[Rarebooks] FS - Early woman detective novel with Conan Doyle connection

[GREENFIELD BOOKS]

*ALLEN, Grant. /HILDA WADE A Woman with Tenacity of Purpose/*. Bound in 
original olive green cloth, with laboratory retort design on front 
board. G. P. Putnam's Sons, New York City. 1900. 1st edition, 8vo, pp. 
x, 383. With 98 b&w illustrations by Gordon Browne and five pages of 
publisher's ads at the end of the book. No dust jacket.

Charles Grant Blairfindie Allen (1848-1899) was born in Kingston, 
Ontario. At age 13, Allen and his parents moved to the United States. He 
won a scholarship to Merton College, Oxford (1867-1871), from which he 
was graduated with a B.A. During 1873-1876, he taught mental and moral 
philosophy in a new college at Spanish Town, Jamaica, which had been 
established for the education of negroes. After this institution failed, 
he returned to England, where he pursued writing as a profession. He was 
perhaps better known as an author of scientific and philosophical books, 
although he produced over 30 works of fiction, from which most of his 
income was derived. /Hilda Wade/ is Allen's final work, and all but the 
last chapter had been completed by the time of his death. His close 
friend and neighbor, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, gathered up Allen's notes 
and completed the final chapter, which effort the publisher acknowledged 
in a prefatory note. This title is a very early example of a mystery 
novel with a woman detective as the central character. This copy is the 
first American edition. It was also published in London by Grant 
Richards. Our copy has had the inner hinges taped with masking tape by a 
prior owner. It is our opinion that the tape could be fairly easily 
removed, and the hinges repaired with japanese paper. The text block is
still tightly stitched, and nothing is loose. The contents are clean. 
The boards show very light rubbing at the edges and light soiling. There 
is a very small red stain towards the bottom of the front board. The 
book is slightly off-set, or cocked. Overall, the book is still in good, 
to good plus, condition. Very well-illustrated by the noted artist 
Gordon Browne, showing the heroine in the fashions of the day.

 /"He could be described with more 'ists' than anyone else I ever saw. 
He was an atheist and pacifist and socialist, a botanist and zoologist 
and optimist, a chemist and physicist, a scientist of scientists, a 
monist, meliorist and hedonist . . . . A walk with him was an education 
in botany and zoology, and he had no whimsies or quirks; he was always 
reasonable, good-tempered, vivacious, bright, and interested in every 
human interest. . . .He was, also, astonishingly articulate; a 
super-journalist; he wrote excellent prose, and could turn you out a 
first-rate article on almost any subject from the growth of the idea of 
God to the habits of the caterpillar, at a moment's notice, and without 
perceptible exertion. I used to say his typewriter disturbed no one, for 
it went in one long even click."/--Frank Harris, /"Grant Allen"

/Price: $250.00

Terms of sale - The price is net in USD. Payment by check or credit 
card. Postage and packing charge is $7.50. Returnable within seven days 
of receipt if not as described.

 

 
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