'So much is observation. The rest is deduction.' : Images of Sherlock Holmes in Czech Illustrations, Dramas, and Film
Abstract
The study examines how the figure of Sherlock Holmes has evolved in images over time in the Czech Republic and in book illustrations, comics, theatre, and film. It sets out from today's generally shared idea of what this literary character looks like and shows how this image evolved.
It looks at the objects that make Holmes easily identifiable today and explains when and how they were added to the world of Sherlock Holmes. The study opens with an analysis of Arthur Conan Doyle's stories, focusing on the image and attributes of Sherlock Holmes in these original texts.
It also looks at Anglo-American illustrations and dramatizations, which were an essential source for early Czech depictions of the famous detective. The main section of the study focuses on the iconography of Holmes in Czechia in the first half of the 20th century, which gave rise to diverse and oftentimes contradictory visual interpretations of the character.