PERKINS, Frederic B.

Scrope; or, The Lost Library. A Novel of New York and Hartford

Boston: Roberts Brothers, 1874. From the Bart Auerbach Collection. Tall 8vo. 278 pages, printed in double-columns. Original green cloth, blocked in blind, gilt-lettered. Light wear at extremities, a front flyleaf removed. Item #409682

First edition of the first work of detective fiction directly concerned with the world of antiquarian books, booksellers, and book auctions. Gowans' Second-Hand Book Catacombs in New York City figures prominently in the setting. The story of a missing library moves from New York to Hartford and includes characterizations of booksellers and collectors. Wright 1873. (BA).

Price: $800.00