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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.

We recommend that those inquiring about the identification of a particular book format send pictures along with their question.

 

Click thumbnail images to enlarge.

 

Questions & Answers
Date Series Num Information
14 Jun 2011 180

Vademecum Series

Q:  I found this book (Knickerbocker's History of New York) while cleaning out my mother's home. Copyright date is 1899. What can you tell me about it? Sorry pictures aren't very good. I had to use my cell phone.

A:  Your book is part of the Vademecum Series (../series/series180.htm) and was published in 1899. This series consisted of reprints of fiction, poetry, essays, classics, etc. It originally came in a labeled box. It only has nominal value.


13 Jun 2011 179

Vademecum Series

Q:  Hello, I have recently acquired a book by Edgar Alan Poe / Weird Tales that has little to know information on which addition copy from which it was produced the copyright is 1895 and there is no further information... I have not seen any hard covered print design from Altemus like this one.. Attached are two photos of the cover of the book.. If you could give me some insight into which addition this may be and what this copy may or may not be worth on the market I would surely appreciate your professional opinion..

A:  Your 1895 book was published as part of the Vademecum Series. (../series/series179.htm). As you can see this cover format came in numerous colors.

Although this is a very common Altemus title of Poe reprints, for some reason it frequently sells for more than you would think. I have seen it sell for between $10-75. I cannot explain the wide range-perhaps different sellers see it at different times.


12 Jun 2011 124

Little Bunnie Bunniekin Series

Q:  Hello, I am trying to find out any information you may have on this book "Little Lambie Lambkin" it was published by the Henry Altemus Company in 1921. Is this a first edition? and anything else you may be able to tell me. Thank you in advance for your help.

A:  Your book is part of the eight volume Little Bunnie Bunniekin Series.

In order to determine what year your book was published in you can look at the endpapers and the advertisements. Look at the bottom book in a list of the ads and then go to the website and put in the name of that book. By doing that you should be able to determine the earliest the book could have been published.

../series/series124.htmand ../wee_books/index.htm


11 Jun 2011 58

Boys and Girls Classics

Q:  I got your contact information from the Internet (http://en.allexperts.com/q/Book-Collecting-3231/2009/7/Altemus-Black-Beauty.htm). Can you tell me anything about the attached edition of Black Beauty?

Thank you for your time.


A:  Information about your book can be found here: ../series/series58.htm. It is part of the Boys and Girls Classics Series. This series of forty reprints can be found with and without the gold decorative gilt pattern seen on your book cover. On the series page you can see how to date your book by checking the ads in the back of the book. It was published between 1899 and 1902.

It is a reprint and has only nominal value.


10 Jun 2011 113

Juvenile Quartos Series

Q:  Hi, I was going through some of my grandmothers hand me downs and came across this book (The Story of Little Black Sambo). I have been searching the internet but cannot seem to locate this particular book.

Can you please provide me with some detail on it? Is it rare? With all the Black Sambo books I've found I cant imagine it would be but I am interested in some detail on this book and why I cant find it on the internet?

Thank you for your time.


A:  Altemus published this book in 1931 and later David Mckay did a reprint edition of this exact book. You can find this book on this website here: ../series/series113.htm.

It is quite uncommon because Altemus stopped publishing books in 1932 so your book was only in print for a short time. I trust your book is the oversized format at about 7 x 9.

Although it is not a first edition, it is still quite a nice book.


05 Jun 2011 180

Vademecum Series

Q:  Hello, I've purchased an old Edgar Allan Poe book called Weird Tales. It is small hardback, measuring 6 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches. It has a copyright date of 1895 by Henry Altemus, Philadelphia. The cover has a picture and it also has a floral pattern & the title pressed into the cover. I wanted to know more about the book, but haven't been able to find this particular book when doing searches on the internet. Can you tell me anything about this edition of the book?

A:  Your book was published as part of the Vademecum Series in 1901. See ../series/series180.htm.

The picture is from #5 and #18 seen here: ../vademecum.htm.

This book originally came in a labeled box and is a reprint.


03 Jun 2011 47

Beauxarts Series

Q:  I haven't been able to find a representation of the cover on my copy of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Based on the signature on the inside cover dated 1897, I am assuming the book is one of the early publishings.
Will you help me determine the value of my book?


A:  Your book is an 1897 publication from the Beauxarts Series. (../series/series47.htm). All of the books in this publisher's series are reprints of fiction, poetry, essays, etc.

Uncle Tom's Cabin was published by numerous publishing houses in the 1880's and 1890's. Most of these editions are quite common without any distinguishing features.

This Altemus reprint is quite common and generally sells for less than $25 if it sells at all.


02 Jun 2011 69

Classics Series

Q:  Can you tell me the printing date for this book by Charles Dickens? The Cricket On The Hearth. PIC. Attached. I would also like to know if this is a common book or if I should store it for safe keeping.

A:  Your book can be found here: ../series/series69.htm. The 76 books of this series are all reprints.

Without the dust jacket I can only estimate the book's printing to be between 1907-1915.

It is relatively common and has very little value.


01 Jun 2011 37

Altemus Library

Q:  Hi, I recently found this old copy of Ralph Waldo Emerson's Emerson's Essays (First Series) and I cannot seem to find it on your website. According to the first page it was printed in Philadelphia by Henry Altemus in 1892 and I was just wondering if you had any information on it. Attached is a scan of the cover.
Thank you for your time.


A:  Your book is pictured as #6 on this page. ../series/series37.htm. The Altemus library was Altemus' first "publisher's series". All 41 books are reprints of various works of fiction, poetry, essays, etc. Interestingly, it is the only publisher's series in which each book has a different cover design.

Since your book is a reprint and in poor shape, it has only nominal value.


24 May 2011 143

Petit Trianon Series

Q:  I was looking through your website for a book I found at a thrift store, and I could not find anything that matched it exactly. It is very similar to the 1901-1902 Mucha publisher's series, but the woman on the front is different. It is Nathaniel Hawthorne's The Snow Image and Other Twice Told Tales. I have included two pictures. I just thought is was a really pretty book to have for 5 dollars, and I am just curious of it's origins. There is no publishing date on it, thought it does have "Christmas Greetings" written in pen and ink with a date of 1902 on it.

A:  Your book is part of the Petit Trianon Series. This series consisted of reprints of poetry, classics, essays, fiction, etc.

Your book can be found in the 1901-1902 books here: ../series/series143.htm

Also here is a little blog entry: ../about/updates5.htm#a10

Alphonse Mucha was the artist who painted this picture. It is called Poetry. This year's Petit Trianon books also included another Mucha illustration- Lady with Rose.

Your book cover is slightly different from the one in the database. See: http://www.henryaltemus.com/series/images/S143_1901_v204.jpg


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