The Lights are on but Nobody's Holme(s)

Travelling back from our capital city this evening, I picked up a copy of the Evening Standard which has a story about how the Museum of London intends to make Sherlock Holmes the subject of it's 2014 "blockbuster exhibition". The article includes an interview with the museum's director, Sharon Ament, who is quoted as saying that it will "delve into the brain of one of the most famous Londoners of all time" and "look behind the deerstalker, pipe and cape in search of the 'real', complex and multifaceted Sherlock Holmes". She adds that "we all think we know Sherlock Holmes, but do we really?"

Having never met Ms Ament, I've no idea whether she actually believes the great detective to be a genuine historical figure, or if this is just some publicity-driven smoke and mirrors. Either way, openly displaying fiction as fact isn't something that any respectable institution ought to get involved in if it wants to retain public trust and academic credibility.