House of Beadle and Adams Online / Popular Fifty Cent Books

Popular Fifty Cent Books

1 - 5

1.

Seeley Regester. The Dead Letter. An American Romance. Beadle & Co., 118 William Street. 308 pages, 9 by 6 inches, two columns to the page. There are numerous one and two column illustrations. The wrapper is orange, printed in black.

Found in: Beadle's Monthly, vol. 1; Fifty Cent Books (8vo); Fifty Cent Books (12mo); Cheap Editions of Popular Authors, no. 7; Fireside Library, no. 44

The story was first published by Beadle as a serial in Beadle's Monthly, then in the fifty cent edition issued September 15, 1866.⁽¹⁾ However, even in serial form it was not an original publication, for, as Beadle himself said,⁽²⁾ it had appeared elsewhere two years previously. In book form, the second edition appeared October 10,⁽³⁾ the fourth November 27,⁽⁴⁾ and the sixth January 9, 1869.⁽⁵⁾ In 1869, it was also reprinted as a serial in The Illuminated Western World.⁽⁶⁾ A duodecimo edition was issued by Beadle & Co. in 1867.⁽⁷⁾ It had 120 pages, 6 illustrations, and was printed in a single column on good book paper.

2.

Mrs. Metta V. Victor. Who Was He? A Story of Two Lives. Beadle & Co., 118 William Street. Copyrighted 1866. Two columns to the page, good type, size 9 by 6 inches, and with a frontispiece.

Found in: Beadle's Monthly, vol. 2; Fifty Cent Books; Saturday Journal/Star Journal (various title changes), no. 36; Cheap Editions of Popular Authors, no. 3; Fireside Library, no. 43.

The only copy that I have seen was bound and the original cover was not preserved. The exact date of the first appearance is unknown. In Dime Novel No. 99, which appeared June 12, 1866, it was announced as "Now ready." A new edition was announced in the New York Tribune, October 11, 1869.

3.

Mrs. Catherine A. Warfield. Romance of the Green Seal. Beadle & Co., 118 William Street. Octavo, paper wrappers, and frontispiece on tinted paper. Copyrighted 1866. February 26, 1867.⁽⁸⁾ A new edition appeared October 11, 1869.⁽⁹⁾

Found in: Beadle's Monthly, vol. 2; Fifty Cent Books (8vo); Fifty Cent Books (12mo); Cheap Editions of Popular Authors, no. 9; Fireside Library, no. 16 (late printings only).

4.

Albert D. Richardson. Our New States and Territories. Being Notes of a Recent Tour of Observation through Colorado, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington Territory, and California. Octavo, paper covers, 80 pages, with 45 illustrations in the text. Beadle & Co., 118 William Street.

Found in: Beadle's Monthly, vol. 1; Fifty Cent Books.

Brought $20 at the O'Brien sale.

Appeared originally as a serial in Beadle's Monthly, volumes I and II, in 1866. The separate publication (Fig. 45) was announced in Beadle's Monthly, November, 1866, page 468, and a review was given in the same magazine, III, 1867, 481. It was also advertised in Harper's Weekly, February 2, 1867, page 80.

5.

Seeley Regester. The Figure Eight; or, The Mystery of Meredith Place. Beadle & Co., 98 William Street. October 11, 1869.⁽¹⁰⁾ Octavo, paper covers, 9 by 6 inches, 128 two-column pages and 8 full-page woodcuts.

Found in: Fifty Cent Books; Saturday Journal/Star Journal (various title changes), no. 385; Fireside Library, no. 46.

The wrappers were printed in black on orange paper. The front cover (Fig. 46) shows a large figure "8" underlying the words "Figure Eight, by the author of The Dead Letter." The story had been previously published as a serial in The Illuminated Western World, beginning January 2, 1869.

A murder-mystery story enacted in a village near New York City.

Notes

¹ New York. Tribune, September 15, 1866. "Ready this morning."

² Beadle's Monthly, III, 1867, 195.

³ New York Tribune, October 10, 1866.

⁴ Ibid. November 21, 1866.

⁵ Ibid. January 9, 1869. "Now ready." Announces that 25,000 copies had been sold.

⁶ Begun June 12, 1869.

⁷ Advertised in Dime Novel No. 106.

⁸ New York Tribune, February 26, 1867. "Issued this morning."

⁹ Ibid. October 11, 1869. "Just published."

