The Mystery of a Hansom Cab. by HUME, Fergus W - 1888: A Startling and Realistic Story of Melbourne Social Life.

London: The Hansom Cab Publishing Company,, 1888. Extremely rare presentation copy First British edition, later impression, presentation copy, inscribed by the author to the prolific dime-novelist William J. Benners (1863-1940) on the half-title: "To Will J. Benners with best wishes Fergus Hume". Inscribed copies of Hume's works are extremely rare, with no recorded appearances at auction. Benners maintained a vast correspondence with the popular writers of the day, and it was probably to him that Hume wrote on 1 January 1905, announcing his hope to visit the US, a trip he apparently never undertook (Carter & Osborne, p. 97). Benners published dime novels himself, but apparently never published the Hansom Cab. The novel, one of the greatest and most successful of all detective stories, had met with enormous enthusiasm when first published in Australia in 1886. The author foolishly sold the copyright for a paltry sum to the businessman Frederick Trischler, who travelled to London and founded The Hansom Cab Publishing Company in 1887. Hundreds of thousands of copies were sold by the end of the century, reprinting from the first edition plates. This is one of these later impressions, with 401st thousand on the title page. The Mystery of a Hansom Cab is a Haycraft-Queen cornerstone. This copy was later part of the library of Florence and Edward Kaye, both leading collectors of detective fiction, with their bookplate to the chemise interior. Octavo. Original printed wrappers. Housed in a custom red cloth chemise within red half morocco box, spine lettered in gilt, red cloth sides. Spine chipped, split along front wrapper repaired with archival tape on verso, light running crease to pages, short closed tear and chip to corner of p. 159 without loss to text, tears to p. 175 without loss to paper. A good copy of this fragile book. Quayle, Collector's Book of Detective Fiction, p. 52. David Carter & Roger Osborne, Australian Books and Authors in the American Marketplace 1840s-1940s, 2018.