SHERLOCK HOLMES CV
Consulting Detective
ADDRESS:
221b Baker Street
London NW1 6XE
England
PERSONAL: Born c. 1854; retired late early 1904 after 23 years of active
practice. Descendant of country squires; grandson of a sister of the French artist
Emile Jean Horace Vernet. World's first Consulting Detective. Worked for the
love of his art rather than for the acquirement of wealth. Professional charges
were upon a fixed scale. "I do not vary them, save when I remit them altogether."
PROFESSIONAL: 1878 began professional career as a detective. 1882 Began
professional partnership with Dr. Watson. Between 1878 - 1889 investigated some 500 cases "of capital
importance" 1878 - 1891. Devoted to exposing & breaking up criminal organization of Prof. Moriarty. 1894
Returned to active practice 1894 - 1901 Handled hundreds of cases. 1895 Private audience with Queen
Victoria, for services to England June. 1902 Refused offer of knighthood. 1903 - 1904 Began retirement in
solitude in a villa on the Sussex coast overlooking the English channel, reviewing the records of cases and the
destruction of those which might compromise more exalted clients. "The approach of the German war caused
him, however, to lay his remarkable combination of intellectual and practical ability at the disposal of the
government" with the result of communicating much false intelligence to the Germans, and arrest of Prussian
spy-master Von Bork
CHARACTER: "Dual nature" of personality: "Nothing could exceed his energy when the working fit was upon
him; but now and again a reaction would seize him, and for days on end he would lie upon the sofa in the
sitting-room, hardly uttering a word or moving a muscle from morning to night."
During these moods,
alternated "between cocaine and ambition, the drowsiness of the drug and the fierce energy of his own keen
nature", then an even blacker depression took hold of him in reaction to the narcotics, from which he could
only be rescued by a case His own powers became irksome when not in use: "My mind rebels at stagnation",
and he chafed and brooded over "the insufferable fatigues of idleness"
"My mind is like a racing engine,
tearing itself to pieces because it is not connected up with the work for which it was built" Has an 'animal
lust for the chase': "The man is nothing, the work everything"
"Work is the best antidote to sorrow"; "a
change of work is the best rest."
APPEARANCE AND CONSTITUTION: Tall, thin; narrow face, large forehead, black hair, brows dark & heavy
Nose thin, hawk-like; lips thin, firm; voice quick, high, strident Eyes grey, sharp, piercing, taking on "faraway introspective look" Seldom take exercise for its own sake, yet "always in training" A good runner;
possessed of strength which one would hardly credit
"I am exceptionally strong in the fingers"; "grasp of
iron" Few men were capable of greater muscular effort "An abnormally acute set of senses"; "extraordinary
delicacy of touch" "Frugal"; habits "simple to the verge of austerity"; "Idleness exhausts me completely" yet
from time to time spend whole days in bed "Catlike love of personal cleanliness"; quiet primness of dress
Normally dressed in conventional tweeds or frock-coat
Occasionally don an Ulster; dressing-gown in
privacy of own rooms
In country, a "long grey travelling-cloak" with close-fitting, ear- flapped, cloth
"travelling cap"
Late riser as a rule "save upon those not infrequent occasions when he was up all night"
during which up early on a case, vigourous and untiring, going for days or even a week without rest Diet,
spare at the best of times, abandoned altogether when working
"I am a brain, Watson. The rest of me is a
mere appendix."
State of health "not a matter in which he took the faintest interest."
Wiry, iron
constitution; suffered breakdown from nervous prostration in Spring 1887; ordered to take complete rest in
March 1897 due to "constant hard work of a most exacting kind, aggravated, perhaps, by occasional
indiscretions of his own" In retirement, somewhat crippled by occasional bouts of rheumatism. Took up
swimming, nonetheless; little or no knowledge of amateur sports,
Baritsu (Japanese self-defence); boxing
expert; excellent swordsman; enjoy fishing in the Broads near Donnithorpe; knowledge of golf clubs; singlestick expert.
