Henry Altemus Company

The following are questions submitted via email by our visitors.

If you have a question about Altemus books that you'd like answered please click on the Questions link at the bottom left of this page.

Vademecum Series

Q:  I have this book I found in a house I bought. I don't seem to find it anywhere online. Can you tell me if this is something I should safeguard? Bacon's Essays

A:  This book is part of the Vademecum Series and was published in 1896. All of the titles in this series are reprints. This book which has a not very collectible title, has nominal value only.

Riviere Series

Q:  Could you tell us the value of this "Old Christmas" Riviere series?

A:  This volume is part of a publisher's series (Riviera Series) of 87 titles, all of which are reprints, and was published in 1901. These books originally came with dust jackets. Because this book is a reprint of a not very collectible title, it only has nominal value. A picture of representative dust jacket is shown on the series page.

Vademecum Series

Q:  To whom it may concern,
I have recently come across this book and was wondering what the price is. Please take a look and give me a price quote. Poems by Edgar Allen Poe

A:  This book is part of the Vademecum Series. It is a reprint and was published in 1895. During this year a number of different color covers were printed. Poe collectors may be interested at about $10 but probably not much more.

Petit Trianon Series

Q:  Attached is a photo of a book of Poems by your company by Edgar Allan Poe. Dated 1895 with hand written inscription on Christmas of 1986 "love from Nell". Your website said to send a photo of cover of book.

A:  This book is part of the Petit Trianon Series. This publisher's series of reprints was printed between 1895-1910. Every year or two the cover of the titles within the series was changed. This cover was published in 1896. Several cover color variations have been seen.

Little Men and Women Series

Q:  Dear Henry Altemus Expert,

What an amazing website you have put together! Such dedication.

I'm writing because I have a copy of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass that matches your Little Men and Women Series, Number 125, #3.

The cover has a fair amount of soil on it and the hinge is quite loose, and there are two people that have written their name on the free end paper in pencil, and then erased it. Can you tell me if there's any value to this book?

A:  Between 1907 and 1925 this title was published with the same cover picture with several different color combinations. It is a combination book which contains two stories by Lewis Carroll.

Alice collectors are always looking for different formats of this title. Thus, a value of $25 or more is not unreasonable.

Several dust jackets were seen during the course of this series' life.

Mother Goose Series

Q:  Hello, Attached is the front cover of this book that I recently acquired. Beauty and the Beast

I have looked for similar pictures on your website but could not find the same book.

The book itself is in excellent shape. The DJ is in pieces though.

Could you estimate a value for me as well?

A:  Your book is part of the twelve book Mother Goose Series. It is a format 3 title from this series and was published after 1911.

With a jacket these books generally sell in the range of $15-20. With a tattered jacket it will sell for a bit less.

Wee Books for Wee Folks Series

Q:  Hi there, I've recently come into possession of a copy of The Robber Kitten. I was wondering if you could perhaps date this publication for me, or at least help me narrow down the publication period for me. I don't really expect it will be worth all that much, simply because the dust jacket is so ratty, but I just kind of wanted to do some further research into the book for myself. Any assistance you could provide would be greatly appreciated, thanks for taking the time to read my message.

A:  Your book is from Format 3 of the Wee Books for Wee Folks Series. Based on the listing of titles on the back of the jacket it is 1920 book.

Henry Altemus Company - Wee Books for Wee Folks (third format) 186

Value is hard to say. The dust jacket is in tough shape- maybe $20 or so.

Vademecum Series

Q:  Hello, I was wondering if you could help me with this book. We received it as a donation to our church garage sale and I was trying to find out more information about it to help us put a price on it.

Here are some pictures.

A:  Your book is part of the Vademecum Series and was published in 1904.

This title is a reprint.

It originally came in a labeled box. An example is shown here.

Unfortunately in this shape it only has nominal value.

Dainty Series

Q:  I found this beautiful little book my grandmother gave to me and I was just curious about it. Tattine
Anything you could tell me about it would be much appreciated.

A:  Your book is part of the Dainty Series. See: http://henryaltemus.com/series/series74.htm

It was published in about 1910.

In 1899 the Dainty Series had the first of five different formats of which this is the fifth.

This book originally had a dust jacket.

This title was published in Formats 2-5. (Format 1 was published in 1899 and has Henry Altemus not Henry Altemus Company on the title page. Otherwise the book is the same as the Format 2 books.)

Bo-Peep Series

Q:  Hello, I wanted to find out as much about this book and it's value as i can. Song of Sixpence

A:  Your book is part of the eight title anonymously written Bo-Peep Series and was published in 1905. See: http://henryaltemus.com/series/series55.htm

It originally had a dust jacket.

It has nominal value only.