¹⁰ New York Tribune, October 11, 1869. "Published today."

Go to:

Series Description Next Series

List of all Series

1.	Seeley Regester. The Dead Letter. An American Romance. Beadle & Co., 118 William Street. 308 pages, 9 by 6 inches, two columns to the page. There are numerous one and two column illustrations. The wrapper is orange, printed in black. Found in: Beadle's Monthly, vol. 1; Fifty Cent Books (8vo); Fifty Cent Books (12mo); Cheap Editions of Popular Authors, no. 7; Fireside Library, no. 44 The story was first published by Beadle as a serial in Beadle's Monthly, then in the fifty cent edition issued September 15, 1866.⁽¹⁾ However, even in serial form it was not an original publication, for, as Beadle himself said,⁽²⁾ it had appeared elsewhere two years previously. In book form, the second edition appeared October 10,⁽³⁾ the fourth November 27,⁽⁴⁾ and the sixth January 9, 1869.⁽⁵⁾ In 1869, it was also reprinted as a serial in The Illuminated Western World.⁽⁶⁾ A duodecimo edition was issued by Beadle & Co. in 1867.⁽⁷⁾ It had 120 pages, 6 illustrations, and was printed in a single column on good book paper.
2.	Mrs. Metta V. Victor. Who Was He? A Story of Two Lives. Beadle & Co., 118 William Street. Copyrighted 1866. Two columns to the page, good type, size 9 by 6 inches, and with a frontispiece. Found in: Beadle's Monthly, vol. 2; Fifty Cent Books; Saturday Journal/Star Journal (various title changes), no. 36; Cheap Editions of Popular Authors, no. 3; Fireside Library, no. 43. The only copy that I have seen was bound and the original cover was not preserved. The exact date of the first appearance is unknown. In Dime Novel No. 99, which appeared June 12, 1866, it was announced as "Now ready." A new edition was announced in the New York Tribune, October 11, 1869.
3.	Mrs. Catherine A. Warfield. Romance of the Green Seal. Beadle & Co., 118 William Street. Octavo, paper wrappers, and frontispiece on tinted paper. Copyrighted 1866. February 26, 1867.⁽⁸⁾ A new edition appeared October 11, 1869.⁽⁹⁾ Found in: Beadle's Monthly, vol. 2; Fifty Cent Books (8vo); Fifty Cent Books (12mo); Cheap Editions of Popular Authors, no. 9; Fireside Library, no. 16 (late printings only).
4.	Albert D. Richardson. Our New States and Territories. Being Notes of a Recent Tour of Observation through Colorado, Utah, Montana, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, Washington Territory, and California. Octavo, paper covers, 80 pages, with 45 illustrations in the text. Beadle & Co., 118 William Street. Found in: Beadle's Monthly, vol. 1; Fifty Cent Books. Brought $20 at the O'Brien sale. Appeared originally as a serial in Beadle's Monthly, volumes I and II, in 1866. The separate publication (Fig. 45) was announced in Beadle's Monthly, November, 1866, page 468, and a review was given in the same magazine, III, 1867, 481. It was also advertised in Harper's Weekly, February 2, 1867, page 80.
5.	Seeley Regester. The Figure Eight; or, The Mystery of Meredith Place. Beadle & Co., 98 William Street. October 11, 1869.⁽¹⁰⁾ Octavo, paper covers, 9 by 6 inches, 128 two-column pages and 8 full-page woodcuts. Found in: Fifty Cent Books; Saturday Journal/Star Journal (various title changes), no. 385; Fireside Library, no. 46. The wrappers were printed in black on orange paper. The front cover (Fig. 46) shows a large figure "8" underlying the words "Figure Eight, by the author of The Dead Letter." The story had been previously published as a serial in The Illuminated Western World, beginning January 2, 1869. A murder-mystery story enacted in a village near New York City.

¹	New York. Tribune, September 15, 1866. "Ready this morning."
²	Beadle's Monthly, III, 1867, 195.
³	New York Tribune, October 10, 1866.
⁴	Ibid. November 21, 1866.
⁵	Ibid. January 9, 1869. "Now ready." Announces that 25,000 copies had been sold.
⁶	Begun June 12, 1869.
⁷	Advertised in Dime Novel No. 106.
⁸	New York Tribune, February 26, 1867. "Issued this morning."
⁹	Ibid. October 11, 1869. "Just published."
¹⁰	New York Tribune, October 11, 1869. "Published today."