Sherlock Holmes’s 120th birthday was celebrated by 124 Irregulars and guests with “even more than the usual conviviality.” All Irregular rites were observed. Dorothy (Mrs. John Bennett) Shaw was honored as The Woman. Those present stood on the terrace to remember departed Irregulars. Papers were delivered by Bruce Kennedy. Alastair Martin, Will Oursler, and John Bennett Shaw, “all of whom excelled.” Nine Investitures were given. The Scion Society reports concluded the formal programme, after which there was some Irregular revelry and discussion.
Dinner Details: January 4, 1974
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 1974 BSI Dinner Photo (digitized image at Harvard)
Three pages. Front, interior, and back. Sequence 49-51
BSI Honours List
Investitures:Elic Denbo as The Ferrers Documents
Constantine Evans as The Diogenes Club**
Jon L. Lellenberg as Rodger Prescott
Andrew Page as Lord Saltire
Albert M. Rosenblatt as Inspector Bradstreet
Philip A. Shreffler as Lord St. Simon, changed to Jefferson Hope**
Bartlett D. Simms as Professor Coram
Herbert P. Tinning as Dr. Leon Sterndale
Michael F. Whelan as Vincent Spaulding
* received Investiture at another event during the year
** in absentia
What is an Investiture?
Two-Shilling Award:
Lloyd H. Denton
What is a Two-Shilling Award?
The Woman:
Dorothy (Mrs. John Bennett) Shaw
What is The Woman honour?
"Stand with me here upon the terrace..."
(as named at this Dinner, not their year of passing)
Not listed in the 1974 BSJ report.
What is the origin of “standing on the terrace?”
Morley-Montgomery Award:
J.C. Prager & Al Silverstein, "Lowenstein of Prague: The Most Maligned Man in the Canon"
The Baker Street Journal v23 n4 (December 1973) pp. 220-227 (available in the eBSJ).
What is the Morley-Montgomery Award?
Reports on the Dinner
The Baker Street Journal v24 n1 (March 1974) p. 53, 60 (available in the eBSJ).List of 1974 BSI Dinner Attendees (not available at this time, but see Key to the Photo, above)
Recordings
None available online at this time.Related Material
1974 BSI Dinner Menu (digitized image at Harvard)Two pages. Cover and interior. Sequence 47-48
Previous dinner: the 1973 BSI Dinner
Next dinner: the 1975 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 11/10/15 by Andrew Solberg.
