Woman's Intuition Aids Her

February 3, 2012 8:39 AM

LADIES
When in need of legal
or confidential advice
why not confer with
one of your own sex?

A concise history of Miss Cora M. Strayer's Private Detective Agency.
posted by griphus (21 comments total)

The Alienist has a pretty awesome woman PI character. This is a cool find!
posted by the man of twists and turns at 8:46 AM on February 3, 2012

Cora is hired by a Mrs. Campbell who believes that a Mrs. Harris is writing fake letters in order to make it look like she is having an affair with Dr. Harris and so she may blackmail her. Cora takes Mrs. Harris on a trip to Milwaukee, gets her drunk on $150 of fine wines, and steals the letters when she is passed out. Turns out Mrs. Campbell and Dr. Harris actually were having an affair and he performed an abortion on her. Mr. Campbell eventually killed Dr. Harris.

I want an HBO miniseries about this woman yesterday.
posted by fight or flight at 8:48 AM on February 3, 2012 [7 favorites]

Saving this one next time I play Call of Cthluhu. Great find!
posted by Snyder at 8:52 AM on February 3, 2012

What a woman! Love the way the story is pieced together here too.
posted by bearwife at 8:57 AM on February 3, 2012

Definitely HBO material, fight or flight.
posted by Foci for Analysis at 8:58 AM on February 3, 2012

Only a few people make it into the history books, but everyone has a story. Real life is full of people like Miss Strayer who led wonderful, fascinating lives full of adventure, but no one ever knew about them.
posted by Kevin Street at 9:00 AM on February 3, 2012 [2 favorites]

Saving this one next time I play Call of Cthluhu.

Absolutely, Snyder, me too.

Cora Strayer and the Curse of the Tcho-Tchos!
Cora Strayer and the Writhing Idol!
Cora Strayer and the Innsmouth Look!

God, this is awesome.
posted by Myca at 9:05 AM on February 3, 2012

I want an HBO miniseries about this woman yesterday.


I'm gonna get right on to it!
posted by unSane at 9:07 AM on February 3, 2012

...and Jesus, she ended her life as "Cora Fortune."

Cora Fortune!

Some people were just made for the pulps.
posted by Myca at 9:11 AM on February 3, 2012 [2 favorites]

I wish Hark! A Vagrant hadn't just gone on hiatus. =(
posted by curious nu at 9:36 AM on February 3, 2012 [2 favorites]

(uh, because this would make great material for historical comics. in case it wasn't obvious how these were related)
posted by curious nu at 9:46 AM on February 3, 2012

And CHICAGO. Could you have a better setting than Chicago in 1910?? With the skyscrapers going up and the HATS and the birth of jazz?

Please keep the hot younger men thing, miniseries.
posted by Erasmouse at 9:56 AM on February 3, 2012

Cora Strayer and the Curse of the Tcho-Tchos!
Cora Strayer and the Writhing Idol!
Cora Strayer and the Innsmouth Look!


Set those in Paris, and you're getting into Adèle Blanc-Sec territory.
posted by TheWhiteSkull at 10:03 AM on February 3, 2012

This calls for a crossover with Miss Madelyn Mack, Detective!
posted by nicebookrack at 10:41 AM on February 3, 2012

This is the #1 Ladies Detective Agency with white people?
posted by GuyZero at 11:26 AM on February 3, 2012

I want to travel back in time to be her dedicated manservant, and by "manservant" and "dedicated" I most definitely mean to include the naughty types.
posted by Halloween Jack at 12:32 PM on February 3, 2012

This is really cool. Thanks for finding it, griphus.
posted by CCBC at 2:02 PM on February 3, 2012

Awesome! I saw this on the Vintage Ads community last week, and my mother-in-law and I pieced together some portion of her history from the Tribune, but I only shared it with folks on LiveJournal. Glad to see Miss Strayer getting wider fame.
posted by jocelmeow at 2:26 PM on February 3, 2012 [1 favorite]

Cora Strayer could make it in the 1900's, but Laura Holt had to fake a male superior in 1985?
posted by jenfullmoon at 7:59 PM on February 3, 2012 [1 favorite]

This is awesome. I love it.
posted by jacquilynne at 11:29 AM on February 4, 2012

Wow. Just wow.

Nthing the HBO miniseries. Or a set of novels. Or something. Dang!
posted by sotonohito at 5:10 PM on February 4, 2012