Mysteries are one of the most popular book formats of all time. They became popular during the English Renaissance when "the increase in literacy matched with more individualistic thinking and a respect of human reasoning led to an interest in solving mysteries." (Lamb, 2017) They have since captivated audiences for ages. ;xNLx;;xNLx;One of the longest lasting and most beloved of mystery characters is that of Nancy Drew. She has entertained readers for decades with her sleuthing abilities. Created by Edward Stratemeyer and his Stratemeyer Syndicate in 1930 all of her books were written under pseudonyms with different authors. "She would be a new kind of female character‐independent, exciting, and in charge of her own destiny. " (Ferriss, 2014) Since her stories were written by varying authors they would change with the times and reflect different styles an trends. She has been translated into numerous languages and her stories are still being made today. The Nancy Drew books are not only popular they are a part of their individual times and reflect the societal changes of the period. ;xNLx;;xNLx;In this timeline we will be going over some of the key moments in Nancy Drew book history and some key facts about them. Since she is so iconic and considered the first lasting young adult heroine in book history.;xNLx;;xNLx;Citations: ;xNLx;Ferriss, Jeannie A. (2014) "A Sleuth of Our Own: A Historical View of Nancy Drew, Girl Detective," SLIS Connecting: Vol. 3: Iss. 1, Article 7.;xNLx;;xNLx;Lamb, A. (2017). The Book as Knowledge: Fiction Literature.
Nancy Drew was considered "the first major full-time investigator in American girls' series books" (Billman, 1984) April 28th, 1930 marked the publication of her first story the Secret of the Old Clock. It was written under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene, which was the most well known moniker for the series, but was actually written by Margaret Benson. "She debuted at a time when girls were ready for something different--something that gave them higher ideals." (Fisher, 2002) "Popular culture of the 1920s and 1930s celebrated independent women. " (Fribush, 1998) The Great Depression was underway and this teenage super sleuth offered young women a glimpse of what was possible for them. Nancy embodied all the characteristics that young women longed for and this novel sparked a life long love the blonde super sleuth. Citation: Billman, Carol. The Secret of the Stratemeyer Syndicate: Nancy Drew, the Hardy Boys, and the Million Dollar Fiction Factory. New York: Ungar, 1986. Print. Ferriss, Jeannie A. (2014) "A Sleuth of Our Own: A Historical View of Nancy Drew, Girl Detective," SLIS Connecting: Vol. 3: Iss. 1, Article 7. Fribush, Rebecca. (1998) The Riddle of the Revised Novels: Nancy Drew in the Depression and Cold War. Sloping Halls Review.
Starting with #18 The Mystery at the Moss-Covered Mansion Russell H. Tandy's glossy frontispieces that are included in the front matter of the book are made no longer glossy to reduce costs. #1-17 books are also slightly revised to accommodate this change so this is of interest to both historians and collectors. "Tandy revised most of the art in the glossy frontispieces for the plain frontispieces." (Fisher, n.d.) It is mentioned in several different sources about how detailed Tandy's drawings were in comparison to other Nancy Drew artists and particularly his glossy edition works. Later drawings were far less detailed. Citations: Fisher, Jennifer. “The Internal Illustrations:” Collecting Nancy Drew®, www.nancydrewsleuth.com/inart.html.
