BOOKS AND AUTHORS | MYSTERY | SHERLOCK HOLMES

The Mysteries & Mannerisms of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle Part III of IV

How did Edgar Allen Poe’s Detective Lupin and Oscar Wilde’s ‘The Picture of Dorian Gray’ affect Doyle’s penning of Holmes and Watson? Read on to find out

Non-Medium members, click here to read for free. Then, consider if joining Medium at $5/month is a good deal for you to read and write here.

Note: This post contains affiliate links. Read my disclosure statement for additional information.

The following is my third installment of what you need to know about Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, Sherlock, and Doctor Watson.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s canon contains four novels and 56 short stories, most of which were published in The Strand Magazine from July 1891 to June 1892.

Traditionally, the canon of Sherlock Holmes consists of the 56 short stories and four novels written by the British writer and physician Sir Arthur Conan Doyle.

In the context of Sherlock Holmes stories, the term “canon” distinguishes Doyle’s original stories from those of other authors and writers who created stories using the same or similar characters.

Continuation from 15 Jul ‘26

Sherlock Holmes Controversial Attire

Much like Sheldon’s now-famous knock, knock, knock, “Penny,” knock, knock, knock, “Penny,” knock, knock, knock, “Penny,” which didn’t appear until episode ten (The Loobenfeld Decay) of The Big Bang Theory, Sherlock Holmes’ famous deerstalker cap did not appear in his first novel, A Study in Scarlett.

The true character of Sherlock Holmes, in Doyle’s canon, did not have just one hat or cape he always wore.

Doyle never described Holmes as wearing a deerstalker hat and an Inverness Cape. But it did appear on a few book and magazine covers.

When Doyle described which hat Holmes wore, it was usually a top hat since those were the most common at that time.

The deerstalker hat and an Inverness Cape were made popular by the famous American stage actor William Gillette. These were frequently worn thereafter so that the audience would readily recognize Sherlock Holmes in plays.

Sidney Paget, the illustrator of Doyle’s original novels, often drew Holmes wearing the deerstalker cap on book covers. That is why many commonly associate the cap and Inverness cape with Sherlock.

In The Hound of the Baskervilles film, Holmes wore the infamous plaid deerstalker hat. However, he also wore a dark fedora with a tall crown.

When Robert Downey Jr. played Sherlock Holmes in 2009, he rarely wore a hat because of all the action scenes.

However, he wore three different hats in the film: A black fedora, a newsboy hat, and a bowler hat in a few scenes.

The now-iconic deerstalker cap became closely associated with the detective because he appeared wearing it in 1891 when Conan Doyle’s stories began appearing in The Strand Magazine, starting with A Scandal in Bohemia.

Who Was the Character Irene Adler Based On?

A Scandal in Bohemia introduced readers to Irene Adler.

Although she appeared in only one Sherlock Holmes adventure, Adler became one of the detective’s most memorable characters.

She was intelligent, resourceful, and impossible to outwit. She earned Holmes’ lasting respect in a way few others ever managed.

To this day, literary historians continue to debate whether Conan Doyle modeled Adler on a real woman.

Among the most frequently suggested candidates are the dancer and adventurer Lola Montez, once associated with King Ludwig I of Bavaria, and actress Lillie Langtry, who famously enjoyed a relationship with Edward, then Prince of Wales.

Was It Really “Elementary, My Dear Watson”?

Many readers are surprised to discover that Sherlock Holmes never actually says the famous phrase, *“Elementary, my dear Watson,*” in Conan Doyle’s original stories.

The words “elementary” and “my dear Watson” do appear separately, but never together as the quotation we all recognize today.

In *The Adventure of the Crooked Man *on DVD (1893), both expressions appear in the same story — just not side by side. In fact, dozens of words separate them.

The line became popular later through stage productions, films, and radio adaptations, eventually becoming one of literature’s greatest misquotes.

