Barbara Napoles
@dolphinrescuer.bsky.social
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
The Belle Epoch dance hall was located South of Market, in the most unseemly part of town. It stood out with its garish lighting and feigned attempt at architecture. When we pulled up in a hired carriage, Holmes quipped that the establishment had "clearly ceased to be *belle* in some prior epoch."
March 18, 2025 at 2:37 PM
The Belle Epoch dance hall was located South of Market, in the most unseemly part of town. It stood out with its garish lighting and feigned attempt at architecture. When we pulled up in a hired carriage, Holmes quipped that the establishment had "clearly ceased to be *belle* in some prior epoch."
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
One of the bars in the neighborhood, I can't recall the name or even if it had a name, opened out to the street, its cacophony serving to attract rather than repel its patronage. It was clear that men of different social class sought different styles of entertainment, a factor in our investigation.
March 20, 2025 at 6:05 PM
One of the bars in the neighborhood, I can't recall the name or even if it had a name, opened out to the street, its cacophony serving to attract rather than repel its patronage. It was clear that men of different social class sought different styles of entertainment, a factor in our investigation.
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
A photographer friend here in London was evaluating his most recently acquired camera in a street near his studio and captured this portrait of me quite spontaneously when I stopped in to chat. I do think it flatters my visage but I dare say I've put on a stone since we visited America.
February 21, 2025 at 12:09 AM
A photographer friend here in London was evaluating his most recently acquired camera in a street near his studio and captured this portrait of me quite spontaneously when I stopped in to chat. I do think it flatters my visage but I dare say I've put on a stone since we visited America.
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
The Hall of Records in New City Hall was a stop on our investigation that I'll never forget. The whole plaza, still under construction when we got there, displayed an architectural largesse that was certainly unique if somewhat impractical, like a cake that's lovely outside but cut into odd pieces.
February 19, 2025 at 11:12 PM
The Hall of Records in New City Hall was a stop on our investigation that I'll never forget. The whole plaza, still under construction when we got there, displayed an architectural largesse that was certainly unique if somewhat impractical, like a cake that's lovely outside but cut into odd pieces.
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
We had occasion to visit the Bank of California building, called "The Handsomest Structure on the Coast." It was the domain of William Chapman Ralston who nearly emptied its vaults on his dream of building the Palace Hotel, where we stayed. The bank narrowly recovered from his spending spree.
February 13, 2025 at 7:36 PM
We had occasion to visit the Bank of California building, called "The Handsomest Structure on the Coast." It was the domain of William Chapman Ralston who nearly emptied its vaults on his dream of building the Palace Hotel, where we stayed. The bank narrowly recovered from his spending spree.
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
Holmes's archive contained this 1869 newspaper photo of the completed Transcontinental Railroad, a first for the United States. Two locomotives met in Utah, one coming from New York and one from San Francisco. The lightning bolt appears symbolic and added by an illustrator, to my eye.
February 16, 2025 at 3:14 PM
Holmes's archive contained this 1869 newspaper photo of the completed Transcontinental Railroad, a first for the United States. Two locomotives met in Utah, one coming from New York and one from San Francisco. The lightning bolt appears symbolic and added by an illustrator, to my eye.
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
The Central Pacific Railroad, builders of this end of the Transcontinental, had a ticket and baggage office at the street level of the Palace Hotel. While surely convenient for passengers, I suspect it had more to do with the hotel's role as the de facto meeting spot for all of the City's elite.
February 18, 2025 at 9:41 PM
The Central Pacific Railroad, builders of this end of the Transcontinental, had a ticket and baggage office at the street level of the Palace Hotel. While surely convenient for passengers, I suspect it had more to do with the hotel's role as the de facto meeting spot for all of the City's elite.
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
Holmes pointed out that the word insular (for isolated) comes from the Latin word "insulare" for island. When pressed on how that applied to San Francisco, he said its compact geography created strong boundaries between different neighborhood cultures, like the underworld South of Market.
February 3, 2025 at 6:02 PM
Holmes pointed out that the word insular (for isolated) comes from the Latin word "insulare" for island. When pressed on how that applied to San Francisco, he said its compact geography created strong boundaries between different neighborhood cultures, like the underworld South of Market.
