As a writer, Conan Doyle endowed his character with absolutely incredible talents and abilities. Sherlock could even be called a kind of superhero of the Victorian era. Firstly, he had a unique memory and, of course, excellent logical skills. In addition, Holmes was one of the pioneers of the still very young science of criminology. Finally, Doyle even "resurrected" his character from the dead, further reassuring readers of his superhero nature.
For a long time it was believed that the main and almost the only prototype of Holmes was Joseph Bell, Conan Doyle’s teacher and mentor, under whom he worked at the hospital. Bell indeed played a significant role in shaping the image of Holmes, as the author himself admitted in letters to his teacher, but later research suggested that the most famous literary detective had other “fathers.” Moreover, it is believed that other important characters also had prototypes: Dr. Watson, Irene Adler and Professor Moriarty.
Joseph Bell
“I owe you Sherlock Holmes,” Doyle wrote in a letter to his university professor. Joseph Bell taught at the University of Edinburgh, where the future writer studied to become a doctor. The students were literally fascinated by the skills demonstrated by the professor during practical classes. For example, he could often determine the patient’s occupation or guess where he was from, as well as tell some details from his biography. Conan Doyle developed this ability to notice details and draw a general conclusion based on many small facts in his character to unprecedented heights.
Joseph Bell. (Pinterest)
Bell himself, in an interview where he was called the prototype of a detective, modestly noted that he is, of course, far from the genius Holmes. And once in a letter to Doyle, Joseph Bell said that his character was actually much more like the writer himself. However, Holmes also has external features that make him somewhat similar to Professor Bell: tall stature, lean figure, piercing eyes and an aquiline nose.
Henry Littlejohn
Littlejohn was Bell's university colleague and close friend. He was also known in the scientific community as the most innovative criminologist in Scotland. Littlejohn was Edinburgh's health inspector and was the first responder to police calls about a suspicious death. For several decades, he successfully solved the most complex and intricate police cases. Moreover, he was helped in this by an “assistant”... the same Joseph Bell. The professor subsequently spoke about this in an interview. Bell noted that Littlejohn often referred to him as his right hand man. Thus, Bell essentially compared himself not with Holmes at all, as is commonly believed, but with Watson. The role of the famous detective in this case goes to Littjohn.
Henry Littjohn. (Wikimedia Commons)
A few years after the latter's death, Conan Doyle also admitted that the Edinburgh criminologist and inspector was the inspiration for his character. However, he did not gain fame during his lifetime, and there was probably a reason for that. Most likely, the writer did not want to expose Littlejohn as another prototype of Holmes, so as not to attract excessive attention to him from the press and public. Instead, he gave him a chance to calmly go about his main business, capturing criminals, without the risk of being recognized.
Jerome Caminada
It is Caminada that later studies put forward as the most likely prototype of Holmes. He worked as a police inspector in Manchester and became known as a real threat to the underworld. Caminada became famous shortly before the release of A Study in Scarlet, and his subsequent biography contains temporary overlaps with the fate of Holmes. There are other similarities with the literary hero.
Jerome Caminada. (annmarieackermann.com)
The inspector, like Doyle's character, had his own network of agents from the criminal world, on whose services and tips he relied. Caminada recruited informants “from the other side,” who not only gave him tips on specific crimes, but also taught the inspector knowledge about the criminal world and the habits of its inhabitants. Subsequently, he became so skilled that he could distinguish the thief from afar by his gait. The policeman often dressed up as a beggar, a simple worker, a late-night drunk, or even a white collar worker - all to get closer to the suspect. Moreover, he disguised himself so well that even his colleagues could not recognize him as someone familiar.
Caminada also had his own professor, Moriarty, a hardened criminal named Bob Horridge, who hated the detective. A policeman once caught him stealing a watch, which infuriated Horridge because he had gotten away with much worse crimes. Having been released from prison after 7 years, he threw all his strength into taking revenge on the inspector. Their confrontation lasted almost 20 years. Almost always one step ahead of the police, Horridge managed to lead law enforcement officers by the nose for a long time. It all ended when he shot and killed two police officers. Caminada then tracked down Horridge in Liverpool and arrested the criminal, who was then sentenced to life imprisonment.
