Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Chairman David Jones takes charge, flanked by the Treasurer, Ashley Mayo, and Judi Ellis, taking the minutes of the AGM (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
David Jones welcomes members and visitors from overseas, including our speaker, David Houle, and his wife Sandy (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Treasurer Ashley Mayo assures us that the Society is financially healthy (cue applause and sighs of relief) (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Election of Officers and Members of Council proceeds smoothly (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Roger Johnson announces the winner of this year's Tony & Freda Howlett Literary Award (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
The 2009 Literary Award goes to Brian W Pugh for his invaluable "Chronology of the Life of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle" (photo by Nick Johnson)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Catherine Cooke introduces our speaker, David Houle, known to the Baker Street Irregulars as "The British Museum" (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Last year we speculated on some of the unrecorded cases. David Houle offers a very different interpretation of one such (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
David Houle's subject is the case of "Isadora Persano, the well-known journalist and duellist" (photo by Valerie Schreiner)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
The Transmutation of Isadora Persano
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
David Houle claims to have discovered the facts and the evidence in the archives at Cox & Co's original Charing Cross offices (photo by Valerie Schreiner)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
The records and artefacts were mostly secreted in Holmes's own "large tin box" - possibly one of several such
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
David Houle explains why Persano, who preferred to be called Isadore, actually bore a feminine name (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Among the strange objects in the box are these. On the right is that "remarkable worm, said to be unknown to science"
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
David's presentation calls for some vocal assistance from Ashley Mayo & Roger Johnson (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
This daguerreotype of Isadora Persano, c. 1855, shows that even as a young man he was an acquisitive connoisseur of antiquities
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
According to David Houle's story, Persano's antiquarian obsession led to his previously unexplained insanity (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Sherlock Holmes encountered Isadora Persano while visiting Dr Nicolson, Deputy Superintendent at Broadmoor Asylum for the Criminally Insane
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Ashley Mayo gives voice to Dr Nicolson's statements regarding Isadora Persano (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Persano's quick temper and sensitive honour became evident in the series of duels that he instigated
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
David Houle explains that in 1867 Persano expected a visitor, who was to deliver a rare item for his collection (photo by Nick Johnson)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Persano's servant later found him, stark staring mad, with a matchbox in front of him containing a remarkable worm, said to be unknown to science
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Persano was committed to Broadmoor, and his valuable collection was sold to pay for his care and medical treatment (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Dr Nicolson and Sherlock Holmes consulted the leading expert in British and foreign pharmacopoeia as to the possible cause of Persano's madness
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Roger Johnson speaks on behalf of the expert, Mr von Hohenheim (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
No explanation was forthcoming, but Holmes's eye was caught by some curious documents that bore a distinctive wax seal
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
The wax bore the impression from a remarkable intaglio fob seal, on von Hohenheim's watch chain - a perpetual calendar of c. 1820
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
The expert was descended from the philosopher, physician and alchemist Theophrastus von Hohenheim, known as Paracelsus (photo by Jean Upton)
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Paracelsus was a pioneer of clinical diagnosis and the use of chemicals and minerals in medicine. He is credited as the father of toxicology
Sherlock Holmes Society of London:
Has David Houle discovered a link between the Renaissance philosopher and the madness of Isadora Persano? (photo by Jean Upton)
