Memories of the Exhibition

Do you remember the 1951 Sherlock Holmes Exhibition?

'Congratulations and grateful thanks are due the Westminster Libraries and Archives for the fine website taking note of the 50th Anniversary of the opening of the Exhibition on Sherlock Holmes.
For me, it brought back a flood of memories sparked by the pictures of the famous sitting room. The scene of the visitors lined up at the railing triggered a particular memory that I wish to share. A half-century ago, as I stood at that railing admiring the completeness of the panoply of familiar items, another acolyte, a dear little old lady standing nearby put to me this poser. "Excuse me", she queried somewhat tentatively, "Is this his very room?" How, I thought to myself, can I truthfully answer this disarmingly naīve soul? A resolution came to me and I answered, " I am told that that is so." We exchanged smiles for my response appeared to please both of us.'

Frank Darlington,
Port Townsend,
Washington U.S. A.

'I visited the exhibition in my student days and retain impressions of it. As I recall the room was larger than the present recreated drawing room in Baker Street that is now open to the public. I have a vague connection with that display as it was my father who provided the gasogene from the collection of antiquities from the firm of Sparklets where he was employed as works' manager. As it happens I also have one of my own, bought more recently from an antique shop in New Zealand! I also recall that on a table in the room was a table set for breakfast (?) and two plates each having a half-eaten muffin, left when Holmes and Watson left hurriedly in answer to a summons! I understood that it was the job of the custodian of the day to take a bite out of each muffin before the exhibition opened!
I also have the catalogue of the exhibition, very possibly the only one extant in New Zealand.'

Ted Nye (Dr.)

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