"Here’s a mystery: Why is the largest Sherlock Holmes collection in the world—everything from rare first editions of Arthur Conan Doyle’s original stories to one-of-a-kind vinyl recordings of the 1930 radio plays to weird needlepoint images of the fictional Victorian-era detective in his famous deerstalker hat—buried three stories underground at the University of Minnesota’s Andersen Library?" the Mpls.St.Paul Magazine says.

"To librarian Tim Johnson, whose full title is the E. W. McDiarmid curator of the Sherlock Holmes Collections at the Andersen Library, the answer is elementary. Although Johnson, who’s obviously the cool librarian with his white goatee and earring, doesn’t actually drop an “elementary” on me; he explains why 60,000 pieces of Holmes stuff—from which most of the touring show Sherlock Holmes: The Exhibition opening this month at the Minnesota History Center (345 Kellogg Blvd. W., St. Paul) is drawn—are kept in one of the Andersen’s underground caverns.

"In fact, you really have to go back even further, Johnson says, to a private group of Holmes enthusiasts called The Baker Street Irregulars, one of the first and most exclusive groups of fanboys, created in New York in 1934. Holmes fanatics seem to draw from a more elite pool of nerdom than mere Trekkies or Marvel geeks, and the Irregulars exemplify this: doctors and lawyers and professors and publishing executives drawn in by Conan Doyle’s excursions into Victorian-era sci-fi inquiry, new-to-the-era fields of toxicology and ballistics that helped Holmes solve his cases."

"The University of Minnesota (formally the University of Minnesota, Twin Cities) is a public land-grant research university in the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and Saint Paul, Minnesota, United States. The Twin Cities campus comprises locations in Minneapolis and Falcon Heights, a suburb of St. Paul, approximately 3 mi (4.8 km) apart," the Wikipedia says.

"The Twin Cities campus is the oldest and largest in the University of Minnesota system and has the ninth-largest main campus student body in the United States, with 52,376 students at the start of the 2021–22 academic year. It is the flagship institution of the University of Minnesota System, and is organized into 19 colleges, schools, and other major academic units."

"Sherlock Holmes is a fictional detective created by British author Arthur Conan Doyle. Referring to himself as a "consulting detective" in the stories, Holmes is known for his proficiency with observation, deduction, forensic science and logical reasoning that borders on the fantastic, which he employs when investigating cases for a wide variety of clients, including Scotland Yard.

"The character Sherlock Holmes first appeared in print in 1887's A Study in Scarlet. His popularity became widespread with the first series of short stories in The Strand Magazine, beginning with "A Scandal in Bohemia" in 1891; additional tales appeared from then until 1927, eventually totalling four novels and 56 short stories. All but one[a] are set in the Victorian or Edwardian eras, between about 1880 and 1914. Most are narrated by the character of Holmes's friend and biographer Dr. John H. Watson, who usually accompanies Holmes during his investigations and often shares quarters with him at the address of 221B Baker Street, London, where many of the stories begin.



"Conan Doyle repeatedly said that Holmes was inspired by the real-life figure of Joseph Bell, a surgeon at the Royal Infirmary of Edinburgh, whom Conan Doyle met in 1877 and had worked for as a clerk. Like Holmes, Bell was noted for drawing broad conclusions from minute observations. However, he later wrote to Conan Doyle: "You are yourself Sherlock Holmes and well you know it". Sir Henry Littlejohn, Chair of Medical Jurisprudence at the University of Edinburgh Medical School, is also cited as an inspiration for Holmes. Littlejohn, who was also Police Surgeon and Medical Officer of Health in Edinburgh, provided Conan Doyle with a link between medical investigation and the detection of crime." (Wikipedia)

"The light is dim. The air is cold. The long cement hallways stretch on and on, 85 feet underground. Every footstep echoes. It's the perfect place for a mystery — or for an archive devoted to solving them," the MPR News says.

"Tim Johnson leads the way. He is the curator of the University of Minnesota's Sherlock Holmes Collections, the largest archive of its kind in the world. The massive collection, which contains more than 60,000 items related to the fictional detective, is housed in the underground caverns of the University's Elmer L. Andersen library.

"The caverns were carved right into the limestone bluffs along the Mississippi River in Minneapolis. They're kept at a chilly 62 degrees to preserve the rare materials they hold. The complete absence of natural light makes it easy to lose track of time."

"The University of Minnesota Sherlock Holmes Collection contains more than 60,000 individual pieces related to Sherlock Holmes and the fictional detective’s creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Strange as it may seem, this makes it the largest Sherlock Holmes-related collection in the world," the Only In Your State says.

"The books and stories featuring Sherlock Holmes are generally considered forebears of modern crime fiction. Sherlock Holmes was created by Sir Arthur Conan Doyle in 1887.

"Given Doyle's background and the English settings for the Sherlock Holmes stories, you'd reasonably expect the world's largest Holmes collection to reside in the United Kingdom. The world's largest collection is right here in Minneapolis, at the University of Minnesota's Elmer L. Andersen Library. The library houses the collection in its underground archives on the West Bank of the Minneapolis campus."

"Fictional detective Sherlock Holmes resided in the flat at 221B Baker Street in London. Today, his legacy lives on at the Elmer L. Andersen Library at the University of Minnesota, which is home to the world’s largest collection of materials related to Holmes and his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle," the University of Minnesota says.

"The collection includes more than 60,000 pieces—from original publications and journals to eclectic odds and ends and even a life-size recreation of his sitting room.

"Established by the acquisition and donation of several significant personal collections and maintained through support from donors, the U’s treasure trove has become a go-to resource for Sherlock enthusiasts the world over."

"The Sherlock Holmes Collections at the University of Minnesota Library constitute the world’s largest gathering of material related to Sherlock Holmes and his creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle," the Experts@Minnesota says.

"The Collections consist of over 60,000 items including books, journals, and a wide variety of other forms through which the transformation of the Holmes character from the printed page to a cultural icon can be traced."

"Sherlock Holmes made quite a mark in Minnesota. Hear about how Holmes and his faithful companion, Dr. John Watson, first came to the state in 1894 and later returned for six other adventures, culminating in the soon-to-be published case of the Eisendorf Enigma," the Minneapolis Institute of Art says.

"And explore how the great detective remains very much a presence in Minnesota today via the Sherlock Holmes Collections at the University of Minnesota Libraries.

"With more than 60,000 items, the collections constitute the world’s largest repository of material related to Holmes and his creator, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. Talk followed by a booksigning."

Most academic degrees held by a female, world record set by Dr. Stephanie Attwater

World's First Love Bank, world record in Banská Štiavnica, Slovakia

World Record Academy's 2021 eBook of the Year: Investment Atlas II by Kenneth Winans

'Mighty Little Man' receives '2016 Pet of the Year' Award from World Record Academy (VIDEO)

 Most books published by a Radio Sports commentator: world record set by Ilie Dobre (VIDEO)

Most medical board certifications: Dr. Xiulu Ruan breaks world record (PICS)

Most Iris observations and analysis: Lee Nam-han sets world record (VIDEO)

First Investment book sent into space: Investment Atlas II by Kenneth Winans sets world record

World's Largest Rare Book and Manuscript Library: world record in New Haven, Connecticut

World's Biggest Harry Potter Store: world record in New York City, New York

World's Largest Book Sculpture: world record in Bellflower, California

World's Largest Covered Wagon, world record in Lincoln, Illinois

Longest Love Poem: world record set by 'Marína' (VIDEO)