The Secret at the Gatehouse

Grosset & Dunlap, New York, 1940. First Edition. Hardcover. Very Good- Condition/Fair. Book This appears to be the First Edition printing of #9 in the Dana Girls series, though it could be a 1941 printing. Even Axe only provides general information on the formats for the books in the series. This has the purple cloth over heavy boards with the silhouette of the girls in a circle on the front cover, which fits Axe's Format I. He calls for the end papers to show the girls reading a letter printed in burgundy; here they are in green. However, he calls for burgundy in Format II (1942-1944), as well, so the green seems to be an alternate color for some bindings. This has a plain frontis, but it is on better paper than the WWII acidic paper of Format II. The dust jacket has the early 50 cent pricing (5050 at the top of the front flap) and lists the series to this title. The the list of Nancy Drew books on the rear flap only goes to "The Clue of the Tapping Heels," which was published in 1939. The list of Nancy Drew books on the verso of the title page goes to "The Mystery of the Brass-Bound Trunk," published in 1940, though subsequent printings were often done from the same plates, so the dust jacket is better for dating the printing than are the internal lists of the series books. Size: 7.5"-8" - Small Octavo (Sm. 8vo). 216 pages. Item Type: Book. Text block is tight and unmarked, though the pages are slightly toned from age (but anywhere close to the dark toning of the cheaper WWII paper that was used in later printings). Hardcover bound in purple cloth over heavy cardboard with the title and Dana Girls in silhouette in black on the front cover and title in black on the spine. The corners show minimal wear but are slightly turned in. There is a small bump at the top of the front cover. There are also a few dark spots at the top and bottom front corners from the adhesive tape that was used on the dust jacket. There is a small (1/8") spot of loss in the cloth on the rear cover. The unclipped (5050) dustjacket is intact, but only because it was reinforced on the back and around the edges with adhesive tape which has now browned. It appears the two flaps had torn loose (or been pretty close to it) and there was a rip down the front fold of the spine, with a horizontal tear across the middle of the spine, which prompted the rough repair. There is also a crease down the middle of the rear panel. The jacket is now protected in a clear archival Brodart cover. The top edge is stained green. The side and bottom edges are clean, though toned from age. Quantity Available: 1. Category: Teens & Young Adult; Mystery; United States; 1940s; Main Picture: Carolyn Keen (pseud.; written by Mildred A. Wirt), The Secret at the Gatehouse (New York: 1940) - Front panel and spine of dust jacket (showing old adhesive tape over the edges). Picture 2: Carolyn Keen (pseud.; written by Mildred A. Wirt), The Secret at the Gatehouse (New York: 1940) - Rear panel of dust jacket (showing old adhesive tape over the edges) and page edges. Picture 3: Carolyn Keen (pseud.; written by Mildred A. Wirt), The Secret at the Gatehouse (New York: 1940) - Front cover and spine in thick purple cloth (Axe Format I). Picture 4: Carolyn Keen (pseud.; written by Mildred A. Wirt), The Secret at the Gatehouse (New York: 1940) - Rear cover in thick purple cloth (Axe Format I) and page edges. Picture 5: Carolyn Keen (pseud.; written by Mildred A. Wirt), The Secret at the Gatehouse (New York: 1940) - Flaps of the dust jacket and verso showing reinforcement by old adhesive tape. Picture 6: Carolyn Keen (pseud.; written by Mildred A. Wirt), The Secret at the Gatehouse (New York: 1940) - End papers of girls reading letter (Axe Formats I and II), but in green rather than burgundy. Picture 7: Carolyn Keen (pseud.; written by Mildred A. Wirt), The Secret at the Gatehouse (New York: 1940) - Title page with plain frontis (Paper fits Axe Format I, though he calls for glossy frontis). Picture 8: Carolyn Keen (pseud.; written by Mildred A. Wirt), The Secret at the Gatehouse (New York: 1940) - Copyright page with lists of Dana Girls and Nancy Drew series and Table of Contents. Pictures of this item not already displayed here available upon request. Inventory No: 1188. .