Irene Adler in the film adaptation of Sherlock. (Pinterest)
In addition to Moriarty, Caminada also had her own Irene Adler in her life. A girl named Alicia Ormond has gained fame in the criminal world as an extremely clever thief and fraudster. She had excellent manners, was well educated and loved luxury very much. Caminada tracked down the criminal and even made an arrest, but this did not stop him from falling in love with the thief. A year later, a woman appeared in Holmes’ life whom he could not resist—the same Irene Adler.
We've all heard of Sherlock Holmes, who is considered by most people to be the greatest fictional detective of all time. His popularity is so great that there is an entire community called the Baker Street Irregulars, whose members develop the Sherlock Holmes universe by writing fan fiction and organizing reconstructions. Such popularity inevitably leads to the emergence of many myths about the character. Mythology becomes distorted over time, and some fictions are accepted as facts. Below are 10 common beliefs about Sherlock Holmes that are actually misconceptions.
10. Innocent people
Misconception: He didn't do bad things to innocent people just to solve another crime.
Sherlock Holmes is considered by many to be the white knight of the detective world: he solves crimes using only his wits, and innocent people are never harmed in the process. He's considered the greatest fictional detective, but Sherlock also had a dark side, and it's not just his addiction to drugs or eccentric habits. Sherlock Holmes was ready to do anything to solve a crime, and he often played with people's destinies just for fun. In The Adventure of Charles Augustus Milverton, he becomes engaged to a maid to get closer to a villain he suspects of committing a crime. After completing the investigation, he simply leaves the woman, which probably was not the most pleasant moment in her life. He didn't even try to explain the situation to her, and there are no more mentions of it in the books. He also hired a small group of street urchins to do his dirty work for him, whom he affectionately called the Baker Street Militia. The boys are mentioned in the following stories: The Sign of the Four, A Study in Scarlet and The Adventure of the Crooked Man.
9. Progressiveness 
Misconception: Sherlock Holmes' social views were progressive
In the story “The Adventure of the Three Gables,” Sherlock Holmes engages in rude and racist dialogue with blacks. He calls the black boxer stupid just because of the color of his skin and even makes fun of the size of his lips. An excerpt describing Holmes’ dialogue with Steve Dixie, a black boxer: “Yes, it’s me, Steve Dixie. And Mass Holmes will probably feel it the hard way if he tries to fool me. “But that’s what you use least of all,” Holmes replied.” After the boxer leaves, Sherlock says: “Fortunately, you didn’t have to test the strength of his not very intelligent head, Watson. Your maneuvers with the poker were not lost on me. But in reality, Dixie is a pretty harmless guy. Just a hugely powerful, stupid, boastful child. Did you notice how easily it was possible to subdue him?” Sherlock later makes racist remarks about blacks in general. However, it is worth noting an important circumstance. At the time when these stories were written, such attitudes towards blacks were common - this, of course, does not justify racism, but it is also not a feature of Holmes that distinguishes him from the rest of the population of England at that time. It is also interesting that many researchers believe that “The Incident at the Three Skates,” which contains the most racist statements, is a fake that was not written by Arthur Conan Doyle. This would not be surprising, since fan fiction on the theme of Sherlock Holmes began to appear a very long time ago.
8. Withholding information
Misconception: Sherlock Holmes does not give information he has to the police
In the recently released Sherlock Holmes films, there are several scenes in which Holmes takes evidence from a crime scene and hides it from the police. This allows him to always be several steps ahead during the investigation and solve crimes first. But in the books he acted completely differently. Sherlock Holmes always left enough clues for the police to guess what he had already understood - this is mentioned in the story “The Adventure of the Devils Foot”. He also often shared information with the police if he learned that they were on the wrong trail - such a situation happened in the story "The Adventure of Wisteria Lodge". Sherlock Holmes was faster than the police only because he was better at deduction than them. Scenes in which Sherlock Holmes deliberately hides evidence damage the image of a detective who has never done such a thing.
