Select Sister Societies

• Just north of us in Maryland is a very active society, Watson's Tin Box of Ellicott City. Their monthly meetings have the goal of enjoying the stories and the company of fellow Sherlockians.

• The Denizens of the Bar of Gold meet twice a year in Easton, Maryland to share camaraderie and love of The Grand Game. All are welcome.

• A few thousand miles and one ocean east, the Sherlock Holmes Society of London is the gathering place for Holmesians in that great city. There, Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson and their familiar supporting players seem to be with you at every turning--and as you'd expect, the Society takes full advantage of operating on the Master's home turf. Their website is good fun, inviting one and all to join the Society (members come from all over the world), and offers well-written periodicals along with an impressive collection of audio files--mostly vintage Holmes radio programs.

• While membership in the Baker Street Irregulars is by invitation, this oldest Sherlockian society offers many opportunities for all Sherlockians to participate. Their website features a wide variety of formidible publications, along with opportunities to attend conferences and explore their archives.

What on earth does this mean?

"The Red-headed League"

Sidney Paget, 1891

"I hear of Sherlock everywhere since you became his chronicler."

                                                                                                                                             --Mycroft Holmes

By today's standards, the Victorian concept of "everywhere" was certainly a narrow one. If Mycroft were to Google his brother today, he'd find the vast number of references dizzying. And sometimes, we do too. Herewith then, a somewhat shorter list of select Sherlockian online resources, chosen for their interest, scholarship and completeness. In the column at the right are links to selected sister societies: those in the mid-Atlantic area and those with international scope.

• The first site we recommend is the main reason we make no effort here to be comprehensive. Sherlockian.net is a perfect starting place for researching Sherlock Holmes and his world. At its core, this site is an exhaustive list of links that can take you anywhere you'd care to go, from the stories themselves, to movies, to books, to pastiches, to Sherlockian societies--and much more. The site is structured in a friendly and easy-to-understand way.

• A comprehensive guide to Sherlockian meetings and events is Ron Fish's Sherlockian Calendar. This site offers a wide-ranging list of dates, places and events that can be especially handy if you're planning to travel. Like the Red Circle, most groups warmly welcome out-of-town visitors.

• Detailed information about Sherlockian Societies -- including a very useful interactive map -- is presented by the Beacon Society, a Sherlockian organization devoted to bringing the exploits of the Great Detective to young folks. The information about active societies, and the map itself, is an excellent resource for everyone.

• The Best of Sherlock Holmes is in the eye of the beholder, of course. But Randall Stock has a very good eye indeed. His top-ten lists alone are worth the visit. Whether you're looking for Sherlockian gifts, quotations, movies or books, you'll find ten good choices in each category. There's also a notable manuscript section and a fascinating look at the e-world of Sherlock Holmes.

• Scott Monty's popular website I Hear of Sherlock Everywhere bills itself as "news and information about Sherlock Holmes in popular culture in one convenient site and podcast." The podcasts are especially fine and make good company on those long flights, walks, runs or evenings at home.

• In the Canon, Camden House was an empty house. Online, Camden House is anything but empty. Here you'll find the stories, the artwork, the graphics, the audio, the music, even screensavers and wallpaper. The site has not been updated recently, but the contents are still quite useful.

• Red Circle member Greg Ruby presides over The Fourth Garrideb -- Numismatics of Sherlock Holmes. It's a specialty scion devoted to coins -- coins of the realm and others with Sherlockian value!

• The malevolent Professor Moriarty sat in the center of his web of crime, and for decades the Red Circle's Peter Blau has presided over his own web--happily, a far more benign one. Peter is the recognized clearinghouse for Sherlockian and Doylean news. He is regularly in touch with so many fellow enthusiasts that he accumulates an astonishing assortment of information. What's more, he writes everything down, and publishes his notes monthly in Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press. Peter has been writing this newsletter for 50 years, and the Scuttlebutt has been online since 1985. All back numbers to 1985 are archived at the site, where you can also read Peter's explanation of the title (yes, there's a Sherlockian connection). This is certainly the place to go when you want to know what's new--and what was new.