Title
Beadle’s Dime Novels
Coverage
New York
Publisher
Irwin P. Beadle
Date
1860
Subject
Volume 1, number 1
Description
Dime novels began in 1860 as a series of tales of the American frontier that sold for ten cents. Circulation skyrocketed during the Civil War as a result of soldiers’ demand for portable and inexpensive reading material. By the early 1870s, the genre expanded to appeal to younger readers. Urban settings replaced open spaces and detective heroes were added to the heroes of the frontier. By 1910, dime novels had largely been replaced by pulps.