
1893: Doyle did two things in his story titled The Final Problem: he introduced Professor Moriarty, and he killed off Sherlock Holmes. The author was fascinated with the spirit world to which he wanted to devote his time and attention. But the public clamored for more Holmes, so the author revived his hero and continued writing detective stories until 1927.
By that time, both Dr. Joseph Bell and Dr. Watson - as well as Adam Worth - had been long deceased.
Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who had been knighted in 1902, died three years after the publication of his final Sherlock Holmes mystery.
ALSO:
Moriarty only appeared in two stories (although he received mention in 5 others).
The arch rival character has now appeared in more films and TV series based on Sherlock Holmes than Doyle ever wrote about him.
Commentaires