The Dittrick Medical History Center & Museum will conclude its inaugural Conversations series next month with a discussion on Cleveland’s own “Sherlock.”
“Not so ‘Elementary’–Cleveland’s Sherlock and Modern Forensics” will be held Saturday, Aug. 6, at 3 p.m. at the Cleveland Public Library Downtown.
Nicole M. Burt, curator and head of human health and evolutionary medicine at the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, will join the discussion.
While the science of deduction gained popularity because of Arthur Conan Doyle’s beloved Sherlock Holmes, forensic practice has been around for a long time and Cleveland had its own “Sherlock”—John George Spenzer.
With the dedication of Sherlock Holmes and the caustic wit of Gregory House (House), Spenzer solved crimes like the grisly murder of Ora Lee, the poisoning of Mrs. Kizer, and even aided in convicting the “killer of the Heights.”
His prowess at the turn of the 20th century demonstrates that those who understood chemistry, human anatomy and the practice of careful observation truly brought forensics from fiction to fact.
Register for the event online or call Brandy Schillace at 216.368.6778.