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THE STAR: SUNDAY, MARCH 24, 1985A ll ★★Tlnley Park’s John Brouscb and part of his collection of Sherlockiana.(.Elementarymydear Watson•)South Downers present evidence for new clubBy BARBARA MARCHIHere are your mystery clues: 221B Baker street, Persian slipper, 17 steps, and the violin.If you deduced that these clues pertain to the most famous detective in the history of English literature, Sherlock Holmes, you might want to join other south suburbanites who are forming a new “Sherlockian” club.The club is an offshoot of the parent society in New York called the Baker Street Irregulars. BSI is named for the street urchins Holmes used to ferret out information.THE NEW south suburban club, according to acting president John Nieminski of Park Forest, will be called the South Downers.Sherlock Holmes societies, he explained, take their names from titles, places, or events in the Holmes stories, written by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Holmesians call the 60 tales the “Canon” or the “Sacred Writings.” South Downers refers to the area where Holmes retired in the south of England, county of Sussex.In the Midwest, 35 different Holmes societies meet to promote their hero. One Chicago club is named after the most famous Holmes tale, “The Hound of the Bas-kervilles.” Another is called the Criterion Bar association in honor of the first meeting of the Holmes/Watson duo in a pub by that name.John Brousch of Tinley Park said the South Downers will be different from Chicago societies: “Our group is very informal. We’re trying a new approach. We want members who want to have a good time. To be a member you don’t have to be an expert Holmesian.”NIEMINSKI, a Holmes fan since childhood, echoed Brousch’s call for new members and explained why people might want to join. “This is a form of social activity for people who like or have an interest in Sher-k Holmes or mystery fiction.’’At the club’s first organizational meeting, Brousch displayed his Sherlockiana, a collection of artifacts relating to the super sleuth. Included in the showing was a magnifyingglass, a papier-mache Persian slipper, a deerstalker (Holmes’ cap), and a curved-stem pipe.Brousch, an amateur artist, also exhibited his Holmesian oil paintings depicting the detective in a foggy, gaslit London street. Other artworks included still-life paintings of the detective’s famous regalia (pipe, hat, and magnifying glass) and scenes from the Canon.Brousch said the reasons “grown men go around wearing deerstalkers and smoking pipes” are as varied as the membership.STEPHEN Madeline of Olympia Fields says Holmes is incomparable to other fictional heroes. “John Wayne and the Lone Ranger used physical power to outdo their enemies while Holmes uses mental prowess. It’s far more interesting tobest your enemies through mental gymnastics.”Charles Shields of Frankfort started reading the tales at age 12 and has always been intrigued by the detective’s perfection of technique: “Using his sharp mind and his scientific deduction, he puts criminals where they belong — in jail.” Shields also admires Doyle’s literary genius although Doyle had no formal literary trainingam•• ■ •..*yilt;9*iWGN-TV’s Sunday matinees got Beecher resident Terry Thomas hooked. “Basil Rathbone is the definitive Sherlock Holmes,” Thomas declared.TO HIM, however, the Holmes books are “superior to the movies.” “Holmes is a self-made man; he's completely independent. When you’re reading the books, you say, ‘I wish I could do something like that.’ It’s great escapism.“The books also make vou feel likeSuburban sleuths will meet Wednesday to unravel evidence and solve the mystery of The Last Bow by Sherlock Holmes. More clues about the gathering are at 747-0167.you’re a companion of Holmes. You almost wish you could become a Holmes, so to capture a bit of Hol-mesiariism you go out and buy a deerstalker and a pipe.“The Holmes stories,” he continued, “are like a good friend. You sit down, light up your pipe, sip a glass of sherry, and get into Victorian England.”Joe Gentile of Chicago Heights said Holmes belongs to “a distinctsociety of fictional characters. “From the books you get such a feeling of justice and righteousness that if you believe he’s an actual person or believe he’s still living, he becomes an obsession.”Indeed, many Sherlockian groups spanning the globe continue to celebrate the birthdate of the “master,” believed to be January 6, 1854. The date has been derived from clues found in the Canon. Because no obituary has ever been published, many Sherlockians believe Holmes is still alive.WHETHER or not Holmes lives, future meetings of the South Downers will probably entail quizzes (a favorite Holmesian activity), book discussions, guest speakers, the reading of research papers by members, films, slides, book exchanges, and auctioning of Sherlockiana.The next meeting will be Wednesday at Frankfurter Hofbrau, 34 West Nebraska, Frankfort. Nieminski said the group’s first activity will be a discussion of the tale, His Last Bow. Nieminski said he would provide “more clues” about the meeting to interested residents who telephone747-0167.■As to the significance of the mystery clues, it’s elementary.221B Baker street is the detective’s most famous residence, and the location where admirers still direct correspondence.The Persian slipper’s toe is his cache for tobacco.Ascending to 221B are 17 steps, and the violin is the musical instrument Holmes played.Star photos byPhil Faso
Newspaper Details
South Holland Star
South Holland, Illinois, US
Sun, Mar 24, 1985
Page 11
Full Page
Clipped by
Hayner P.
IL, USA 28 Nov 2018
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