Sherlock Holmes stories entered the public domain, and the character remains extremely popular today. Nevertheless, the real-life figure Sherlock Holmes is based on is still majorly overlooked.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle remains most well-known for his creation of Sherlock Holmes, and he wrote his first novel in 1887, A Study in Scarlet. In total, Conan Doyle wrote 60 stories about the consulting detective and his acclaimed partner, Dr. John Watson. However, Doyle spent a significant proportion of his time studying as a physician in Scotland before he began his literary career, and this is ultimately where the famed writer would meet his real-life inspiration for Sherlock Holmes.

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Inspiration For Sherlock Holmes Was Dr. Joseph Bell

Conan Doyle Studied Under The Tutelage Of Dr. Bell At Edinburgh University

Arthur Conan Doyle was immensely self-proclaimed in the knowledge that Dr. Joseph Bell was the inspiration for his detective, Sherlock Holmes. Doyle was a student of medical studies at Edinburgh University from 1877-1878, where he studied under the guidance of Dr. Joseph Bell. Bell was known for using methods of deduction and observation to diagnose the illnesses of his patients, and to disclose their background before he had assessed them suitably. Doyle was fascinated by Bell's technique, and replicated much of it in his writings about the detective.

Much of the inspiration for Sherlock Holmes is accredited to Conan Doyle's job at the University alongside Dr. Joseph Bell. In 1878, Doyle was offered the role of Outpatient Clerk alongside Dr. Bell, who believed the young physician was the best student he'd ever had. Inevitably, the more time that Doyle spent in the presence of his tutor, the more familiar he became with the power of deduction and observation. Doyle dedicated his first 12 Sherlock Holmes stories to his former teacher, and Dr. Joseph Bell was described as "The Original of Sherlock Holmes" in an 1893 interview with the Pall Mall Gazette.

Sherlock Holmes' Real-Life Roots Help Explain Why So Many People Think He Was A Real Person

Sherlock Holmes' Methods Of Deduction Are Grounded In Realism

By denoting his work to Dr. Joseph Bell, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle may have encouraged the belief that Sherlock Holmes was a real individual, particularly as Holmes' core methods of deduction and observation are based upon real-life practices that were undertaken by Dr. Bell. Despite these techniques being dramatized by Doyle's chronicles, they have a basis in reality. A large proportion of readers may not be familiar with Doyle, assuming Sherlock Holmes is simply an embellishment of a similarly inquisitive mind who lived during the late 19th century.

It is interesting to see Sherlock Holmes' credulity over other characters, for instance, the detective from Agatha Christie's stories, Hercule Poirot.

The popularity of Sherlock Holmes in the media is a significant contributing factor to the belief in him as a real-life person, too. It is interesting to see Sherlock Holmes' influence on other characters, for instance, the detective from Agatha Christie's stories, Hercule Poirot. His pervasiveness in pop-culture (and the proliferation of different Sherlock Holmes adaptations) proves that the character feels believable to many people. This is despite the fact he is only a fictional creation – albeit, one with a real inspiration.