PUBLICATIONS: Author of a number of monographs, all of them on technical subjects; Upon the Distinction
Between the Ashes of the Various Tobaccos; Monograph on polyphonic motets of Lassus, printed for private
circulation, said by some experts to be the last word on the subject;
Two short articles on ears in the
Anthropological Journal;
A "trifling" monograph upon the subject of secret writings, 160 separate ciphers
analysed; Monograph upon the dating of documents; A contribution to the literature of tattoos; Monograph
upon the tracing of footsteps; Monograph upon the influence of the trade upon the form of the hand; The
Book of Life, the "somewhat ambitious" title of an article written for an English magazine, attempting to show
how much an observant man might learn by accurate and systematic examination of all that came in his way;
Practical Handbook of Bee Culture; Francois le Villard translated some of these works into French
PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE: Minute knowledge of the history of crime. Immense knowledge of "sensational
literature"; "appears to know every detail of every horror perpetrated in the century" The higher criminal
world of London; details of Continental crime; Disguises, wearing and recognizing: "It is the first quality of
a criminal investigator that he should see through a disguise"; See publications on: tobacco ashes, shapes of
ears, cryptography, dating of documents, tattoos, footsteps, influence of trades on form of hands;
Dogs
Researches of a "medico-criminal aspect"; An exact knowledge of London; Newspaper types; Perfumes;
The typewriter and its relation to crime; Bicycle tyres; Names and trademarks of the world's major gunmaking firms.
HOBBIES: Art -- spend some time in Bond Street picture-galleries; "art in the blood is likely to take the
strangest forms"; Study of honey-bee, bee-farming upon the South Downs; Special study of the Buddhism of
Ceylon (Hinayana); Cornish Language, conceived the idea that it is akin to the Chaldean, and had been largely
derived from the Phoenician traders in tin; Some weeks in a great University town pursuing laborious
researches in Early English charters which, it was said, led to some striking results; Study of polyphonic
motets of Orlandus Lassus; Deep and continuing interest in the Middle Ages, making special studies in
Miracle Plays, a 15th Century Palimpsest, Early English charters, medieval pottery, music (especially Lassus).
An extraordinarily talented violinist! His musical prowess was described in several cases, including the first
story, “Study in Scarlet”. In the “Cardboard Box”, we learn that his personal instrument was a genuine
Stradivarius. In “The Marzarin Stone” he actually caught the villains by putting on a gramophone recording of
violin music (that tricked them into thinking he was in that room). In “The Red Headed League”, Dr. Watson
wrote: "Holmes was an enthusiastic musician, being himself not only a very capable performer of no ordinary
merit."
SOME OF HOLMES' ENEMIES: The most famous of the enemies of Holmes and the decent world is of course
Professor James Moriarty - a mathematical genius-with a flair for crime. Luckily in a deadly struggle at the
Reichenbach Falls in Switzerland the world was rid of this horrible man-but not his henchmen.
Colonel Sebastian Moran - Moriarty's second in command.
Charles Augustus Milverton - The Worst Man in London - according to Holmes. A woman whose life he had
destroyed shot this terrible blackmailer.
Sir Grimesby Roylott - a man who tried to kill both his stepdaughters by putting them in contact with a
poisonous snake-but was thwarted by Holmes and killed himself by the snake.
HOLMES' FRIENDS: The most important friend of Holmes is Dr John H Watson - for it is he
who writes up the experiences. Watson is around the same age as Holmes, and is an athletic
man, with a strong build and a square face, with a moustache. Watson has been married twice.
Mrs Hudson. Holmes and Watson's Landlady, Mrs Hudson is Scottish and provides a good
breakfast to the men in their Baker Street flat (221b). Mrs Hudson has a great fondness for both
men, and is concerned for their well being.
Inspector Lestrade. Lestrade is a detective from Scotland Yard who relies on Holmes for some
of the trickier cases he has to deal with. Holmes calls him 'the best of a bad lot'
Tobias Gregson. Another Scotland Yard man-who Holmes calls 'the smartest of the Scotland
Yarders'
HOLMES' LADIES: He was reserved towards women, because he felt their influence a
distraction to his work, so he would not allow himself (as Watson did) to become swayed by
their romantic allure. Nevertheless, Holmes took an interest in a Miss Irene Adler, whom he
always referred to as 'the woman'. She was born in New Jersey in 1858 and outwitted him in
the case of A Scandal in Bohemia.
Answer the questions about the CV.
1.When was Sherlock Holmes born?
2.In what year did he meet his partner Dr. Watson
3.In what year did he meet Queen Victoria? What happened when she offered him a knighthood?
4.In what year does Holmes retire?
5.What kind of character did Holmes have?
6.What did he do when he was bored?
7.Describe Holmes' appearance.
8.What sports does he practice?
9.What happened to Holmes in the Spring of 1887?N
10.Name three of Holmes' hobbies.
11.What kind of violin does Holmes play?
12.Name Holmes' four worst enemies.
13.Who is Holmes' best friend. Describe him.
14.Who is the landlady of 221B Baker street?
15.What nationality is she?
16.Who are the two Scotland Yard detectives Holmes works with?
17.Does Holmes like women in his cases? Why?
18.Who is the exception?
19.Why is she the exception?
20.What is her nationality?