William Gillette was born in Hartford, CT in 1853 to a wealthy family. During his youth he thoroughly enjoyed the stage and went on to pursue a career in acting and directing. Many people would be surprised to learn of his involvement with the character of Sherlock Holmes. Gillette rewrote the script of Arthur Conan Doyle's "Sherlock Holmes" and in 1899 Doyle approved Gillette's revisions. The play toured across the country and also in Europe with Gillette, himself, playing Holmes for more than 30 years in thousands of performances. He contributed the major characteristics that we attribute to Sherlock Holmes today.
In a room that was also dedicated to his books and studies, this picture shows Gillette's chair from his acting and directing days.
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