Greetings readers! Let’s jump into the new year with a new archive of the month.
As a literature enthusiast, I find niche literary collections a real gem. One of the most iconic detectives, Sherlock Holmes, has a large following in the 21st century, even though it has been over 100 years since the first story was released. This character and his companions first appeared in Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s novel A Study in Scarlet, published in Beeton’s Christmas Annual of 1887. The Holmes novels have been translated into other languages and adapted for other media, and the main characters are widely known on both stage and screen. Additionally, a genre of parodies and pastiches has developed around the Sherlock Holmes character. From all of this, the Holmes stories have gained a following among niche societies, such as the Baker Street Irregulars, that gather to study Sherlock Holmes, Dr. Watson, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and the Victorian world. So, is collecting the stories the only way Sherlockians can learn about the legacy of Sherlock Holmes? The University of Minnesota begs to differ!
The University of Minnesota is home to the Sherlock Holmes Collection, the world’s largest collection of materials related to Sherlock Holmes and Arthur Conan Doyle. The collection contains over 60,000 items. This includes books, journals, and a wide variety of other forms (such as artworks and buttons) through which the transformation of Sherlock Holmes’s character from the printed page to a cultural icon can be traced. The collection is housed in the Elmer L. Andersen Library’s secure underground storage area with other Archives and Special Collections materials. Various items are available online, so you can view some of the collection materials from the comfort of your own home.
Pro tip: If you plan to visit the library in person, make sure to find and request the materials in advance so they are ready for your visit!
To sustain funding for this collection, the University of Minnesota has the Friends of the Sherlock Holmes Collection, which also publishes a quarterly newsletter detailing some of the activities happening with the collections. You can view the archived newsletters here.
References:
Carmody-McIntosh, K. (2024, May 23). Sherlock Holmes at 50 – UMN libraries news & events. UMN Libraries News & Events. https://libnews.umn.edu/2024/05/sherlock-holmes-at-50/
The Baker Street Irregulars. (2026, January 1). Winter 2025 BSJ. The Baker Street Irregulars. https://bakerstreetirregulars.com/2026/01/01/winter-2025-bsj/
University of Minnesota. (n.d.). Sherlock Holmes Collections. University Libraries. Retrieved February 10, 2026, from https://www.lib.umn.edu/collections/special/holmes
Wilson, P. K. (n.d.). Sherlock Holmes. Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved February 10, 2026, from https://www.britannica.com/topic/Sherlock-Holmes