Victorian Visual Culture

As a previous poster informed us, Stephen Fry is set to star in the sequel to Guy Ritchie’s Sherlock Holmes.

On his twitter account this morning, Mr. Fry tweeted: “Talking of Holmes: do show your support for campaign to save Sir Arthur Conan Doyle’s house from development” with a link to this website:

http://www.saveundershaw.com/

The opening page of the website explains that Undershaw was the home of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and was where he wrote The Hound of the Baskervilles’ and ‘The Return of Sherlock Holmes’.

Unfortunately, today the home is abandoned and vandalized, and may be demolished. Please visit the website to read about and view images of the home. There is also a facebook group you can join:

The Undershaw Preservation Trust

Also, under the Support page, you can read Stephen Fry’s support for the campaign in full, which concludes with a passionate plea:

“As Patron of the Conan Doyle library, as a former youngest member of the Sherlock Holmes Society of London, as an admirer of Doyle and his achievements I urge Waverley Borough Council to reconsider what future ages will adjudge a foolish short-sighted and wanton act of vandalism. There is real value in Undershaw. If it is thought about, it can attract new generations of tourists to the area, it can be an enormous source of local pride. Please, please, have another think.”

(source)

Again, please visit the site, there are a few short videos of the home, and join the facebook group! This is truly a historical landmark that needs to be preserved.