Month: November 2024

Elizabeth Short ~ The Black Dahlia

1943 mugshot of Elizabeth Short, destined to be known throughout history as The Black Dahlia

Short in 1946

Her remains found on January 15, 1947

39th St and Norton. The body dump site of the Black Dahlia

September 1987 Mysterious Press hardcover

cover art by Stephen Peringer

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop

1932 Covici Friede hardcover

1932 Covici Friede hardcover

cover art by Charles H. Alson

credited as being the first mystery published by a black American writer as well as the first mystery to have only black characters and feature the first black detective.

published in 1932 during the great Harlem Renaissance, Fisher was a man of many talents: physician, radiologist, orator, musician and writer. He died far too young, in 1934, after unsuccessful surgery.

September 1925 issue ~ cover art by H.C. Murphy

September 1925 issue

better image (by a little) than previously posted

cover art by H.C. Murphy

~ Ray(mond) King, “T. McGuirk Lends a Helping Hand”, ‘13th of 14 McGuirk stories, billed as “the quaintest character in the Underworld” & honest, more of less’, 13th of 15 stories in BM

~ Joseph Gollomb, “The Man Who Stole a Palace”, ‘study of Parisian police methods’, 2nd of 6 articles

~ Glenn G. Gravatt, “The Million Dollar Robbery”, ‘The Manhunters; for this series, see chiefly under Charles Somerville,’ author’s only appearance in BM

~ Dashiell Hammett, “Corkscrew”, ‘The Op [12th of 22] in Arizona, billed as ‘A Western Detective Novelette’, reprinted in As Tough as They Come (Perma, 1951), 17th of 45 stories in BM

~ William La Varre, “The Golden Head”, ‘A Daytime Story’, author’s only appearance in BM

~ Ralph E. Mooney, “Outside the World”, ‘attempted murder of an editor’, author’s only appearance in BM

~ L. King Tichenor, “A Just Price”, ‘The Senator’ [no other explanation], 4th of 5 stories in BM

~ Henry S. Whitehead, “The Gladstone Bag”, 1st of 2 stories in BM

~ Valleau Wilkie, “The White Elephant”, ‘Billed as “A Last Minute Mystery”’, 2nd of 2 stories in BM

~ Jack Woodford, “Blank Fingers”, ‘article; fingerprints; cf. under John Nicholas Beffel’, May 1925 issue

©Seattle Mystery Bookshop