7. Best friend
Misconception: Holmes trusts his best friend Doctor Watson
Dr. John Watson - best friend Sherlock Holmes, who was also his biographer and assistant in especially dangerous cases. Their friendship is very strong and they remain friends throughout their lives. Holmes even says that he would be "lost without his Boswell," a reference to the famous 18th-century biographer Samuel Johnson. However, although Holmes appreciated Watson's medical knowledge and knew that he would always come to his aid in difficult times, he never completely trusted the doctor. In The Hound of the Baskervilles, Holmes asks Watson to observe what is happening in Baskerville Hall, but then heads to the swamp himself because he does not trust his friend. Moreover, he does not even inform Watson that he came to the same place where the Doctor was already. Also, in the story “Sherlock Holmes is Dying” (The Adventure of the Dying Detective), the detective pretends to be sick with a deadly disease, because he believes that Watson would not be able to keep the secret that this is just a pretense. Although Holmes claims that he respects professional quality Watson, the fact that he did not believe that the doctor could play along with him does not show the detective in the best light.
6. Odd manners 
Misconception: Holmes dressed eccentrically and was sloppy
Not all film adaptations feature this myth, but the latest film adaptation, starring Robert Downey Jr., portrays this misconception to its fullest extent. Robert Downey Jr. as Holmes wears super eccentric clothes that don't fit him and gives off the image of a man with poor hygiene. However, in The Hound of the Baskervilles, Sherlock Holmes is described as a man who takes care of his hygiene like a cat. He wears traditional, conservative clothing for his time and has always been described as an incredibly clean man. The same story tells that, despite the fact that Sherlock Holmes lived in an old hut on a swamp, during the investigation he remained clean and tidy - he even specially arranged for fresh bed linen and clothes to be brought there for him.
5. Cap and snorkel
Misconception: Holmes is always pictured wearing a deerstalker's hat and smoking a gourd pipe.
The popular image of Holmes wearing a deer hunter's hat and smoking pipe is so common that these accessories are considered an integral part of the detective. However, this is fiction. The cap and pipe combination was invented for the theater and was never used by Sherlock in the books. The gourd pipe (calabash) was first used by the actor in one of the first productions of the play about Sherlock Holmes. The actor chose it because the receiver could be easily held on his chest while he was talking. In the books, Holmes used a completely different pipe. This may seem like a nitpick, but it was worth mentioning because the deerstalker hat/calabash combination has become synonymous with Holmes and detective stories in general.
4. Middle age
Misconception: Dr. Watson and Sherlock Holmes - middle-aged gentlemen
In popular culture, Sherlock Holmes and his friend Doctor Watson are portrayed as sophisticated, middle-aged men. This mistake can be easily explained, because Dr. Watson had already been in the war and was a skilled doctor, and Holmes managed to gain a brilliant reputation. However, Holmes and Watson were actually quite young - in most stories they are just over 25 years old. Holmes and Watson are close in age: Sherlock is believed to have been born in 1854 and met the Doctor in 1881. Most of their adventures happened in the early years after they became friends, which means they were quite young - they were no more than 30 years old. The explanation for how they could achieve such heights at such a young age is simple: they were both outstanding young men. Although Dr. Watson is overshadowed by his friend, he was a good professional, had a brilliant mind and performed well during the war.
3. Short things
Misconception: Holmes did not spend more than a couple of months solving the case and ended his career at a relatively young age
There is a grain of truth in this: Sherlock did solve most crimes with unimaginable speed. And he planned to end his career at a young age. Holmes "retired" and began studying bees and even published a book, which he called his "great work", containing his observations collected while breeding bees. However, the government had a problem: there were information leaks in the government, they were losing agents and could not understand who was behind it. After several high-ranking officials asked him about it, Holmes finally agreed to take on the investigation of this case, which is described in the story “His Farewell Bow.” As a result, Holmes finds the German secret agent who was causing all the trouble and invites Doctor Watson to the final act. He tells Doctor Watson that his plan to capture a German agent was so complicated that he had to join a secret Irish society in America for two years - all in order to defeat one agent. It's safe to say that Holmes' work was incredibly thorough.
