Nancy Drew Through the Years

The iconic 16-year-old amateur sleuth Nancy Drew was introduced to readers when the first book in the series, The Secret of the Old Clock, was published on April 28, 1930. At that time, girls and young women weren’t encouraged to be adventurous, but Nancy’s character was different. Readers were drawn to her, and through Nancy, they got to experience thrills, danger, and adventure. She has been poisoned, kidnapped, chased, and locked in closets. She explored haunted houses, flew an airplane, and traveled to interesting places. Her skill and intuition at solving mysteries have been delighting readers around the world for nearly a century!

Did you know Toledo has a connection to Nancy Drew? There were multiple writers under the pseudonym Carolyn Keene, but Mildred A. Wirt Benson (1905-2002) was the original ghostwriter. She wrote 23 of the first 30 Nancy Drew books from 1930 to 1953, including The Secret of the Old Clock. Millie lived in Toledo for more than six decades and was a longtime reporter at The Toledo Blade. She herself was a very adventurous woman, having explored other countries and obtaining her pilot’s license, which helped Millie develop the spunky, daring detective that was Nancy Drew. Benson also created other strong female characters, writing both under her own name and a dozen others, and more than 130 of her books have been published.

Here are just a few titles from the various series, movies, comics, and TV shows that have been created since 1930. You’ll notice Nancy has been both a blonde and a redhead, and her wardrobe has been updated throughout the decades. Her character’s age changed from 16 to 18 years old, and she drove an iconic blue roadster, later updated to a blue convertible. All of these details have contributed to her staying power for new fans to discover Nancy Drew and then join the legions of people who count her character and books as their all-time favorites.

Be sure to visit the Saloff Children’s Library at Main Library, a designated literary landmark for Millie Benson’s contributions to children’s literature and home of the Jennifer Fisher Nancy Drew Collection. The Toledo Lucas County Public Library now holds the largest public collection of Nancy Drew books and memorabilia in the United States, and you can see a portion of it on display in the Saloff Children’s Library!