VINTAGE Mid-1940s Nancy Drew #10 The Password To Larkspur Lane Carolyn Keene DJ For Sale

Book Details
The Password To Larkspur Lane Book #10 in the Nancy Drew Mystery Series was copyrighted by Grosset & Dunlap in 1933. Circa Mid-1940s Vintage Edition. Writer\'s Background
Carolyn Keene was the shared pen name for writers working under the Stratemeyer Syndicate, the book-packaging firm behind Nancy Drew. The writer behind the earliest volumes was Mildred Wirt Benson (1905-2002), a young journalist who poured her spirited energy into Nancy, shaping her as a confident and independent girl detective, a heroine unafraid to take risks and think for herself.Story
In The Password to Larkspur Lane, Nancy is drawn into her next mystery when a wounded carrier pigeon lands in her yard, carrying a cryptic message. This unexpected clue launches her into an investigation involving secret codes, impersonation, and a hidden estate. As Nancy follows the trail, she and her longtime housekeeper Hannah Gruen uncover signs that an elderly woman is being held against her will at a heavily guarded estate known as Larkspur Lane. With help from her friends Bess and George, Nancy investigates a string of clues involving secret codes, impersonation, and hidden identities. Her college boyfriend, Ned Nickerson joins the investigation as Nancy uncovers a larger plot involving stolen inheritances and works to rescue the woman being kept at the estate.Collectible Notes
Title page contains a note of compliance with government regulations for the conservation of paper, making this book a collectible tied to World War II. The dust jacket flap lists Nancy Drew Mystery Stories in sequential order, including titles published after The Password to Larkspur Lane. Combined with the distinctive high-acid wood pulp paper stock used during wartime, this later edition was issued sometime between 1944 and 1945. Book features the iconic blue cloth boards stamped with the orange Nancy silhouette, matching orange silhouette endpapers and a vibrant red topstain. The dust jacket retains Illustrator Russell H. Tandy’s vivid artwork showing Nancy crouched beside a wire fence, listening as a woman in a wheelchair points urgently while a man approaches from the distance, a gripping scene that captures the book’s suspense. For children living through wartime-rationing and uncertainty, the story offered courage, escape, and the thrill of justice. NOTE: The dust jacket has been reinforced with a paper backing and covered by a clear cellophane wrapper, protective measures added later to preserve its condition.Condition
Very Good to Good vintage condition. Dust jacket colors have remained crisp. Jacket has tiny missing pieces at the bottom of the front and at the top of the back. Blue cloth boards have softened to a more muted tone with age, a common variation in Grosset & Dunlap bindings from this era. Spine has a circular discoloration. Embossed orange lettering is still clear. Decorative bright orange silhouette endpapers are clean with age-toning. Red topstain is muted with age. Binding is strong and fully intact. 220 pages are age-toned and free of markups, creases or stains. Pages 39 and 40 are torn in the middle. Top right corner of pages 43-54 have a tiny portion missing, likely caused by the high-acid wood pulp paper used during WWII. Side and bottom edges of the book show the pulp paper striping. Inside, some pages are darker than others and the page color variations mirror the edge striping (see pictures). Illustrated frontispiece is crisp and well-preserved. Last page contains the words \"The End.\" If you are interested in more than one Nancy Drew book, a 10% discount is available for two or more purchases.Carefully packaged and shipped with care from our smoke-free home. Now available to readers and collectors around the world through International Shipping. Measures 7.5\" long, 5.25” wide and 1\" deep. Weighs 10 oz.