Sherlock Holmes (letter 20 april 1951)
Sherlock Holmes is an letter written by Dame Jean Conan Doyle published in The Times on 20 april 1951.
Letter
TO THE EDITOR OF THE TIMES
Sir, — In the statement made by Mr. Robert Sharp on behalf of the St. Marylebone public libraries committee which appeared in your columns recently, it was announced that the forthcoming Sherlock Holmes Exhibition will be representative of my father" and his collaborators in the creation of Sherlock Holmes." Mr. Sharp and the committee have most courteously kept me informed of their plans regarding the exhibition and, therefore, I know that Mr. Sharp refers to such people as the Sherlock Holmes illustrators (principally Sidney Paget), those who have played the part of Holmes on the stage and screen, and William Gillette, who wrote a Sherlock Holmes play and filled the title role.
My father, of course, had no "collaborators" — in the accepted sense of the word — for the creation of any of the characters in his books. Unfortunately, the phrase used has already led to some confusion among some of your readers and I would like to take this opportunity of clearing it up.
- Yours faithfully,
- JEAN CONAN DOYLE.
- Officers' Mess, Royal Air Force, Brampton, Huntingdonshire.
