The Face of Rosenfeld

The Face of Rosenfel Issue No. 54 of *The Select Series*, dated August 18, 1890, contains the opening of "The Face of Rosenfel," a novel by Charles Howard Montague serialized by Street & Smith publishers. The story begins with a nineteen-year-old female patient suffering a mysterious neurological condition, apparently caused by a blow to the head. Two physicians—an elder and a middle-aged colleague named Lamar—observe her state of fear and trembling, noting her inability to articulate speech and her peculiar hand movements. The elder physician theorizes she possesses exceptional "optical retention" or visualization—an ability to retain vivid mental images of familiar places—despite her apparent condition. The physicians debate whether her affliction results from physical trauma or psychological causes. The narrative employs psychological mystery conventions, examining consciousness and perception through detailed medical observation. The issue also includes period advertisements for Van Houten's Cocoa and Madame Rowley's Toilet Mask.