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
Who is going to explain to Republicans that once Trump or Musk get upset at any of them, they have all their information?
@lincolnproject.us
@lincolnproject.us
February 7, 2025 at 3:08 AM
Who is going to explain to Republicans that once Trump or Musk get upset at any of them, they have all their information?
@lincolnproject.us
@lincolnproject.us
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
Dear Reader, my American publisher has revealed a bit more about the phantasmagorical storytelling device of his that will be used to convey our California adventure to you. If he's to be believed, it contains tinted photographs like the ones in souvenir postcards or framed in London studios.
February 6, 2025 at 6:38 PM
Dear Reader, my American publisher has revealed a bit more about the phantasmagorical storytelling device of his that will be used to convey our California adventure to you. If he's to be believed, it contains tinted photographs like the ones in souvenir postcards or framed in London studios.
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
In San Francisco, the police laboratory was incorporated into the opulent City Hall building, also used for galas and public events. It was during one of these that Holmes insisted we barge in and use the lab post-haste on some evidence collected from the street. The gala guests were not amused.
February 7, 2025 at 11:05 PM
In San Francisco, the police laboratory was incorporated into the opulent City Hall building, also used for galas and public events. It was during one of these that Holmes insisted we barge in and use the lab post-haste on some evidence collected from the street. The gala guests were not amused.
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
I enjoyed the Union Square district with its ingenious cable car turnaround. It was full of fashionable businessmen, merchants, shopkeeps, and gossip to be overheard. Railroad workers could ride the cars for free but seldom did as the tracks didn't serve their work or boarding house locations.
February 3, 2025 at 1:51 AM
I enjoyed the Union Square district with its ingenious cable car turnaround. It was full of fashionable businessmen, merchants, shopkeeps, and gossip to be overheard. Railroad workers could ride the cars for free but seldom did as the tracks didn't serve their work or boarding house locations.
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
Sarah Aurion, brother of the murdered Ambrose, aspired to join her parents in the upper crust of San Francisco and emulated her mother in public. But in reality she was a different generation, the first born on this coast. Her knowledge of the City's youth culture proved invaluable, once revealed.
January 30, 2025 at 5:12 PM
Sarah Aurion, brother of the murdered Ambrose, aspired to join her parents in the upper crust of San Francisco and emulated her mother in public. But in reality she was a different generation, the first born on this coast. Her knowledge of the City's youth culture proved invaluable, once revealed.
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
Aurion's father included this photograph of him with the letter soliciting Sherlock's help. It was certainly a difficult way to begin a case -- lacking a body in situ, as it was. I was anxious to get there to see the corpse myself and learn what the Army medical examiner from Fort Point had to say.
January 29, 2025 at 9:17 PM
Aurion's father included this photograph of him with the letter soliciting Sherlock's help. It was certainly a difficult way to begin a case -- lacking a body in situ, as it was. I was anxious to get there to see the corpse myself and learn what the Army medical examiner from Fort Point had to say.
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
The food in San Francisco is one of my favorite memories, especially the Celestial Palace restaurant run by William Jin. Our host had arranged a tab at the hotel but everything about this place was more interesting than that tired club. It was the heart of the city with its humours flowing through.
January 27, 2025 at 4:29 PM
The food in San Francisco is one of my favorite memories, especially the Celestial Palace restaurant run by William Jin. Our host had arranged a tab at the hotel but everything about this place was more interesting than that tired club. It was the heart of the city with its humours flowing through.
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
My American publisher has recounted that we visited 11 locations across 8 San Francisco neighborhoods on our investigation into A Murder on Nob Hill. It's a compact and diverse city for being so small in size... just 7 square miles. Sherlock pointed out that the County of London is 117 miles square.
January 25, 2025 at 7:25 PM
My American publisher has recounted that we visited 11 locations across 8 San Francisco neighborhoods on our investigation into A Murder on Nob Hill. It's a compact and diverse city for being so small in size... just 7 square miles. Sherlock pointed out that the County of London is 117 miles square.
