Plaque

Holmes & Watson - Criterion

Erection date: 1981

Inscription

Here, New Years Day, 1881, at the Criterion Long Bar, Stamford, dresser at Barts, met Dr John H. Watson and led him to immortality and Sherlock Holmes.
The Sherlock Holmes Society of London and the Baker Street Irregulars - 1981 by The Inverness Capers of Akron, Ohio

Site: Holmes & Watson - Criterion (2 memorials)

W1, 224 Piccadilly, 224, Criterion Restaurant

The Criterion Restaurant is on the ground floor with the entrance at the left of our photo.

The meeting at the Criterion took place on New Year's Day in 1881, 72 years and 2 days before the first, lost, plaque was erected.  The current plaque, erected to mark the centenary of the meeting, is inside, on the wall to the right, before the tables begin. It was brought to our attention by Londonist.

The meeting at the Criterion is described in the first Sherlock Holmes story "A Study in Scarlett" published in 1887. See the plaque at Barts Hospital for the actual meeting of Holmes and Watson.

This section lists the subjects commemorated on the memorial on this page:
Holmes & Watson - Criterion

Subjects commemorated i

Sherlock Holmes

Originally named Sheridan Hope, then Sherringford Holmes and finally Sherlock...

Read More

Dr Watson

John H. Watson, MD, friend of Sherlock Holmes.

Read More

This section lists the subjects who helped to create/erect the memorial on this page:
Holmes & Watson - Criterion

Created by i

Baker Street Irregulars

The Baker Street Irregulars is a literary society dedicated to the study of S...

Read More

This section lists the other memorials at the same location as the memorial on this page:
Holmes & Watson - Criterion

Also at this site i

Holmes & Watson - Criterion - lost

Holmes & Watson - Criterion - lost

The presence of Sherlock Holmes at this unveiling is rather misleading since ...

Read More

Nearby Memorials

Watney Market sewer deaths

Watney Market sewer deaths

E1, Commercial Road, Watney Market clock tower

The plaque refers to the men being overcome by fumes while "working in this building" but the tragedy took place in a sewer.  Seems the p...

5 subjects commemorated
Founders' Hall - Lothbury

Founders' Hall - Lothbury

EC2, Lothbury, 5

We believe that, for all the livery companies, their Halls should be named with the apostrophe (if any) after the "s" and so this should ...

2 subjects commemorated, 1 creator
Charles Cockerell

Charles Cockerell

NW1, Chester Terrace, 13

English Heritage C. R. Cockerell, 1788 - 1863, architect and antiquary, lived and died here.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator
River Effra - Canterbury Square 1

River Effra - Canterbury Square 1

SW9, Brixton Road, Canterbury Square

Photographed and numbered from north to south. A nearby information board: On your right is the old Roman road to the south coast (now t...

1 subject commemorated
Bruce Bairnsfather

Bruce Bairnsfather

SW7, Sterling Street, 1

Greater London Council Bruce Bairnsfather, 1888 - 1959, cartoonist, lived here.

1 subject commemorated, 1 creator