2. Irene Adler
Misconception: Sherlock Holmes loved Irene Adler
The creators of many films and television series believed that in order to make their works more interesting for viewers to watch, it was necessary to add a romantic storyline. You could see a dramatized example of this in films starring Robert Downey Jr., who played a bisexual, eccentric playboy in love with both Irene Adler and his friend Doctor Watson. The storyline about falling in love with Irene Adler is perfect, isn't it? Well, except that there was no love. Irene Adler is only mentioned in one story, A Scandal in Bohemia, and the only thing she says to Sherlock as she passes him is: “ Good night"Mister Sherlock Holmes." Sherlock later describes her as a "Woman with a capital W", but only because she was the only woman who in any way surpassed him. He respected her for her intelligence, but did not regard her as a romantic interest, and she was never seen again in the books. If you need further proof, Arthur Conan Doyle described Sherlock Holmes as “inhuman, like Babbage's Analytical Engine” and believed that his famous detective was not interested in love.
1. Professor Moriarty 
Misconception: Professor James Moriarty was his nemesis
Despite the popular belief drilled into us by many television series and films, Professor Moriarty was not Sherlock Holmes's worst enemy. Moreover, Moriarty appears in only one story - “Holmes's Last Case” ( The Final problem). He was also mentioned in passing in the story "The Valley of Fear" - he provided advice to other criminals for a fee. Apart from their famous battle at the Reichenbach Falls, the books do not record any violent confrontation between Holmes and Moriarty. In fact, Arthur Conan Doyle was tired of the Sherlock Holmes character and wanted to move on to other projects, so he simply created a conflict between Moriarty and Holmes to kill off his most famous hero. However, fans of the books were so outraged by this that the author had to reluctantly resurrect Holmes. It is unlikely that there has ever been another character so beloved by the people that people wore black bands on their arms to mourn his death.
One of the most anticipated film events of 2017 will be the season of the British series Sherlock Holmes. The trailer for the new film has already appeared. We decided to recall interesting facts about the most famous, albeit fictional, detective.
1. Sherlock Holmes' IQ is about 190
In a book called The Intelligence of Sherlock Holmes and Other Three-Pipe Problems, John Redford attempted to calculate Sherlock's IQ by using three different methods. He concluded that his IQ was 190, about the same as that of his compatriot, Sir Isaac Newton.
2. Sherlock means curl
According to most sources, Conan Doyle probably took the name Sherlock from the Old English surname Shearlock, which means "lock of blond hair." Other people suggest that he was inspired by the famous violinist Alfred Sherlock. According to third sources, this is a combination of the surnames of two famous cricketers: Sherwin and Shacklock.
3. Holmes is the most popular fictional character
The Guinness Book of World Records states that Sherlock Holmes has appeared in a total of 254 films and television shows. The Internet Movie Database (IMDB) lists an even higher number - 292 films and television shows. At least 90 different actors have played the role of Sherlock in various TV series and films. There is another fictional character who is portrayed in films even more often, but he is not entirely human - this is Dracula.
4. Sherlock Holmes - the mastermind of real-life investigators
Many of the standard investigative techniques used today were actually mentioned in the Sherlock Holmes novels before they were used in real life. For example, Sherlock used fingerprinting back in 1890. The first recorded use of fingerprints was in Argentina in 1893. Scotland Yard began using this method in 1901.
5. 221B Baker Street
At the time Holmes may have lived, Baker Street was a very short street, and the maximum number on it was "85". When town plans were changed in 1930, the entire main street in Westminster was renamed Baker Street. For a short time there did exist a house at number 221 Upper Baker Street, but it was demolished a few months after the street was renamed. Today, however, the famous address exists. Below it is a private museum dedicated to Sherlock Holmes.
6. Holmes's favorite hat
The famous deerstalker hat that Holmes wears in all of his films today did not actually originally appear in Conan Doyle's books. It was drawn by illustrator Sidney Paget, who illustrated Holmes stories for magazines. Also, Sherlock did not use the Calabash pipe. In the stories he wore a Victorian cap and smoked a clay and briar pipe.
7. Holmes's older brother
Mycroft Holmes, Sherlock's older brother, is an amazing character. He is usually portrayed as a man who knows and maybe even more than his brother. Mycroft is often featured in the series. He appears frequently in the Sherlock Holmes series, but he was actually only mentioned in two Conan Doyle stories: "The Greek Translator" and "The Bruce-Partington Blueprints."
8. The Hound of the Baskervilles
The terrifying story of the Baskerville family, haunted by the legendary curse of a ghostly dog, is one of the most filmed Sherlock Holmes stories. When the story first appeared in Strand magazine, it increased its sales by 30,000 copies. To date, more than 20 films and TV series have been made based on the story of the Hound of the Baskervilles.