Who Was Sherrinford Holmes?

Sherlock Holmes almost had a completely different name.

Before settling on “Sherlock,” Conan Doyle considered calling his detective Sherrinford Holmes, reportedly inspired by a cricketer whose name caught his attention. Fortunately for readers, he changed his mind before publication.

Cricket remained one of Conan Doyle’s lifelong passions. He played regularly from his teenage years and even represented the prestigious Marylebone Cricket Club between 1899 and 1907.

Modern readers often speculate about Holmes’ personality.

Many have suggested that, if evaluated today, he might display characteristics associated with Asperger’s syndrome, bipolar disorder, or savant syndrome, as many of his stories allude to — although these remain modern interpretations rather than diagnoses spelled out in the canon.

The detective’s appearance also changed dramatically before becoming the familiar figure we know today.

Conan Doyle originally imagined Holmes as somewhat ordinary, even thinning or balding on top and lacking obvious charm.

That image changed thanks to illustrator Sidney Paget, whose artwork for The Strand Magazine transformed Holmes into the tall, refined Victorian gentleman recognized around the world.

Paget also popularized the detective’s distinctive deerstalker cap and pipe, details that have become inseparable from Sherlock Holmes, despite rarely appearing in the original stories.

Holmes also remains unusual among famous fictional heroes because he shows little romantic interest in anyone. In *The Adventure of the Lion’s Mane*, he explains his outlook perfectly:

“Women have seldom been an attraction to me, for my brain has always governed my heart.”

Instead, Holmes devotes himself almost entirely to solving crimes. When cases become scarce, however, he occasionally turns to less admirable habits.

His fondness for his pipe is well known, while his occasional use of cocaine reflects a period when the drug remained legal and its addictive dangers were not fully understood.

Is Their Address Really 221B Baker Street?

Few addresses in literature are as instantly recognizable as 221B Baker Street.

Conan Doyle placed Holmes and Watson in this London residence, yet the famous address presents an interesting curiosity.

Although visitors flock to the Sherlock Holmes Museum, the building officially identified as 221B does not physically occupy that numbered location.

The museum actually stands between numbers 237 and 241 Baker Street, placing it where number 239 would ordinarily be found.

Nevertheless, for millions of Holmes enthusiasts, the museum remains the detective’s spiritual home.

What’s more, if you address mail to 221B Baker Street, it will be delivered to the Sherlock Holmes Museum.

The Final Problem — Or Was It?

By the early 1890s, Conan Doyle had grown weary of Sherlock Holmes.

Determined to devote more time to historical fiction and other interests, he decided the detective’s career had reached its conclusion.

In *The Final Problem* (1893), Holmes confronted his greatest enemy, Professor James Moriarty, at Switzerland’s spectacular Reichenbach Falls.

Locked in combat, both men plunged over the waterfall, seemingly ending the detective’s adventures forever.

Conan Doyle believed he had finally freed himself from Holmes.

His readers, however, had very different ideas.

The public reaction was extraordinary. Newspapers reported widespread disappointment, readers flooded the author with letters, and many openly demanded Holmes’ return.

Few fictional deaths have ever generated such widespread emotion. As events would soon prove, Sherlock Holmes’ final case was anything but final.

The Hound of the Baskervilles

Conan Doyle eventually gave in to public demand, but he found a clever way to bring Sherlock Holmes back without immediately undoing the detective’s apparent death.

Published in 1902, *The Hound of the Baskervilles* takes place before Holmes’ confrontation with Professor Moriarty at the Reichenbach Falls. Rather than continuing the timeline, Conan Doyle simply set the story earlier in the detective’s career.

The gamble paid off. The novel became one of the best-known detective stories ever written and is frequently regarded by Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts — often called “Sherlockians” — as the finest of the four Holmes novels.

‘The Return of Sherlock Holmes’

Readers did not have to wait much longer for Holmes’ true resurrection.

