Mystery
at the museum
S.C. State Museum transformed into Victorian England in The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes
IT’S ELEMENTARY Exhibition curator Geoffrey Curley in the “crime scene.” Top: A re-creation of Sherlock Holmes’ sitting room includes meticulous detail, down to books, tools and his ubiquitous magnifying glass.
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SOUTH CAROLINA LIVING | MARCH 2020 | SCLIVING.COOP
S BY OTO D P H O RT H N A RY HAW S TO REW AND
THE ELEVATOR DOORS OPEN to reveal another time and place. Somber violin music drifts out into brick archways, the notes drowned out by a steam locomotive, the footfalls of passersby, horses clip-clopping on c obblestones, and a foghorn somewhere off in the distance. It takes a moment for your eyes to adjust, but when they do, a skull grins ominously from a pedestal, and flickering lighting casts long shadows over a portrait of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the physicianturned-writer who gave us the world’s greatest fictional detective, Sherlock Holmes. The International Exhibition of Sherlock Holmes opened at the S.C. State Museum on Jan. 18, and not only teaches guests about Doyle’s legendary character and the science of the era, but also places them in the role of a detective tasked with solving a murder amid immersive Victorian period set pieces and interactive displays. One of the largest exhibits ever hosted at the museum, the all-ages attraction includes more than 100 objects and artifacts, including original manuscripts, images from the Museum of London Archives, and props and items from
