The fireplace of Major Sholto’s residence. I fancy he bought the manor with his ill-gotten gains!
Major Sholto burning a missive:
http://imageshack.us/a/img23/6410/ao9g.jpg
I can’t tell if the arms are quarterly or per pale
Aha! Those last two—The Sign of Four—were shot in the dining room at Allerton Castle.
Here’s what it looks like normally:
http://www.allertoncastle.co.uk/public/805/images/dining_room.jpg
Different fireplace at Allerton, but this is a version the coat of arms seen on the dining room mantle:
http://www.allertoncastle.co.uk/public/810/images/fireplace.jpg
If I’m not mistaken, the above shield has 10 "quarters" and an escutcheon en surtout, whereas the one in the TV program has but 6 "quarters" (Mowbray).
—Guy
EDIT: Ah!!! There was a Fire at Allerton Castle in 2005 that destroyed parts of the castle—including the above dining room. The mantle was patched and shipped to China to remake. Other wood restorations were done in China as well.
Ahhh .... Donn Pottinger did Mowbray’s arms in Simple Heraldry Cheerfully Illustrated.
http://www.oocities.org/skuinsbalk/Mowbray.gif
These are the Arms carved onto the mantle in "The Sign of Four."
The villian in this story is Henderson of High Gables. Holmes and Watson enter Henderson’s private room (a throne room). "Henderson" is in fact Don Juan Murillo, the Tiger of San Pedro (a hated and feared South American dictator). As the chamber door closes, this Coat of Arms is seen attached to the door:
https://imagizer.imageshack.us/v2/427x487q90/545/m56l.jpg
—Guy
At the end, the interlocutor for the "Illustrious Client" gets into his coach. As the door closes we see this emblazoned on the door:
Baron Adelbert Gruner, the "Austrian murderer," keeps a secret book with photos and details of the women whom he has debauched. The book is described by Kitty Winter (one of the Baron’s former play-things):
Canon wrote:
...
It’s a book he has – a brown leather book with a lock, and his arms in gold on the outside. I think he was a bit drunk that night, or he would not have shown it to me.”
“What was it, then?”
“I tell you, Mr. Holmes, this man collects women, and takes a pride in his collection, as some men collect moths or butterflies. He had it all in that book. Snapshot photographs, names, details, everything about them. It was a beastly book–a book no man, even if he had come from the gutter, could have put together. But it was Adelbert Gruner’s book all the same. ‘Souls I have ruined.’
The Baron thumbs through his collection:
http://imageshack.com/a/img59/6337/cpzt.png
http://imageshack.com/a/img833/1240/6qq9.jpg
http://imageshack.com/a/img189/1641/tijf.png
The research crew of Granada TV were were outstanding—the book’s notes are in German!
As the credits roll we see the book as described by Kitty:
http://imageshack.com/a/img856/1596/a5g2.jpg
Detail:
http://imageshack.com/a/img854/5682/2ne8.jpg
—Guy
Guy Power;101117 wrote:
Baron Adelbert Gruner, the "Austrian murderer," keeps a secret book with photos and details of the women whom he has debauched. [ ... ]The Baron thumbs through his collection:
http://imageshack.com/a/img59/6337/cpzt.png
—Guy
Guy, no need for the elaborate obfuscation, we know perfectly well that those are your hands. Nothing to be ashamed of, every man needs a hobby
JamesD;101119 wrote:
Guy, no need for the elaborate obfuscation, we know perfectly well that those are your hands. Nothing to be ashamed of, every man needs a hobby
Hahahahahahahaha .... I’m actually laughing out loud, but do not want to type "LOL" because that no longer really expresses physical laughter, aloud.
Great quip!
—Guy
The coach door belonging to subordinate villain Baron von Leinsdorf:
http://imageshack.com/a/img834/7742/okeo.jpg
The coach door belonging to chief-villian The Pasha of Istanbul; a bit fuzzy, but very clear in the movie:
http://imageshack.com/a/img11/2320/4db5.jpg
Not too clear, but the blazon is Azure two scimitars crossed in saltire cantoned with three stars and a crescent in chief, all argent.
—Guy
the Pasha’s arms are IMO by far the best of the lot!—largely (but not only) because they are simple enough to actually be recognizable.
Another Sherlock Holmes pastiche: "A Study in Terror" [Jack the Ripper]
Here, they examine a surgeon’s tool kit:
http://imageshack.com/a/img9/695/4q9r.jpg
Ahhhh… the coat of arms of an elder son of a duke. Quickly Watson—my Burke’s Peerage!
http://imageshack.com/a/img855/1905/po68.jpg
Enhanced view:
http://imageshack.com/a/img534/8431/5txk.jpg
—Guy