Published in 1905, *The Return of Sherlock Holmes collected thirteen stories that had originally appeared in The Strand Magazine* during 1903 and 1904.

The collection begins with *The Adventure of the Empty House*, where Conan Doyle finally explains how Holmes survived his deadly encounter with Moriarty and returned to Baker Street.

After that, the world’s greatest detective resumed solving mysteries as though he had never left.

How Did Arthur Conan Doyle Become a Knight?

Many people assume Arthur Conan Doyle received his knighthood because of Sherlock Holmes. Surprisingly, that is not the case.

He became Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1902 after defending Britain’s actions during the Boer War in his pamphlet *The War in South Africa: Its Cause and Conduct*.

King Edward VII knighted him on October 24, 1902, at Buckingham Palace, in recognition of that public service.

Ironically, Conan Doyle was hesitant to accept the honor. He believed titles belonged to an earlier age and questioned whether his work as both a physician and author deserved such recognition.

His views softened after discussions with friends, including H. G. Wells, and after dining with Edward VII, then Prince of Wales.

Ultimately, Doyle decided that declining the King’s offer would be disrespectful and accepted the distinction.

Although Sherlock Holmes remains his greatest literary achievement, Conan Doyle’s influence extended well beyond fiction.

His campaigns against wrongful convictions and his efforts to improve Britain’s legal system contributed to the establishment of the Court of Criminal Appeal in 1907.

To be continued…

Part IV, the final chapter, will be released tomorrow, Friday, 17 July 2026

That’s all for today. Join me every weekend on Fiction Shorts for an Animal House Vignette, as told by Sherlock.

Discover how to participate in the Animal House Vignette challenge

[embed]Updated Submission Guidelines For Writing Vignettes Updated June 26, 2026medium.com

Alternatively, you could follow me and subscribe to get notified of my new stories by email.

Stephen Dalton is a retired US Army First Sergeant with a degree in journalism from the University of Maryland and a Certified US English Chicago Manual of Style Editor. Also, a Top Writer in Bitcoin, Business, Investing, Nutrition, Travel, Fiction, Transportation, VR, NFL, Design, Creativity, and Short Story.

**Facebook | [Twitter ](https://twitter.com/daltonspatriots)| [Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/daltonspatriots/) | [Reddit](https://www.reddit.com/user/TheWriteResults/) | Ko-fi**

©️ 2026 Stephen Dalton. All rights reserved.

Tagging some random friends — Randy Pulley — Bruce Coulter — Julia A. Keirns — Jerry Dwyer — Paula Shablo — Nevena Pascaleva— Emma Vincent — Dixie Dodd ♡ — Denée King— Karen Schwartz — Kelly Corinne Elliott — Michael Rhodes — Jonny Masters — John Hansen PAL— Maria Rattray— Anna Soldenhoff— Trisha Faye— Jeannie.Chambers — Steph Thompson — Holly Emery — Kim McKinney — Miriam Connolly — Annelise Lords— Marilyn Flower— Gayle Kurtzer-Meyers— Ted Czukor— Nancy S Rust— Amy Wolf — FarMan — Mary Acton — Sudarsan K Das — Val Francis — Miyabi's Movie Diary — PAUL FLURRY — Pooja Vishwanathan 🦋 — Arpad Nagy— Carole Olsen — Meta Marvelia — Anu maheshwari — Noriko Yanyan — Canute Limarider— Claire Noire♡­ — Vipul Maurya — Anhad Sandhu— Jairam R Prabhu— Mypen Soul Writes — Stefan Pasek — Do Capozucca — Robbi Walls — Pavel Piatrou— Sunita Chakraborty — Kaili Bisson — Lynn L. Alexander — Nancy Oglesby — Karen Hoffman.

Don’t want to be tagged anymore? Want to be tagged? Let me know in the comments! I won’t be offended either way! I approve of anyone tagging me with your short stories, so I won’t have to look for them.