Yesterday my husband and I stopped in my favorite antique store near Fayetteville, Long Ago Antiques. From the street, the shop appeared small, but like the wardrobe entrance to Narnia, each room led into another magical space filled with treasures. Lost in another world for over an hour, we almost made it out without spending anything more than time, until I spied three old Nancy Drew books. I cannot pass up a Nancy Drew book…
Blue tweed covers. $5 each. One was even copyrighted 1930! A real find…
And written inside The Ghost of Blackwood Hall…
This book belongs to: May Gertrude Brightwell, Box L84, Clinton, Maryland…
On the back page, May had written a song list—like a modern day iTunes playlist…Songs including Great Balls of Fire, You Send Me, At the Hop. Hit songs from 1957.
For a collector, these handwritten notations lessen the value.
I think the notations add value.
This book sent me into my own mystery – the mystery of May Gertrude Brightwell. According to the 1940 Maryland Census Record, she was born in 1939, had one brother, two step-brothers and a step-sister. She lived with her parents and grandmother. Based on the year of her favorite hit songs, she was around 18 at the time she owned the book.
According to Google, she still lives in Maryland and is now 73 years old. I wonder how her book came to be in Fayetteville, Arkansas?
Did she love to read?
Did she love Nancy Drew as much as I?
Of course, the real Nancy Drew would drive up to Maryland in her blue convertible and interview Ms. Brightwell, or at the very least call her.
I think I’ll just leave it to my imagination.
talya
Grace Grits and Gardening
Farm. Food. Garden. Life.
Of course there turned out
to be more to the story…
Click HERE to read on!
You Send Me, Sam Cooke
The real Nancy Drew would have emailed Ms. Brightwell before taking the train to Maryland, and before leaving she would buy another copy of the book because she was going to present Ms. Brightwell with the inscribed copy. Alas, she would find that poor Ms. Brightwell died of natural causes only the day before…but then someone steals the Ghost Of Blackwood Hall from her hotel room…but…they stole the wrong copy! Inside Ms. Brightwell’s copy, Nancy finds some letters circled that she is certain form a code. She now believes Ms. Brightwell was murdered but the police pay no attention to her. She calls Frank Hardy and ……
analyzed like a true crime story writer….
Think about giving her a call or email. She might not care or she or her family might. I have books that my mother and grandmother signed with maiden names, and some books I enscribed when much younger.
I’m with Tom. You oughta pursue it! I think it’d at least make a great blog post or two…
true.
That’s so cool! I love it. I’m with Tom! I’d probably email Ms. Brightwell and wait for the mystery to unfold…
Oh, please call her!! You would probably make her whole year!
Yes, I think you should call her. You must find out how her book ended up in Arkansas. Barbara
maybe I will:)
DOOOOO IIIIIIIT! 🙂
okay okay.
That may be the coolest blog yet! #1 with a bullet!
Wow thanks!
You need to go for it big time. I don’t think you will ever regret it. Thanks so much for linking up with Merry Merry Munchies last week. I hope you will travel on over and do so again this week. Happy Thanksgiving. Be sure and sign up with Rafflecopter for the giveaways I have going on. http://diningwithdebbie.blogspot.com/2012/11/merry-merry-munchies-2012-week-2.html
What can it hurt? I think she would be thrilled to hear from the new owner of her book.
Anxiously awaiting her reply. If my mother had something as precious as that I wonder too how they ended up in Arkansas. I would want to know they answer!
I’m with the others. On the other hand, if you took Tom’s fictional scenario and “made up the rest,” that would be a fun thing also.
SURVEY SAYS!!!…You should call Ms. Brightwell…please…that is, if you haven’t already!
Waiting with anticipation for the conclusion of this mystery!!! I know you are following up! Please give us an update when you can. Talya’s Cuz
May Brightwell is my aunt! She is alive and well. My uncle, her brother-in-law who lives in Ohio, came across this post and told her about it. I haven’t heard her so excited in a long time. She was very excited to see her handwriting in book she owned so long ago. She has no idea when she last had that book much less have an idea how it made from Clinton, MD, just outside of Washington, DC, to Arkansas! Thank you for posting these pictures!
Keith Brightwell
[email protected]
This is so exciting for me too! What a great Christmas gift:)))
And thrilled she is….as is my brother, Keith, and I. And, yes, she loves Nancy Drew and passsd that on to me at any early age. Your discovery is so exciting and how I would love to know the books travels to Arkansas. Thanks, again, for posting it so our Uncle could gind it and pass it on. Debbie Brightwell
I too am thrilled!
AND, the rest of the story…………….
I have goose bumps! This is so exciting and of course I can’t wait, as Paul Harvey would say, to hear “the end of the story”!
***”the rest of the story”
Colene, when I 1st viewed Talya’s posting, I cried so I surely understand. 🙂
so sweet:)) life is so great!
Awesome story
To be continued…….Please!
Love..love….love!!! Amazing!!! Take care, Timmie Lynn