University of Minnesota Foundation

Legacy

Winter 2020
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Sherlock's collection

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Fictional detective Sherlock Holmes resided in the flat at 221B Baker Street in London. Today, his legacy lives on at the Elmer L. Andersen Library at the University of Minnesota, which is home to the world’s largest collection of materials related to Holmes and his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. The collection includes more than 60,000 pieces—from original publications and journals to eclectic odds and ends and even a life-size recreation of his sitting room. Established by the acquisition and donation of several significant personal collections and maintained through support from donors, the U’s treasure trove has become a go-to resource for Sherlock enthusiasts the world over. (Images: University of Minnesota Libraries)

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The inquisitive Holmes was visually brought to life by artist Frederic Dorr Steele, who completed more than 160 illustrations of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s famous detective during his career.
Holmes and his sidekick, Dr. Watson, first appeared in the novella A Study in Scarlet, which was published in Beeton’s Christmas Annual in 1887. The collection includes an original copy.
Frederic Dorr Steele’s illustration of Holmes on the cover of a 1913 Collier’s Magazine.
A membership pin for the Norwegian Explorers of Minnesota, an appreciation society that meets several times a year to discuss what’s new in the world of Holmes.
A Holmes-inspired button—complete with his iconic deerstalker hat and pipe—that was given out during the U of M’s Welcome Week in 1976.
John Bennett Shaw built the world’s largest Holmes collection, which included a “221B Baker St.” sign that stood outside his home. The Shaw collection was acquired by the U in 1993, and the sign now welcomes visitors to the Sitting Room at 221B Baker Street exhibit at the Andersen Library.
Donated by the Norwegian Explorers, this memorial plaque (archived digitally at the U) is displayed at the Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland, the site of a pivotal moment in Holmes’ adventures.
The collection is home to a wide array of Holmes paraphernalia, including buttons from Sherlockian societies across the globe. This one was created in 1984 for The Clients of Sherlock Holmes society in Columbus, Ohio.
An unpublished sketch by Frederic Dorr Steele created for the release of the 1939 film adaptation of “The Hound of Baskervilles,” starring Basil Rathbone as Sherlock Holmes.

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