Collier's Magazine's Christie Stories (Part 1)

Agatha Christie’s novels were frequently serialised in magazines and newspapers before their initial hardback edition was published. A variety of publications secured the rights to Christie’s stories, including well-known historic titles such as The Sketch and The Strand, and newer titles such as Woman’s Own. These publications can be appealing to collect, especially if they are the true first printings or were accompanied by original illustrations. It is these illustrations that I find highly compelling to seek out as they often portray to us how Christie's were viewed through the lens of that period of time. Whether it is the fashion, the haircuts, the interpretation of Poirot or Miss Marple, they inform the modern reader of the Christie experience over the years. In addition, the artist who illustrates each story (perhaps with guidance from the publisher) chooses what scenes from each story will resonate with the readership providing fresh perspectives on how stories have been viewed over time.

Collier's - The National Weekly.

One magazine all collectors of Christie’s works should be familiar with is Collier’s - The National Weekly. This American publication was founded in 1888 by Peter Fenelon Collier. It was initially launched as Collier's Once a Week, then changed in 1895 to Collier's Weekly: An Illustrated Journal. In 1905, the name was further shortened to Collier's with the tag line of The National Weekly. The magazine’s last issue was effectively January 4, 1957 dispite an effort in 2012 to relaunch the magazine which quickly failed. From 1934 through to 1956, Collier’s published 11 Agatha Christie novels and 2 short stories. All but 2 were the first global appearances of the stories and all were illustrated, making them highly appealing to collectors.

The Collier's Christies.

The two short stories Collier's published were: In a Glass Darkly (1934) and Four and Twenty Blackbirds (1940). The first, In a Glass Darkly, was included in the American short story collection The Regatta Mystery and Other Stories (Dodd, Mead & Co., 1939) and in Britain in Miss Marple's Final Cases and Two Other Stories (Collins, 1979). The latter, Four and Twenty Blackbirds, was included in the American short story collection Three Blind Mice and Other Stories (Dodd, Mead & Co., 1950) and the British collection The Adventure of the Christmas Pudding and a Selection of Other Entrees (Collins, 1960).

The eleven novels Collier's published were: Appointment with Death; Dead Man’s Folly; Evil Under the Sun; Five Little Pigs; Hercule Poirot’s Christmas; Hickory Dickory Dock; One, Two, Buckle My Shoe; Sad Cypress; The Hollow; The Moving Finger; Towards Zero. Publication dates of the magazines and pursuant novel are provided below.

Over two articles, I will revisit all these printings in chronological order. I will share all the images that accompanied them and provide collecting tips and valuations.

Part 1 of 2: July 1934 – February 1941.

In a Glass Darkly: 1934, 28 July (Vol. 94, No. 4). A short story illustrated by Harry Morse Meyers. First global appearance. Collier’s promoted Christie’s name on the cover of the sole issue with this story. The descriptive summary on the table of contents page was ‘Beware the future – when you see it in a mirror.’

Appointment with Death: 1937, 28 August (Vol. 100, No. 9) to 23 October (Vol. 100, No. 17). Illustrated by Mario Cooper. First global appearance. Collier’s promoted the novel and Christie’s name on the cover. The table of contents summarized the story as ‘Hercule Poirot’s meets the world’s strangest family.’ The first edition book was published in 1938 by Collins.

First, here are all the covers of the magazines that contained this story - in chronological order (9 instalments).

And here are the illustrations, in chronological order.

Hercule Poirot’s Christmas: 1938, 12 November 1938 (Vol. 102, No. 20) to 14 January 1939 (Vol. 103, No. 2) under the alternate title Murder For Christmas. Illustrated by Mario Cooper. The early instalments represent the first global appearance of the novel. The story was also serialised in the UK in The Daily Express newspaper. The first edition book was published prior to final instalments appearing in the magazine by Collins in December 1938.

Here are all the covers, in order (10 instalments).

And here are all the illustrations.

I'd previously put all of these images together with music in a short video, so if you haven't seen that yet, here's the link/video for you to enjoy.

Sad Cypress: 1939, 25 November 1939 (Vol. 104, No. 22) to 27 January 1940 (Vol. 105, No. 4). Illustrated by Mario Cooper. First global appearance. In 1940, the story was serialised in Britain in The Daily Express, and its first edition was also published in 1940 by Collins.

Here are the covers, sequentially (10 instalments).

And here are the illustrations.

One, Two, Buckle My Shoe: 1940, August 3 (Vol. 106, No. 5) to September 28 (Vol. 106, No. 13) under the alternate title The Patriotic Murders. Illustrated by Mario Cooper. First global appearance. Promoted on the table of contents as ‘Here’s Hercule Poirot Again.’ The first edition was printed by Collins in November 1940.

Here are the covers (9 installments).

And here are the illustrations.

Four and Twenty Blackbirds: 1940, 9 November 1940 (Vol. 106, Number 19). A short story illustrated by Mario Cooper. First global appearance. Promoted in the table of contents as ‘Hercule Poirot, epicure, cooks up a surprising solution to murder.’ Before it's book inclusion, The Strand magazine in Britain published this story in March 1941.

Evil Under the Sun: 1940, 14 December 1940 (Vol. 106, No. 24) to 22 February 1941 (Vol. 107, No. 8). Illustrated by Mario Cooper. First global appearance. The first edition was published by Collins in 1941.

Here are the covers (11 instalments).

Here are the illustrations.

A future article (Part 2) will cover the remaining Christie's published by Collier's between 1941 and 1956. I expect to publish that in the next 2 weeks,

Values and Collecting Tips.

When collecting magazines, there is frequently more value to be achieved by sourcing copies that are not marketed as a complete Agatha Christie set. Buying individual issues or random sets and building your own complete set per story will likely be the most affordable way to collect them. It is also quite good fun to have a checklist of all the issues you want and over time check them off the list as you acquire them. Knowing the specific issues you want is important as many vendors of Collier’s magazines solely show the covers and fall to be specific about the contents. In addition, Collier’s did not always reference Christie’s name on the cover even if her work was included. This is why I’ve included images of all the covers for each title’s issues.

As to condition, expect most American magazines from the mid-20^th century to have address labels affixed. Damage to the spine, separation of covers, dirt and wear are all common. While I don't often talk about how to restore and preserve old books and magazines, most flaws can generally be improved or stablised with the right materials and skill. If magazine repair appeals to you, consider viewing related videos on YouTube or reading books about conservation. In addition, I do recommend storing magazines in acid-free clear sleeves to avoid further damage.

Online platforms such as eBay and Etsy are good places to source these magazines at affordable prices, and most will be found in the States. Book specific sites such as ABEbooks and Alibris will generally offer preassembled sets at higher prices. Collier's was a widely read publication and copies were frequently kept which means vintage issues are still affordable. Fair value for a complete single issue in 'very good' condition is $15-20 (£12-15). Occasionally bundles of issues will be found that provide excellent value. I expect values for these magazines to increase over time both as the awareness of them as true first printings and for the appeal of the artwork.

Corrections, Edits, Recommendations.

I always value reader input to make my articles more accurate. So if there are any additions or corrections you'd like to provide, please email me at collectchristie@gmail.com 

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Happy Reading & Collecting!