Nancy Drew has been translated into many different languages and published in various countries. She's known as Alice Roy in France, in Germany as Susanne Langen, and in Sweden as Kitty. Sweden particularly shows the social impacts of Nancy Drew and is a big favorite of collectors. Several translations were banned in Norway during World War 2 for showcasing too much independence. They were considered a detriment to children since "Nancy Drew is often seen as emblematic of American girlhood as self-reliant and aspirational, within the parameters of middle-class, mid-century striving" (Marshall, 2012) The other girl sleuth of that period in Sweden showcases the cultural differences and what caused strife for Nancy's starting success. Puck Larsson is also a girl sleuth but "Puck is merely exposed to dramatic events that leave her no choice but to try to solve the cases, despite her unwillingness, hesitation, and fear." (Forselius, 2011) She doesn't have Nancy's zeal or independence. She is soft spoken and doesn't speak back to authority figures. Comparing the two is extremely good for book history amongst different countries. They are distinctive by their red cloth spines and "flickböcker" or girls book logos. The exact publication date is an approximation, information really only shows that Nancy Drew began to be published in 1952 in Sweden. Citations: Forselius, T. M. (2011). Probing pioneer girl sleuths: Puck larsson and nancy drew in 1950s girls' book series in sweden. The Lion and the Unicorn, 35(1), 24-46. Retrieved from http://ulib.iupui.edu/cgi-bin/proxy.pl?url=http://search-proquest-com.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/docview/864115455?accountid=7398 Marshall, E. (2012). Global girls and strangers: Marketing transnational girlhood through the nancy drew series. Children's Literature Association Quarterly, 37(2), 210-227. Retrieved from http://ulib.iupui.edu/cgi-bin/proxy.pl?url=http://search-proquest-com.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/docview/1020692934?accountid=7398
When the Cold War struck the original Nancy Drew novels were revised and reprinted to reflect the social changes that were happening. The Secret of the Old Clock was the first of these revisionist versions. There are many changes that would occur that would follow through to modern Nancy Drew novels. The independence of Nancy is softened, she seeks assistance from others more, and love interests are introduced. "In response to the disruption created by the Second World War and the ominous threat of nuclear war, women of the 1950s felt strong pressure to return to domesticity." (Fribush, 1998) These changes would create different plot lines. For instance instead of lying and sneaking into a house to investigate a mystery, Nancy goes into the house with someone else in this version. There are also minor changes like the car she drives and her outfits as well as slang used. These stories can still be bought and are less valued by collectors but you can tell if you have an original by the fact " the dust jacket artwork was changed for #1-9 and #11. #2, 5, 8, and 11 were printed with the wrong numbers on the spine." (Nancy Drew, n.d.) Citations: Fribush, Rebecca. (1998) The Riddle of the Revised Novels: Nancy Drew in the Depression and Cold War. Sloping Halls Review. Nancy Drew Mystery StoriesValues and Collecting Tips. (n.d.).
Nancy Drew had at this point been turned into games, films, and other media but her books had remained in novel format. This was a foray into spin-off books capitalizing on the franchise's success. It is important as a collector's item and as a showcase of how characters can branch out into other genres and styles of books.
The Hardy Boys were another of the Stratemeyer Syndicate's most beloved characters. Written under the pseudonym Franklin W. Dixon they were the original super sleuths that Nancy was based on. "Stratemeyer and Wirt Benson contrived between them to create a heroine who had even greater freedom than her male counterparts, the Hardy Boys, whose appeal and sales Stratemeyer hoped to match." (Lefebvre, 2007) In 1982 the Hardy Boys came to solve crimes with Nancy in a series of 7 short stories. This was the first crossover for the pair but would result in numerous other crossover books and even a TV series for them. Citations: Lefebvre, B. (2007). Writing and rewriting nancy drew, girl detective. Children's Literature, 35, 230-238,271. Retrieved from http://ulib.iupui.edu/cgi-bin/proxy.pl?url=http://search-proquest-com.proxy.ulib.uits.iu.edu/docview/195585545?accountid=7398
Released in 1986 The Nancy Drew Files were geared towards a more mature young adult audience. They faced Nancy with more menacing villains and lots more love interests. The 80's had an influx of popular culture relating to teens and this series capitalized on that as well as the thirst for romance in media that was happening.
"The 69 volume Notebooks series ran from 1994 to 2005 when it was replaced by the Clue Crew series." (Finnan, n.d.) Nancy Drew Notebooks capitalized on the still successful franchise expanding its demographics to 8 and under reader. No longer just catering to young adults Nancy started to try and corner a very popular market in the 90's, children's books. These books featured silly mysteries and lots of child like fun. Citations: Finnan, R. W. (n.d.). Retrieved November 02, 2017, from http://nancydrew.info/ndnotebooks.htm
Nancy Drew Diaries tries to rekindle the magic of the original series of Nancy Drew books for modern audiences 8-12 years of age. The books focus on Nancy using her wits and her friends to solve crimes. Unlike the Nancy Drew Files there are no murders, just wholesome fun. Modern technology is used frequently and the influences of societal norms for the 2000's are extremely present. Nancy is back to being more independent and free thinking as well.
We'd love to hear from you. Please send questions or feedback to the below email addresses.
Before contacting us, you may wish to visit our FAQs page which has lots of useful info on Tiki-Toki.
We can be contacted by email at: hello@tiki-toki.com.
You can also follow us on twitter at twitter.com/tiki_toki.
If you are having any problems with Tiki-Toki, please contact us as at: help@tiki-toki.com
Close