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Anybody own or seen the book "The Nightingale"?

22 posts in this topic

Welcomebackpotter, you and I collect the same type of stuff, the rare stuff and I have to tell you I have been looking with a vengence for The Nightingale and I haven't even seen a picture of it!!!!!!!! I am not sure it exist. It is the number one book on my wish list. Same goes for the Archie official boy scout outfitter. I can't even find a picture of that.

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Welcomebackpotter, you and I collect the same type of stuff, the rare stuff and I have to tell you I have been looking with a vengence for The Nightingale and I haven't even seen a picture of it!!!!!!!! I am not sure it exist. It is the number one book on my wish list. Same goes for the Archie official boy scout outfitter. I can't even find a picture of that.

 

the one from keats is going to be hard to find, and VERY pricey.

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Is it the Classics Illustrated Junior? (shrug)

 

 

As far as I know it is not this book

How do you know it is not the book?

 

Wertham was a bit loose with the facts so it may be difficult to pin down.

 

Wasn't aware of this mystery but it is an interesting one. Don't have my copy of SOTI handy but presuming this is accurate...

He also points out that a "wholesome" comic called the Nightingale was not given its promised publicity in a national magazine because at the last minute the creators were told they had to submit it to an association run by crime comic publishers. By refusing to do so they lost the publicity.

... then the credibility of the whole incident does seem somewhat dubious.

 

Even beyond that, if this does bear some resemblance to reality, it sounds like there's a very good chance the book wasn't published. Sounds like the creators were so far off the beaten path that they didn't know the ins and outs of distribution, which also seems to imply that they hadn't printed yet.

 

If I had to bet on it I'd bet this book doesn't exist.

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Overstreet lists this information

Published by Henry H. Stansbury Once-Upon-A-Time-Press, Inc. 1948

10 cents 7-1/4"x10-1/4" 14 pages 1/2 B/W

Distributed only in Weschester County and Bronx, NY (which why it is hard to find)

 

Interesting! I must admit that's more specific info than I thought there'd be.

 

A tidbit from google:

 

The Smithsonian has a collection that originated from a NYC gallery called Midtown Galleries that contains correspondence and records with references to Once-Upon-A-Time-Press:

http://www.aaa.si.edu/collections/findingaids/midtgall.htm#section_2_1

 

 

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I've never seen it, but the library of Congress lists it as

Edited by Henry Hayes Stansbury, written by Hans Christen Andersen, published by Once-upon-A-Time-Press INC., Illustrated by Doug Kingman. An Uncle Andy book. 220et48 AA102029

 

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I've never seen it, but the library of Congress lists it as

Edited by Henry Hayes Stansbury, written by Hans Christen Andersen, published by Once-upon-A-Time-Press INC., Illustrated by Doug Kingman. An Uncle Andy book. 220et48 AA102029

 

Ashcan perhaps?

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they had to submit it to an association run by crime comic publishers.

 

This implies the Comics Code Authority, which was formed in 1954.

 

Overstreet lists this information

Published by Henry H. Stansbury Once-Upon-A-Time-Press, Inc. 1948

10 cents 7-1/4"x10-1/4" 14 pages 1/2 B/W

Distributed only in Weschester County and Bronx, NY (which why it is hard to find)

 

But this says the book was published in 1948, well before the CCA even existed.

 

(shrug)

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But this says the book was published in 1948, well before the CCA even existed. (shrug)

 

It could be a reference to the A.C.M.P. which was formed circa 1948 - 1949 and did include Lev Gleason. You will notice the Star logo for the A.C.M.P. on most Gleason's Crime titles (hence the reference above) starting May 1949 for Crime Does Not Pay for example, issue # 75.

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I'm bummed to know that if this book ever hits auction, I won't be the only one bidding...

 

I can't indicate whether the book was distributed, but I can say that it was printed. There is a printed copy of the book in Wertham's files at the Library of Congress, plus an alternate cover. That's where I got took this picture, which I posted at the SOTI website. One of these days I'll dig out the alternate cover and post it as well.

 

Nightingale.jpg

 

It's really rather a stretch to call this a comic book. The story inside is not told in panel form. It's a text story of Hans Christian Anderson's "The Nightingale", with illustrations by Dong Kingman. The book's resemblance to a comic book is in its form rather than its content. It's printed on sheets of paper (white paper, not 1940's newsprint) that are folded over and stapled in the middle, and the end result is about the size of a comic book. I'd describe it more like a saddle-stiched children's book with a paper cover than a comic book.

 

 

 

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