Sherlock Holmes Museum in London: photo, description, exposition, address, museum on the map
Not every museum of a literary hero can boast of the reliability of its location. But the address of the Sherlock Holmes Museum exactly corresponds to what is indicated in the beloved detective work of the English writer. The four-story building that houses the museum is located at 221 b Baker Street. This building, erected in 1815, is an important historical and architectural value of Great Britain, as it is a reflection of the Victorian style and rightfully complements Her Majesty's list of honor.
House on Baker Street
Obviously, in the past, this building was not given so much attention, since at the beginning of the 20th century ordinary furnished rooms were located here. In 1934, this house on Baker Street attracted the attention of the Sherlock Holmes International Society, and the building becomes its property. Many years later, in 1990, on March 27, a museum dedicated to the protagonist of detective stories opened in this building. Initially, the house where the museum was located was assigned the number 239, which did not correspond to the address that was indicated in the work.
How did the house with this address come about?
When Arthur Conan Doyle wrote about the famous detective who, according to the author's intention, lived at 221 Baker Street, in this London street the house with that number did not actually exist.
However, the capital of Great Britain was upset, and this process did not bypass Baker Street. By expanding the street through the construction of new buildings, the Abbey National construction company contributed to the assignment of new houses with numbers from 215 to 229. To solve the address problem, they created a special company called “221 b Baker Street”, attaching a corresponding sign to the facade of the house in which the museum is located. Thus, the exact address of residence of the literary heroes beloved by many readers migrated from the pages of Conan Doyle's work to the London street that actually exists.
Letters to Sherlock Holmes
The popularity of detective stories about the outstanding London detective was so high that readers, believing in the authenticity of his existence, began to write letters to him at 221 Baker Street, which for many years the construction company Abbey National had to receive. In order not to offend readers and somehow resolve the situation with numerous correspondence, the company's management decided to register the post of secretary for working with incoming letters.
Perhaps this fact was one of the reasons for the creation of the Sherlock Holmes Museum with a real-life address indicated in the beloved work of Conan Doyle. Anyone who wishes to write a letter to Sherlock Holmes, even today, can be sure that the correspondence will be delivered to the exact address indicated and received by the museum staff.
The façade of the museum building is decorated with a sign and a commemorative plaque testifying to the residence of the outstanding private detective Sherlock Holmes here from 1881 to 1904. Similar memorial plaques, testifying to the lived years of a real celebrity in the walls of certain buildings, can be seen in many cities around the world. However, in London they went further and honored the hero of a literary work with an honorary “blue tablet”.
We recommend that you familiarize yourself with other interesting museums in London.
Holmes' apartment interior
Heading to the Sherlock Holmes Museum by subway, museum visitors have the opportunity to plunge into the atmosphere of Conan Doyle's stories at the exit to the Baker Street station platform. Passengers are immediately struck by the image of the silhouette of Holmes in a characteristic cap and with an unchanged pipe.
Naturally, getting into the museum, every visitor wants, first of all, to see the apartment of the astute detective, located on the second floor of the building. Holmes' living room and bedroom are an accurate reflection of the atmosphere inherent in the Victorian era. The decoration of the apartment and all the items in it are fully consistent with the description of the author. Looking at Holmes's favorite violin, the Turkish shoe in which his tobacco was stored, the letters pinned to the fireplace shelf with a penknife, one recalls favorite stories that testify to the extraordinary intellect of the owner of this dwelling.
Dr. Watson and Mrs. Hudson's rooms
Having become acquainted with the abode of the London detective, it would be unfair not to go up the floor and not see the rooms of his reliable assistant and friend Dr. Watson, as well as the devoted Mrs. Hudson. In Mrs. Hudson's room, the attention of visitors is always attracted by the bronze bust of the chief London detective.
Here are his important papers, the Museum Visitors' Book and a large number of letters from readers sent to Holmes. Dr. Watson's room is filled with medical books, paintings, photographs and newspapers from a bygone era. In addition, visitors can see and recognize Watson's army revolver from the description.
What can be seen on the 4th floor
The entire fourth floor is at the disposal of well-recognized heroes of favorite detective stories. Their figures are masterfully made of wax. Each of the readers easily recognizes the Baskervilles' dog, terrifying in the heroes of one of the stories, the usurer Jabez Wilson, the professional beggar Neville St. Clair, and the main enemy of Sherlock Holmes, the leader of the London criminals, Professor Moriarty. Unlike many museums, here you are allowed to take pictures, shoot videos, and even offer to sit in the favorite chair of England's chief detective.
Gift shop
On the ground floor there is an office where Holmes and Watson discussed the details of solving crimes for almost 25 years, as well as a souvenir shop where museum visitors can buy souvenirs that testify to the habits and character of certain heroes of the famous detective work. Interestingly, the souvenir shop has a photograph of the Russian actor Vasily Livanov, who brilliantly played the role of Sherlock Holmes, for which he was awarded the Order of the British Empire in 2006.