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
Holmes shared with me the letter he received from overseas that started our investigation. Cerbus Aurion, father of the murdered man, knew of Sherlock from his brother Mycroft. All of the world's wealthy men seem to be connected -- in ways that fascinate me but don't interest Sherry in the least.
January 23, 2025 at 2:52 PM
Holmes shared with me the letter he received from overseas that started our investigation. Cerbus Aurion, father of the murdered man, knew of Sherlock from his brother Mycroft. All of the world's wealthy men seem to be connected -- in ways that fascinate me but don't interest Sherry in the least.
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
Of all the characters we met in Chinatown, Madam Lin might be the most enigmatic, and the most unwillingly helpful. While anything but a gossip, Holmes was able to deduce enough from her answers to seemingly innocent questions that it drove the investigation in several new directions.
January 20, 2025 at 9:50 PM
Of all the characters we met in Chinatown, Madam Lin might be the most enigmatic, and the most unwillingly helpful. While anything but a gossip, Holmes was able to deduce enough from her answers to seemingly innocent questions that it drove the investigation in several new directions.
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
By way of introduction, the publisher wrote this background on San Francisco. I was to learn later that the tensions between immigrant workers would lead to violence. Accused of undercutting the pay of other workers, a three-day riot against the Chinese broke out in 1877, the year after we visited.
January 19, 2025 at 9:32 PM
By way of introduction, the publisher wrote this background on San Francisco. I was to learn later that the tensions between immigrant workers would lead to violence. Accused of undercutting the pay of other workers, a three-day riot against the Chinese broke out in 1877, the year after we visited.
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
As part of the review materials, my publisher shared this "mood board." I didn't show Holmes for he'd surely laugh at the notion a crime scene or a city could have a mood. "Stick to the facts, Watson," I can hear him saying. San Francisco did make an impression though, both vibrant and dark.
January 17, 2025 at 4:19 PM
As part of the review materials, my publisher shared this "mood board." I didn't show Holmes for he'd surely laugh at the notion a crime scene or a city could have a mood. "Stick to the facts, Watson," I can hear him saying. San Francisco did make an impression though, both vibrant and dark.
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
I never set out to be a writer, and now I'm a "character" in my own work! You might remember I offered to let Sherry write the story of his own first case in London and he declined, despite being published himself. Now I see why. It's much more flattering to let someone else tell the tale for you.
January 16, 2025 at 10:32 PM
I never set out to be a writer, and now I'm a "character" in my own work! You might remember I offered to let Sherry write the story of his own first case in London and he declined, despite being published himself. Now I see why. It's much more flattering to let someone else tell the tale for you.
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
My publisher has decided to share several character profiles from the work-in-progress, A Murder on Nob Hill. I should start with Sherry I suppose. Apparently these are used to lure people into funding the project by paying for it in advance. Imagine! Something about market demands, he tells me.
January 14, 2025 at 10:37 PM
My publisher has decided to share several character profiles from the work-in-progress, A Murder on Nob Hill. I should start with Sherry I suppose. Apparently these are used to lure people into funding the project by paying for it in advance. Imagine! Something about market demands, he tells me.
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
Forgive the lateness of my correspondence. I have been away at a medical conference at St. Bartholomew's Hospital where I was an invited speaker. You might recall it is where I first met Sherlock Holmes. Sherry takes interest in medicine when convenient to a case, but otherwise would never study it.
January 11, 2025 at 12:35 AM
Forgive the lateness of my correspondence. I have been away at a medical conference at St. Bartholomew's Hospital where I was an invited speaker. You might recall it is where I first met Sherlock Holmes. Sherry takes interest in medicine when convenient to a case, but otherwise would never study it.
Reposted by Barbara Napoles
The Clay Street Hill railroad was an amazing mechanical contraption, pulled silently by unseen ropes beneath the city streets. We rode one of these "cable cars," as residents call them -- a display of faith in both the steel cable and its brakeman when pointed down a steep San Francisco hill.
January 11, 2025 at 7:22 PM
The Clay Street Hill railroad was an amazing mechanical contraption, pulled silently by unseen ropes beneath the city streets. We rode one of these "cable cars," as residents call them -- a display of faith in both the steel cable and its brakeman when pointed down a steep San Francisco hill.