Dime Novels
Another important subset of popular fiction at AAS is that containing the
dime novels. These formulaic tales of adventure were issued in numbered
series with titles such as Beadle's Sixpenny Tales, Boys' Books of
Romance and Adventure, and The Sunnyside Library.
They enjoyed wide readership from 1860
until well into the twentieth century. The Society's run of the
Beadle series up to about 1875 is all but complete, and AAS holds strong
representations of other, less popular imitations of that publisher's
offerings. The standard guide to this colorful genre is Albert Johannsen's
House of Beadle and Adams and its Dime and Nickel Novels (Norman,
Okla.,
1950). This three-volume work is annotated with AAS holdings, and the
Society maintains checklists of the publications of other dime novel
publishers.
- Anne C. Moore, Cataloger, North American Imprints Program
|
For current information on the cataloging status of this and
other AAS collections, choose "Collection Access" below.
|
|
