Private detective work

The first episodes of the film were based on Arthur Conan Doyle's novel "A Study in Scarlet." It is known that the main theme of the introductory episode "The Acquaintance" was the clash of personalities between the two main characters - Sherlock Holmes and Dr. Watson, roles brilliantly portrayed on screen by Vasily Livanov and Vitaly Solomin. In this episode, Dr. Watson learns that Sherlock Holmes is a private detective. Thus, the first episode gradually immerses us in the institution of private investigation, which flourished in England in the middle-late 19th century.

In the presented shot, Sherlock Holmes is carefully examining the murder scene of an elderly American in an abandoned house in the "Bloody Inscription" episode, using a magnifying glass. The magnifying glass is an indispensable tool in Sherlock Holmes' crime-solving process: when important details are invisible to the naked eye, the detective employs it. The magnifying glass appears in many books by A. Conan Doyle and films based on them. For example, in the second episode of the film "The Twentieth Century Begins," Sherlock investigates the murder of a simple clerk, in whose pocket secret submarine blueprints were found. While investigating the case, Sherlock used the magnifying glass to discover that the window frame doesn't close completely, allowing easy observation of the room containing the safe where the blueprints were kept.

It should be noted that detectives in England in the late 19th and early 20th centuries  were indeed well-equipped and professional in their work. The activities of private detectives and the police in Britain in the 19th century were, one might say, inseparable from each other. Prior to the establishment of the police force in the first half of the 19th century, the law enforcement system was in the hands of private individuals with very limited state intervention. They investigated thefts of goods and valuables, brought suspected criminals to court, and helped identify perpetrators of murders or assaults.

The first regulation of private detective activity in England appeared with the adoption of the Private Detectives Act 1852. The law restricted the use of the term "private detective" only to those who were licensed and registered with a government body. Private detectives had to apply for a license, submit their personal details, undergo a background verification, and meet certain requirements established by the law. The law also stipulated that private detectives had no authority to arrest people or conduct searches without police presence. They were permitted to conduct investigations, surveillance, and information gathering within the scope of their authorized powers.