Weird Wednesday

A few images from the London Police News circa 1870, compiled by Leonard De Vries into his wonderful book 'Orrible Murder (1974). I read a copy in Mold library yonks ago and recently found it again in a second-hand bookshop for a pound. 'Elephant Teasing' isn't an expresion you read nowadays. You may need to click on the pix to enlarge them, but theiy're all clearly captioned (except maybe 'Death From Swallowing a Mouse'). There's no point giving further details - just enjoy their gruseome, gothic weirdness.

Sherlock in (and on) The Strand again

The January 1927 Strand sports another striking Holmes cover I've not seen before. I'm glad I stopped myself leafing through all the 1920s volumes when I got them because oterwise I wouldn't have nice surprises like this. The illustration below it is a classic Sherlock-and-Watson image with a great pull-out quote. I think this final illustrator of Holmes, Frank Wiles, is rather unfairly ovvershadowed by the original, Sidney Paget.