The Baker Street Irregulars celebrated the 119th birthday of Sherlock Holmes at The Regency Hotel. The Commissionaire, Julian Wolff, intended to present the Sherlock Holmes silver medal to Mr. Rafael Sevilla-Sacasa (Director of the Philatelic Bureau of the Republic of Nicaragua) for his services in keeping the memory of the Master green by the issuance of the first official Sherlock Holmes stamp. Unfortunately, Mr. Sevilla-Sacasa was unable to be present due to a severe earthquake in his country. The medal was awarded to him in absentia. In his place, Mr. Jeff Oakden, of the Crown Agents, delivered a short address. All of the BSI’s traditions were observed, beginning with the first Conanical toast to The Woman, Ines (Mrs. William S.) Hall, whose late husband was one of the founders of the BSI. Newcomers were introduced. Jim Montgomery’s songs were played, and papers of unusually high calibre were delivered by Will Oursler, Bruce Kennedy, John Bennett Shaw, and John Linsenmeyer. Six Investitures were awarded at the Dinner. The BSI, through a small committee headed by James Nelson, presented a special golden sovereign to the Commissionaire, who wrote that he intended to wear it on his watch-chain in memory of the occasion.
Dinner Details: January 5, 1973
The Regency Hotel, 540 Park Avenue, New York
Dinner Photo Information
Click on the above photo to see a larger version of it, and maximize your browser window to see the most detail.Key to People in the 1973 BSI Dinner Photo (digitized image at Harvard)
Three pages. Front, interior, and back. Sequence 44-46
BSI Honours List
Investitures:Leonard Cochran as Cardinal Tosca**
Robert A. W. Lowndes as Langdale Pike
Keith Paulison as Mr. John Scott Eccles
Andrew Jay Peck as Inspector Baynes, Surrey Constabulary
Rex Pinson, Jr. as Inspector G. Lestrade
John A. Schrandt as Inspector Stanley Hopkins
* received Investiture at another event during the year
** in absentia
What is an Investiture?
Two-Shilling Award:
James Nelson
What is a Two-Shilling Award?
The Woman:
Ines (Mrs. William S.) Hall
What is The Woman honour?
"Stand with me here upon the terrace..."
(as named at this Dinner, not their year of passing)
Rufus Tucker (The Greek Interpreter, 1944)
Reginald Owen (the actor who played both Holmes and Watson)
Harry Truman (former President and Honorary BSI)
What is the origin of “standing on the terrace?”
Morley-Montgomery Award:
Andrew Jay Peck, "The Solitary Man-Uscript"
The Baker Street Journal v22 n2 (June 1972) pp. 71-73 (available in the eBSJ).
What is the Morley-Montgomery Award?
Reports on the Dinner
The Baker Street Journal v23 n1 (March 1973) pp. 54-55, 60 (available in the eBSJ).See also related letter from Vincent Starrett on p. 49.
List of 1973 BSI Dinner Attendees (not available at this time, but see Key to the Photo, above)
Recordings
Julian Wolff at a BSI Dinner
In the following 7-minute vignette from the 1973 BSI Dinner, Commissionaire Julian Wolff is given a gold sovereign by James Nelson.
Click to play this recording
A recording of the entire 1973 BSI Dinner is available at Harvard as part of the BSI Archive.
Related Material
1973 BSI Dinner Menu (digitized image at Harvard)Two pages. Cover and interior. Sequence 37-38
Previous dinner: the 1972 BSI Dinner
Next dinner: the 1974 BSI Dinner
For an index to all BSI Dinners and photos, see our BSI Dinner Summary list.
The BSI Archive is located at the Houghton Library at Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts. Archival material may be used by any qualified scholar, subject to the normal rules and regulations of the Library. For links to a detailed finding aid and related information, see our BSI Archive at Harvard page.
Page composed on 9/26/2015 by Tamar Zeffren
This page last updated 3/22/16 by Randall Stock.
