Sherlock Holmes, the Brontës, the Austen portrait on Stuff You Missed in History Class

Stuff You Missed in History ClassI am a fan of Stuff You Missed in History Class at HowStuffWorks.com and often listen to it while cleaning the house or on long car trips and there are two Holmes-related podcasts that should be of interest to Sherlockians.

(NOTE: The link in the above paragraph says the page has a improper identity certificate for twitter. I don’t believe the page to be malicious, but you can click the links below or follow Stuff You Missed in History Class on facebook.)

Who was the real Sherlock Holmes? examines the case for Holmes being based on Dr. Joseph Bell, one of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s professors in Edinburgh, which story is familiar to most Sherlockians. The subject of the more recent podcast — Who was the real Professor Moriarty? examines Adam Worth, of whom some casual Sherlockians may be unaware. (OK, it was me. I’ve given little thought to the real-life basis of Professor James Moriarty, although Steven Doyle in his Sherlock Holmes for Dummies includes Worth and several other real-life people who undoubtedly provided inspiration for Moriarty.)

Here’s the link to the podcasts on iTunes where you can also find Growing Up Brontë and From Brontë to Bell and Back Again and for Janeites a discussion of Dr. Paula Byrne’s claims that she possesses a portrait of Jane Austen in Unearthed in 2011: Part 1 and 2. And if you’ve read Carrie Bebris’ The Deception at Lyme, you might want to listen to Mary Anning, Princess of Paleontology. Through iTunes you can subscribe and listen to the podcasts for free.

Here are direct links to the MP3s (I’d suggest you subscribe through iTunes rather than listen to these individually):

Who was the real Professor Moriarty? Part 1
Who was the real Professor Moriarty? Part 2

Who was the real Sherlock Holmes?

Growing Up Brontë
From Brontë to Bell and Back Again

Mary Anning, Princess of Paleontology

Unearthed in 2011: Part 1 (I don’t know whether part 1 or 2 talks about the Austen portrait)
Unearthed in 2011: Part 2

PS Fans of Sanctuary may remember Adam Worth being the villain from seasons 3 and 4, although he’s definitely not American. And for the latest on the controversy about the Austen portrait, visit austenonly.

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