Editing Nancy Drew (section)

=== 1930–1949: Russell H. Tandy ===
Commercial artist [[Russell H. Tandy]] was the first artist to illustrate Nancy Drew. Tandy was a fashion artist and infused Nancy with a contemporary fashion sensibility: her early style is that of a flatfoot [[flapper]]: heeled [[Mary Jane (shoe)|Mary Janes]] accompany her blue flapper skirt suit and [[cloche hat]] on three of the first four-volume [[dust jacket]]s. As styles changed over the next few years, Nancy began to appear in glamorous frocks, with immaculately set hair, pearls, matching hats, gloves, and handbags.<ref>Stowe (1999), 15.</ref> By the 1940s, Nancy wore simpler, tailored suits and outfits; her hair was often arranged in a [[pompadour (hairstyle)|pompadour]].<ref>Plunkett-Powell (1993), 44.</ref> In the post-war era, Tandy's Nancy is shown hatless, wearing casual skirt and blouse ensembles, and carrying a purse, like most teens of the late 1940s.<ref name="Plunkett-Powell 1993, 43–44">Plunkett-Powell (1993), 43–44.</ref>

Tandy drew the inside sketches for the first 26 volumes of the series and painted the covers of the first 26 volumes except for volume 11&nbsp;– the cover artist for volume 11 is unknown. Tandy read each text before sketching, so his early covers were closely connected to specific plot scenes. He also hand-painted the cover lettering and designed the original Nancy Drew logo: a silhouette of Nancy bending slightly and looking at the ground through a [[magnifying glass]].<ref name= "Plunkett-Powell 1993, 43–44"/>

Tandy often portrays Nancy Drew with confident, assertive body language. She never appears "shocked, trepidatious, or scared."<ref>Stowe (1999), 26.</ref> Nancy is shown either boldly in the center of the action or actively, but secretively, investigating a clue.<ref>Stowe (1999), 28.</ref> She is often observed by a menacing figure and appears to be in imminent danger, but her confident expression suggests to viewers that she is in control of the situation.<ref name= "Stowe-32">Stowe (1999), 32.</ref>

Tandy's home was struck by fire in 1962, and most of his original paintings and sketches were destroyed. As a result, the Tandy dust-jackets are considered valuable by collectors.<ref name= "plunkett-46">Plunkett-Powell (1993), 46.</ref>