Few people know that the "father" of Sherlock Holmes.
It is well known that the idea to write a popular detective story about the detective Sherlock Holmes came to the mind of the writer Agatha Christie while she was working in a pharmacy in a military hospital. She crushed the ingredients to prepare the medicine in a mortar and came up with a plot - a mysterious murder by poisoning.
Who was the real Sherlock Holmes?
Agatha Christie came up with the appearance of the famous detective Hercule Poirot quite by accident: she copied him from a neighbor who lived not far from her house. He was a neat, clean, short man with a magnificent mustache, a connoisseur of good cuisine and a sweet tooth, preferring hot chocolate to alcohol.
Observational surgeon
But Sherlock Holmes had a real prototype. In the fall of 1911, the London magazine Hospital published an obituary, “The Death of a Great Educator,” in which it informed its readers that on October 4, at the age of 74, the chief surgeon of the Royal Edinburgh City Hospital, Professor Joseph Bell, who trained a galaxy of outstanding doctors, died. Among them was Arthur Conan Doyle.
The famous writer met him while a medical student at the University of Edinburgh. The professor was not only an excellent surgeon, but also a person with exceptionally developed powers of observation. “Most people look, but they don’t observe. If you take a closer look at a person, at first glance you can determine his nationality, his hands will tell about his profession, his gait and manners - about many other things... Even the threads stuck to his jacket can say a lot.
The real Sherlock Holmes Joseph Bell (Joseph Bell)An attentive doctor can almost accurately say in just a minute what a talkative patient is complaining about...” Indeed, while owning it, Bell noticed the smallest details. For example, no sooner had the patient crossed the threshold of his office than the owner asked him to calm down. When the patient asked how the doctor knew that he was really very excited, the answer was: “Carefree people usually knock on the door two, rarely three times. And you knocked four...” Or, starting a conversation, Bell confidently said that his visitor came to him on foot from the suburbs and entered Edinburgh from the south side through the golf course. The professor quickly dispelled the bewilderment: “You know, in the whole city there is only red soil. When it rains, it naturally sticks to your shoes. It had just rained at night, and the ground had not yet dried out. You can tell by the marks your shoes leave on the floor that you were there.”
The infectious deduction of Sherlock Holmes
Or, for example, to the delight of students, before starting a medical examination, Bell once categorically told a patient that he had recently retired with the rank of sergeant in a mountain rifle regiment after serving in Barbados, and was now earning his living as a shoemaker, but things were going well not too good. Moreover, his sick wife had to be admitted to the hospital. That's how it was. “This man showed courtesy and politeness when entering the office, but did not remove his hat. This is a military habit. If he had retired a long time ago, he would have learned civilian manners,” Bell explained. - The patient behaves with authority, and this indicates that he was a commander.
As for Barbados, where only the mountain regiment is based, the patient is suffering from elephantism, a disease that is quite widespread among the inhabitants of the West Indies. The type of current occupation is indicated by a wide, calloused thumb, which often comes into contact with the dredge. The financial situation is really unimportant, since I had to pawn my watch - an empty watch chain hangs from my vest pocket. And from the other pocket peeks out a hospital voucher for hospitalization, which means that the wife (the engagement ring on the patient’s finger) began to undergo treatment in the hospital, and as a result, the poor fellow has to make his bed himself, as evidenced by the lint on his clothes.”
After graduating from university in 1881, Arthur Conan Doyle chose the profession of a ship's doctor, and later tried to open a medical practice. But, alas, fortune turns its back on him. The doctor decided to improve his financial condition and began writing detective stories, the main character of which was a detective who could not only observe, but also draw conclusions - just as Professor Bell did.
Oliver Wendell HolmesAll that remained was to choose a name for the future hero. Everything was decided ingeniously simply: taking the name of the then famous cricket player Sherlock, the writer combined it with the name of the American doctor Oliver Wendell Holmes. And the detective’s faithful companion was named Dr. Watson, after the name of a dentist who actually lived on Baker Street.
Fate turned out to be favorable to the aspiring writer - a series of stories published by an American publisher brought success to Conan Doyle. Thus, before his death in 1930, the unlucky doctor gave fans of the adventure genre 56 short stories and 4 tales about the great detective.