Ned Guymon Mystery and Detective Fiction Collection
Content Description
This is a collection of first editions, covering 19th to mid-20th century. Highlights include a subcollection on Arthur Conan Doyle/Sherlock Holmes; Gothic Fiction; 19th century "triple-deckers" (3 volume novels) and penny dreadfuls; 17th-19th century true crime and trial accounts; an incomplete Second Folio of Shakespeare; Charles Dickens in original installments; first appearances of Edgar Allan Poe's stories in magazines; the English "Golden Age" of detective fiction; women mystery and crime authors; books autographed to Ned Guymon by Raymond Chandler, Ross MacDonald and many others; a few science fiction works. Main authors of mystery or detective fiction from the 19th century to 1970s are extensively represented, such as Wilkie Collins, Sheridan Le Fanu, Bram Stoker, Agatha Christie, Raymond Chandler, Ellery Queen, Ian Fleming, Patricia Highsmith, Dashiell Hammett, Ross Macdonald, Dorothy Sayers, John Dickson Carr, Erle Stanley Gardner.
Also of note also are typescripts of novels, including an early draft of The Thin Man by Dashiell Hammett; film scripts, such as Alfred Hitchcock movies; manuscripts of works that were later published; 299 volumes of the French imprint founded in 1945, "Serie Noire," published by Gallimard; issues of literary magazines including The Black Cat, and Black Mask; a subcollection of Earl Derr Biggers, creator of Charlie Chan, consisting of his books in first editions and translations, plus his correspondence with friends and other memorabilia.
Dates
- Creation: 17th to 20th century
Language of Materials
Bulk of the collection is from English and American authors, some of which are translated into languages that include Danish, Spanish, Italian, Swedish, Japanese, and Finnish. A number of French writers, such as George Simenon and Eugene Francois Vidocq, are represented in English translations.
Biographical / Historical
Edward "Ned" Tyndal Guymon, Jr. (1900-1983) was born in Kansas. He graduated from Occidental College in 1922 and lived the rest of his life in Southern California, where he was a successful businessman. Guymon began broadly collecting first editions in the 1920s, but after acquiring his first Sherlock Holmes in the mid-1930s decided to focus on mystery and detective fiction. As the collection grew into one of the largest in the world, spanning four centuries of publications, so did his involvement with the world of collectors and writers. In 1953, he became the first recipient of the Mystery Writers of America's Raven Award for his exceptional library of mystery literature (the award is given annually in recognition of outstanding achievement in the mystery field outside the realm of creative writing). He was also a member of the Baker Street Irregulars, an exclusive literary society for Sherlock Holmes enthusiasts, founded in 1934.
Full Extent
1,545 Linear Feet
Immediate Source of Acquisition
Ned Guymon donated his collection in installments, between 1963-1977. A few items were sent by his widow, Kathy Guymon, in 1986.
Condition Description
Majority of books are in excellent condition; most 20th century works have original book jackets.
Processing Information
Not all books are cataloged; inventories are available for other types of materials.
- Title
- Guymon (Ned) Mystery and Detective Fiction Collection, 1611-1986
- Status
- Completed
- Author
- Helena de Lemos and Sacha Schneider
- Date
- November 2019
- Language of description
- Undetermined
- Script of description
- Code for undetermined script
Repository Details
Part of the Special Collections & College Archives, Occidental College Repository