Wednesday, July 2, 2014

Gumshoe Tails!


Welcome to 'Gumshoe Junction', aka 'KardKornerKrib'!  Just step into my office 'dearies' and have a sit down.
  If I've got an assistant SOMEWHERE, maybe she can scare up a cup of coffee for you! 

OOPS!

...Uh, well, please excuse the mess!  lol!  Anyway, here we are, and I'm glad to see you.   Okay, I know you're aware that I love snooping around, always after a story,  and a cool photo (well, my camera is sort of broken down -I dropped it)!.  And while we're on the subject of snooping, I've had to ask myself, "In the grand scheme of things, just WHERE do I fit in to the snoop scene?  Could I possibly be a detective of sorts?"  I just love crime and detective stories, although, I have yet to solve a crime! 

So, how did  the 'detective' and 'private eye' service get its start?  If you think I went snooping around to find some answers, you're spot on!

I guess it started a long time ago...oh, let's say we just go back to 1833, when a French soldier named Eugène François Vidocq started the first known private detective agency.  This guy hired ex-cons...you see, Eugène was a criminal-turned-cop himself, and, of course Law Enforcement was always looking for reasons to shut him down.

Eugène François Vidocq
1775 ~ 1857

Mr. Vidocq was actually arrested on suspicion of taking money under false pretenses.  He was sentenced to 5 years with a fine, but, subsequently was released.  Since he had solved an embezzlement case, Eugène was pretty sure he had been set up. 

Eventually, Vidocq earned quite a good reputation for himself.  He actually made the first plaster casts for shoe impressions, which aided in investigations, and organized a record-keeping system for ballistics in crime cases.

In 'those days',  private investigators pretty much acted as police in some matters.  Those matters usually consisted of  labor and employee issues, meaning, the workers were beginning to develop their own ideas of how their wants and needs should be exercised.  And, since the wealthy wanted to maintain control over the workers, and keep them quiet, they would leave the police out of it and enlist the aid of some of the early private investigators to keep the workers at bay.


Industrialization after the French Revolution
***

Eugène François Vidocq was so well praised for his successes in catching criminals, that he had become an inspiration for mystery authors as well as other investigators.  He is also credited for being a great humanitarian, claiming never to have informed on anyone who had stolen for a real need. I believe his own life experiences as a criminal and fugitive from the law, gave him the insight to track criminals, and compelled even Charles Dickens to use Vidocq's experiences in his novel, "Great Expectations".  Edgar Allan Poe and Herman Melville, both American authors, were inspired by Vidocq's antics, their works resulting in 'Murder in the Rue Morgue', and 'Moby Dick' respectfully.

***  In the meantime, in the United States, Allan Pinkerton was spinning his wheels, engaging his agents as he established the Pinkerton national Detective Agency.  Pinkerton had more agents than the army of the USA.
***
And, the tail continues!

Gosh, where DOES the time go?  Somehow I hit on this subject of detective agencies, and it just sent me into 'know-it-all' land!  I only hope you enjoyed our little lesson on the early detectives!

But, that's not all folks!  While we're on the subject, allow me to introduce you to a few of the fictional detectives of all time.  If I left a favorite of yours out, please accept my apologies.  There are so many detectives that have graced our lives!

~Miss Marple from Agatha Christie stories (1927)
Margaret Rutherford (1963)


~Sam Spade from Dashiell Hammett's 1930, The Maltese Falcon
Humphrey Bogart 1941


~Tim Ryan's, Detective Kitty O'Day 1944
Jean Parker 1945


~Mickey Spillane's Mike Hammer 1947
Stacy Keach 1984


~Andy Breckman's, Adrian Monk 2002
Tony Shaloub
~We can see you Monk!

~Donald Bellisario and Glen A. Larson's 'Magnum P.I.' 1980
Tom Selleck
'YOWSA!'

~Carolyn Keene via Edward Stratemeyer's Nancy Drew 1930
Bonita Granville


Cindy-This one's for you!
Law and Order,  Criminal Intent's Detective Robert Goren 2001-2009
Vincent D'Onofrio
His sultry demeanor and innocent line of questioning just sends you!  
Check out his 'sheepish snarl'!


And, our all-time favorite detective hero!
~Sir Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes 1939
Basil Rathbone
"When you have eliminated the impossible, whatever remains,
however improbable, must be the truth."

*** I want to take a moment to thank Shady Del Knight from 
http://shadydell.blogspot.com
I think that's the right link!  He has been showering some fellow bloggers with his seeds of friendship via 'Sunflower Blog Award'!  You can see the award on my side bar.
With this award, comes some questions that the award recipient is requested to answer.
Gosh Shady, you ask TOO many questions, but I did pick a few:

1.  "What is your favorite smell?" Easy enough...Gardenia!
2.  "Are you an early riser, or a night owl?"  ...Both, and I'm not kidding!
  I go to bed around 11:30pm and rise in the mornings at 5:30am.
3.  "If you were asked to speak extemporaneously for one hour about anything,
 what topic would you pick?"  ...REALLY?

Okay, that's enough TOM foolery for one post!  Thanks again Shady!

***

This post is running close into the July 4th weekend, and I'm sure you are all planning your picnics and festivities...it is a great celebration of our country's Birthday!

*  And, I know I've mentioned before that my brother was born on the fourth of July.  He and I would sit out back on the patio in the afternoon on the fourth, as kids, and sing old folk songs.  Well, actually my brother liked to sing the Alfred E. Newman songs from MAD magazine, lol!  And, I would sing "Davy Crockett", and Happy Birthday to him.  I have the fondest memories from those times, lighting the black smokey snakes and smoke bombs, and, later, the sparklers and fountain fireworks!  Mmmm...hot dogs, dill pickles, potato salad, and-then, cake and ice cream!

***  My brother passed away in 2007, and, he is missed terribly.  Happy Birthday, Stan!

Have a wonderful July 4th holiday, and practice caution around the fireworks!
No short fuses, you guys!

And, thank you so much for your visit.  Please stop and say hello if you get the chance.  I hope you enjoyed today's 'tail' on 'sleuthing', and, you're right-the neighbor's dog DID take the newspaper!  See?  You're already a skilled sleuther!  lol!  You're hired!

*** Note:  I did borrow the illustrations used in this post from Yahoo Images-thanks!

"A Detective asked me to come to the police station for an interview.
I haven't even applied for a job there yet!"



Till next time, I remain, still, your humble Bloggette!  Hugs to you all!