A History of the Red Circle of Washington (Part 2)
prepared by Carla Kaessinger Coupe
On November 20, 2000, The Red Circle of Washington celebrated its 50th anniversary at the National Press Club, where Francine Morris Swift presented her history of The Red Circle’s first 50 years. Our founder Karen Kruse Anderson traveled from California to join members for a nostalgic and fun-filled (not to mention pun-filled) dinner. Presided over by Peter E. Blau, the dinner’s line-up of distinguished speakers included Karen Anderson, Jon Lellenberg, Sarah Rosenbaum, Mike Whelan, Beau Briggs, and Nora Myers. The evening capped an eventful 50 years of The Red Circle’s dedication to The Master and his chronicler and set the tone for another 25 years of scholarship, camaraderie, and fun.
Continuing strong through the new millennium, The Red Circle held quarterly meetings at the august National Press Club, an historic venue where pundits and journalists gather. In 2013, our meetings moved to the Hyatt Regency in Bethesda, where they remained until 2019, when renovations to the Hyatt necessitated a move a few blocks away to the always-welcoming Alfio’s la Trattoria.
In 2010, The Red Circle gained an online presence with a new website [www.redcircledc.org], administered by Alan Rettig and Bob Howard. Not simply a place for meeting announcements, the website is an invaluable resource for both The Red Circle and general Sherlockian news, reports and videos of past meetings, copies of papers presented, photos, the continually updated collection of issues of Scuttlebutt from the Spermaceti Press, and links to other sites of interest to our community.
Our speakers continue to be a varied lot. Among those who have graced the podium over the past 25 years include notable Sherlockians such as Evelyn Herzog, Dan Stashower, Bev Wolov, Andy Solberg, Bob Katz, Ray Betzner, Lyndsay Faye, Glen Miranker, Curtis Armstrong, and Dan Andriacco. We’ve also enjoyed talks by Maureen Bottrell on forensic geology, James Grady, who discussed his book Six Days of the Condor (retitled “Three Days of the Condor” for the movie), and FBI Special Agent Charlie Rooney, speaking about The Red Circle’s real-world namesake.
Despite the COVID lockdown beginning in 2020, The Red Circle continued to meet via Zoom, taking advantage of the fact that we could easily (and cheaply) enjoy speakers from afar. Laurie King and Nicholas Meyer called in from California, Nick Utechin and Catherine Cooke represented the UK, and Mattias Boström joined The Red Circle from Sweden. Peggy Perdue in Canada, Jerry Margolin in Oregon, and Eva Iggland and Bryan Stone (Switzerland) and Guy Marriott (UK) round out the distant speakers enjoyed during the lockdown. Alan Rettig deserves kudos for emceeing and producing the Zoom meetings.
The speaker recordings were so popular that we’ve continued them thanks to Matt Hall’s talents behind the camera. Links to all the meeting videos can be found at The Red Circle’s website [www.redcircledc.org] and on The Sherlock Channel [www.youtube.com/@thesherlockchannel2596], our new YouTube channel established in time to celebrate our 75th anniversary.
In addition to quarterly meetings, The Red Circle members have celebrated the Master with a picnic at Glen Echo Park, enjoyed R. Hamilton Wright’s play Sherlock Holmes and the American Problem at the Arts Barn in Gaithersburg, viewed the manuscript of The Valley of Fear at the Folger Library, and gathered for the world premiere production of Ken Ludwig’s Death on the Nile at Arena Stage.
The Red Circle’s 75th anniversary celebration took place at the American Film Institute in conjunction with the first US screening of the “Silent Sherlock” trio of restored Sherlock Holmes films starring Eille Norwood.
Thanks to the efforts of Tom Fahres and Alan Rettig, members and friends can proudly display The Red Circle swag. Our pins grace many a Sherlockian lapel, and if you’re reluctant to use your silver-plated coffee or tea set every day, The Red Circle mugs are the perfect size for your morning cuppa.
Over the years, the BSI has awarded the title “The Red Circle” to three notable Sherlockians: James Montgomery, of “We Never Mention Aunt Clara” fame; his son, Bruce Montgomery, who countered his father’s song with “We Always Mention Aunt Clara”; and currently it is the investiture name of Laurie R. King, author of the popular Mary Russell book series.
The Red Circle has stood upon the terrace for many members and friends over the past 25 years, notably for Karen Kruse Anderson in 2018, The Red Circle’s founder and one and only ‘Match.’ Her husband, Poul Anderson, noted science fiction writer who attended the 50th anniversary dinner, died in 2001. Other members who have contributed to The Red Circle, now gone beyond the Reichenbach, include Wayne B. Swift and his wife Francine Morris Swift, past BSI Wiggins Michael Whelan, Jon Lellenberg, Norman M. Davis, Bob Verrey, and Gertrude H. Mahoney, who once displayed the courage under fire expected of a member. When she surprised a burglar in the kitchen of her son’s house in Washington he fled. She rushed to the door to see which way he went, and he shot her, grazing her arm. “But it’s only a flesh wound,” she explained to the paramedics who were insisting that she go to the hospital, “and I’ve never had a chance to watch the police investigate a crime scene.”
As 2025 begins to wane, The Red Circle of Washington continues to uphold our modest claim that we are the most-inclusive and (perhaps) least scholarly Sherlockian Society in existence. We are proud to be a strong presence in the Sherlockian world and look forward to celebrating another 25 years of Sherlockian friendship and scholarship at The Red Circle’s centenary in 2050.
