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Questions & Answers
Date Series Num Information
09 Nov 2005 164

Shakespeare's Plays

Q:  I acquired a collection of Shakespeare plays that seam to be published by your company. These are small, almost pocket size books in very good condition and number 25 to the collection. I am trying to find as much information as I can to determine there value. Please help.

Q:  I recently came across 36 hardbound books with Philadelphia Henry Altemus company inside each one. There is no copyright or edition printed in any of the books. Each book is a play by William Shakespeare, starting with Coriolanus, King Richard, Romeo and Juliet, many King Henry plays plus more. Each start with an Introduction. Then the plays begin, stating the scenes and acts all through each one.
I'm curious to know about these books. They are very old. They are hard-bound with a dark reddish/burgundy'ish cover. When were they printed? Are there more of them?

Q:  I have an edition of "The First Part of King Henry IV" by William Shakespeare printed by your company but has no date of when printed. We would like to know the date printed.

A:  Your books are part of a 39 volume Shakespeare Series (#164) that originally came with dust jackets in a box. They were published between 1899 and 1926. Nothing however distinguishes the earlier from the later books except that the 1899 editions say Henry Altemus at the bottom of the title page rather than Henry Altemus Company as is on all of the post-1900 books. Assuming you do not possess the original box, they are quite common and have only nominal value.


31 Oct 2005 69

Classics Series

Q:  I am not a bibliophile but I've come into possession of 15 copies from the Altemus Classics Series. They measure 5 1/2 x 4 1/4, green covers with gold colored embossed cover designs with floral and vines. The only dating I can find is in The Man Without A Country of which there are two copies in the collection. The dating is: Copyright, 1908, by Howard E. Altemus Published June, 1908.

I found your website but can't find any reference to this series of books which has been handed down to me from my father. I'd be interested in finding more information about these little books -- can you help me find a resource? I thank you in advance for taking time with this for me.


A:  The website is only for new information not in the book. Thus, the Classics Series (Series #69) is not on the website.

The Classics Series was first published in 1907 and was in print until 1921. There were a total of 76 books in the series but in certain years particular books were added or deleted to the list such that only in a few years of publication was the entire list actually done. The name of the series was changed in 1909 to the Slip-in-the-Pocket Series (Series #166) presumably because the size of the books was perfect to slip in the pocket. Only the jackets (which all of these books had originally) ever had the name Slip-in-the-Pocket however.

There are 4 different formats. Most of the books are dark green but the soft leather book has been seen in brown. The format you have is the most common.

I hope that this is helpful. The complete listing with additional information about this series is in the bibliography.


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