Welcome to The Scrapbook Mystery

A Seven-Decades Tale of Lost-and-Found!

 

Bob Burdick

The Scrapbook Mystery tale is not complicated, but like any event in life, it is best understood if looked at sequentially.  To this goal of full understanding, then, review the following background information and then use the navigation buttons at the top of this page to move through the story. 

 

To begin with, I've been a novelist and short-story writer for over two decades, a span that at times led to other writing-related arenas.  One such position was columnist and contributing writer for Inky Trail News.  During this tenure, I received an array of fan mail—some from within our United States and some from distant lands.  This was pleasing, to know others had enjoyed my work, but one article generated more than fan mail; it spawned The Scrapbook Mystery. 

 

You'll find the story behind the first button at the top of this page:

 

"Don't Burn Your Library"

 

This article was an account of a personal happening that had nothing to do with The Scrapbook Mystery—or so I thought at the time.  After reading this article, move to the second one:

 

"The Scrapbook Mystery"

 

You see, just days after "Don't Burn Your Library" was published, a reader contacted me about a scrapbook she'd purchased in a used-book store twenty-five years earlier.

 

Viewing this scrapbook of unknown origin was intriguing, but the experience also triggered insatiable curiosity.  How could someone who had given the time and love to compile this book of treasures have simply discarded it?  My thought was they had not.  This belief led me to write "The Scrapbook Mystery," an article that was not only published in Inky Trail News, it also received front-page attention on my Web site.  Surely, someone had the answer to this mystery.

 

Despite unbridled  optimism, however, the successful wrap-up of this seven-decade mystery required additional years.  When the answer came, it was sudden and almost unbelievable.  For the entire story, click:

 

 "Mystery Solved"

 

The successful outcome of the Scrapbook Mystery proved to be an amazing example of coincidence, but there's much more to the story, such as details of the scrapbook's contents, background information on the scrapbook's owner, Elizabeth Newton,  and photos of her and her granddaughters.  You may view these items and other related tidbits by clicking:

 

"Memorabilia"

 

I love happy endings, and despite the decades-long delay, I'm especially pleased to have played a part in this one.  Enjoy The Scrapbook Mystery. 

 

Thank you. 

 

Bob Burdick