Frances and Metta Fuller Victor

Metta and Frances Fuller Victor were American sisters and authors married to brothers Orville and Henry C. Victor, respectively. Together their work encompases a range of styles in nineteenth century United States popular fiction, from detective fiction—the first by a U.S. author—to regional stories and nonfiction.

Book cover of Myrtle, or, The Child of the Prairie

Book cover of Uncle Ezekiel and his Exploits on Two Continents

Metta Fuller Victor is credited as the author of the first detective novel written in the U.S., The Dead Letter, which she published under her pen-name, Seeley Register. She is also remembered for her novel Maum Guinea, and her Plantation “Children,” a popular abolitionist text. Her husband, Orville Victor was a publisher for Beadle and Adam’s dime novel series, and also wrote the first biography in their series, Beadle’s Dime Biographical Library, about Joseph Garibaldi.

Book cover of Alicia Newcome, a Story of the Upper Missouri

Frances Fuller Victor moved to the West Coast of the U.S. with her husband Henry Victor. There she transitioned from mostly writing fiction to researching and writing about the history of the West Coast, particularly the history of Oregon. She worked with Hubert H. Bancroft on his The History of the West. She sometimes published under the pen names Florence Fane and Dorothy D.