[Rarebooks] FS: Sherlock Holmes, Mycroft Holmes & Holmesiana

[Joslin Hall Rare Books]

A Selection of Sherlock Holmes-related material =>
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TITLE: “Mycroft. A study into the life of the brother of Sherlock Holmes”

By Bruce Kennedy.
Published by The Three Students Plus in 1969.

DISCUSSION: There is an introduction by Bruce Dettman and several line
illustrations by Jon V. Wilmunen.

"Mycroft Holmes is a character in the stories written by Sir Arthur Conan
Doyle. He is the elder brother (by seven years) of the famous detective
Sherlock Holmes. Possessing deductive powers exceeding even those of his
younger brother, Mycroft is nevertheless incapable of performing detective
work similar to that of Sherlock as he is unwilling to put in the physical
effort necessary to bring cases to their conclusions. Mycroft has appeared
or been mentioned in four stories by Doyle: "The Greek Interpreter", "The
Final Problem", "The Empty House" and "The Bruce-Partington Plans". While
he does occasionally exert himself in these stories on behalf of his
brother, he on the whole remains a sedentary problem-solver, providing
solutions based on seemingly no evidence and trusting Sherlock to handle
any of the practical details. In fact, Mycroft's own lack of practicality
is a severe handicap despite his inductive talents: in "The Greek
Interpreter", his blundering approach to the case nearly costs the client
his life. Mycroft resembles Sherlock, but is described in "The Greek
Interpreter" as being "a much larger and stouter man". Mycroft spends most
of his time at the Diogenes Club, which he co-founded. Sherlock's birth
date is given as 1854 in His Last Bow, and if Mycroft was "seven years his
(Sherlock's) senior", then Mycroft would have been born in 1847."

The Three Students Plus was a scion society of The Baker Street Irregulars
formed by Bruce Kennedy and Bruce Dettman in 1966. The group later
amalgamated with The Musgrave Ritualists Beta to form The Three Garridebs,
whose website explains- "The Three Students Plus [was formed] by Bruce
Kennedy and Bruce Dettman in 1966. By August 1969 The Musgrave Ritualists
Beta were formed by Bill Walsh and Keith Jenkins. In 1971, Andy Peck
established the Baker Street Underground at Cornell, Andy Page formed the
Priory School of New York, and Susan Rice organized the Trifling
Monographs of Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. In a surprising letter to the
editor of the BSJ in June 1970, Bruce Kennedy noted with dismay the
decline in membership and participation among junior Sherlockians.
Nevertheless, the next few years saw the birth of yet more junior scions.
For many of these groups, business was conducted by mail, quizzes and
newsletters were printed by mimeograph, and some (admittedly rather small,
but elegant) books were published. Among them were A Case of Bishopsgate
Jewels by the Baker Street Pageboys, Four Wheels to Baker Street and
Mycroft by the Three Students Plus, and A Curious Collection by the
Musgrave Ritualists Beta. Out of these early groups there emerged a group
of young Sherlockians whose network crisscrossed North America and
extended even to Britain. Everyone, it seemed, was a member of several
scion societies. For many of us, it was somehow a mark of the depth of
one's dedication to this arcane hobby to be a member of several scions, or
even to start a new one. It was a wonderful thing, too, to be in contact
by letter with dozens of people who shared an interest and enthusiasm for
this great game. The significant multiplication of scion societies in the
70s gave rise to some concern, and some Sherlockians were of the opinion
that things were "getting a bit out of hand." In a letter to the editor of
the BSJ in March 1972, Andy Peck expressed pleasure at the upsurge in
interest, but recommended new enthusiasts to give the 'time and effort to
writing for the established Scion publications, which are always in need
of good scholarly articles'."

DESCRIPTION: Softcover. 5.5"x8.5", 24 pages, several black & white
illustrations.

CONDITION NOTES: Minor soil.

PRICE:  $50 -

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