221b Baker Street: Background information when reading The Brothers of Baker Street

221b Baker Street

This article relates to The Brothers of Baker Street

In The Brothers of Baker Street, Reggie Heath's law office resides at 221b Baker Street, the same address as the fictional residence of Sherlock Holmes and Doctor John H. Watson between 1881 and 1904, according to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's stories. Today at that location, you will find the Sherlock Holmes Museum, a non-profit organization run by the Sherlock Holmes International Society, dedicated to celebrating the literary hero and fictional character.

Though the building is actually situated between 237 and 241 Baker Street, and despite the controversy surrounding where Holmes's residence would technically have been, the City of Westminster* granted the museum the use of the address, and it is commonly recognized as the famous sleuth's home. The interior of the building replicates Doyle's literary depictions and is maintained in a Victorian style, inviting visitors to sit by the fireside, look through Holmes's magnifying glass, and see his famous calabash pipe.

As in The Brothers of Baker Street, people ranging from the Equerry to His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales to 5-year-old Brandon Sellers of Florida do in fact write letters to the fictional Holmes. Since the 1930s, the letters had been received and answered by a secretary specifically hired for that purpose at the Abbey National Bank. However when the bank moved in 2002, the museum gladly took over the responsibility, as they had fought for the right to the letters since their opening in 1990.

If you are inclined to write to the famous crime solver or his partner Dr. Watson, the official address is: 221b Baker Street, London NW1 6XE, England.

*The City of Westminster is one of thirty-three local authority areas within London.

Filed under Places, Cultures & Identities

This article relates to The Brothers of Baker Street. It first ran in the April 20, 2011 issue of BookBrowse Recommends.