THE ADVENTURES OF ROMNEY PRINGLE by [Freeman, R. Austin, with Dr. John James Pitcairn]. Ashdown, Clifford (pseud.) - 1902

London: Ward Lock, 1902. First Edition. Hard Cover. London: Ward, Lock & Co., 1902. First UK Edition. No D/W. Original red cloth lettered in gilt to front cover and spine with white vignette of Pringle to lower right corner of upper board; with frontispiece and three other illustrations by Fred Pegram. 198 pages + 2-page catalogue to the rear. A bump to the top right hand corner of the front board and foxing to the page block edges and the early/late pages of the book and very slight spine fade (although the gilt lettering is not faded at all). The white vignette to the front board is perfectly clear with virtually no fading or flaking (scarce thus). The hinges are firm and the book tight.. Overall an attractive VG+ copy (and quite scarce in this condition). In 'Queen's Quorum, A History of the Detective-Crime Short Story', published in 1951, Ellery Queen wrote: "In [1902] appeared the book destined to become the rarest volume of detective-crime short stories published in the Twentieth Century. 'The Adventures of Romney Pringle' materialized without fanfare or huzzah. Data is lacking as to how many copies were actually printed and sold; at the time of this writing, however, only six copies of the first edition are known to exist. Bibliophiles and book scouts have scoured England and America, seeking in the most likely and unlikely places; yet after nearly fifty years of eagle-eyed and expert excavating, the recorded copies total exactly six no more, no less'. In 1971 Norman Donaldson (In Search of Dr Thorndyke page 52) writes that "Only eight copies, in various states of preservation, are known; moreover the book was never mentioned by Freeman in any list prepared by him. In view of these facts, it presumably had only a small sale on its first appearance in 1902". Donaldson also notes on page 243 that this title was issued in blue or red cloth (with no primacy). One of detective fiction's most celebrated rarities. Queen's Quorum # 30. A nicer copy than normally seen. Photographs/scans available upon request.