A Truly Enlightened Man!

Today I take the liberty to talk about someone who is not of the 18th Century, though I believe constitutes the quintessential "Englightened" man.

I just love Sherlock Holmes, in all his incarnations, be it from the truly wonderful (original) stories by Arthur Conan Doyle, the 20th Century Fox/Universal Studies WWII vintage movies with Basil Rathbone, the BBC production of the mid 1980's with Jeremy Brett, Robert Downey Jr.'s depiction in the camp Guy Ritchie films, or finally, and most recently.....the PBS contemporary take on the all-knowing/all-deducing sleuth, SHERLOCK.

I think Sherlock would have fit perfectly into that age of discovery and scientific revelations. His personality is Bohemian in lifestyle, rather unconcerned with conformity, but meticulous in his thought process, with keen eye and methods of deduction. I love his statement, "You see; but you don't OBSERVE!"
He is completely dispassionate, constantly mindful of his surroundings, and does not have an ounce of preconception about a particular situation. One might think he is a pit of a sociopath, but he is not. He is loyal, fair, doesn't even want the credit for his amazing discoveries.  He just assumes his brain is bigger than ours! And, we must admit, it probably is!

When I was last in London, I made the pilgrimage to 221b Baker Street, Sherlock's residence, a ficticious address when the stories were written, as Baker Street numbers only went 100. Now of course, the town expands further out, and so a flat in the area can now be labeled 221. The "b" designates the upstairs apartment. It now houses the Sherlock Homes Museum, and though a bit touristy, it is tastefully done, and worth the visit. You ascend many floors, on your own, and at your own pace, to see a typical flat of the Victorian day. One floor has a his library, one with a desk with his microscopes and other dubious medical paraphernalia. His violin is present in the study as well. I loved going, and wandering through. See a couple pictures below.

And so I deduce, by his inquisitive personality and his investigative skills alone, that Sherlock is a man of "Enlightenment"! And, how do I know? Elementary, my dear reader, elementary!