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.

Young People's Library, Format 1

Q:  GOOD EVENING-I think I have a rare & scarce & valuable book? I was going to put it on Ebay but decided to do more research and then found your info. I hope you can help me.
I have a ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND by Lewis Carroll beige/silver-tone hardback. I think dating from 1895. Could be one of a combination of two. Says on top of title page: ALTEMUS YOUNG PEOPLE'S LIBRARY. With 42 black & white ink illustrations. PHILADELPHIA HENRY ALTEMUS (has NO dust jacket)
I have found out tonight that the fact it says: HENRY ALTEMUS dates it to the correct date-1895 It is a smaller book 4 7/8" x 6 3/4" Has the Silver lettering on front with colored INK figures going diagonal from top left corner to lower right corner starting with Cheshire Cat-mouse-cards-and then Rabbit & Turtle on bottom. Haven’t found one online? In good shape for it’s age. Scuffing of corners-inside front cover is a pen scripted personal signature. Spine pulling away some. Some warping of some pages.

A:  Your book is from the first format of the Young People's Library. Since there is no date on the title page, it was published between 1896-1898. Looking at the ads and using the chart on the website- http://www.henryaltemus.com/series/series202F1.htm- it should be easy to date the book exactly. It is not the earliest edition of this format that was published in 1895.

This book is not uncommon and usually sells on Ebay for between $25-75. The last two sold for $21 and $35.

Young People's Library

Q:  Hello,
Thank you very much for being out there with needed information. I actually read this book last night with pleasure, first time since the late 40’s probably, at that time with less pleasure, and this morning it occurred to me that it might be valuable. No marks on it of any kind. Robinson Crusoe
Is it worth anything?

A:  This book is a reprint as are all of the titles in the Young People's Library. Unless it is a very collectible book (e. g. Alice in Wonderland) or has a nice dust jacket, the volumes in this series have little monetary value.

For more information see: http://www.henryaltemus.com/series/series202F3.htm Examples of this title's dust jackets are shown there.

Young People's Library

Q:  I have a book entitled Lives of the Presidents of the United States, 1896 copyright by Henry Altemus. It is listed as book 13 on your list. It is blue cloth, with Altemus' name on the spine. The Presidents range from George Washington to Benjamin Harrison. The book is in fairly good condition, except the spine is loose, but still attached. The original cost of the book is listed inside as .50. I am eager to learn if this book is considered antique and if so, what is the estimated value.

A:  This title was published in the Young People's Library between 1896 and about 1913. Three different formats have been seen.

The books can be dated by noting the last president mentioned in the text. The earliest book therefore ends with Grover Cleveland while the latest book notes Woodrow Wilson.

I have not seen a book which lists only to Harrison who finished his term in 1893. Since this title was not published until 1896, it is hard to know why your book does not list Cleveland.

See http://henryaltemus.com/blog/?p=832.

Young People's Library, Format 1

Q:  Your web page is fascinating!

I have the following book. I am less interested in getting money for it, more interested in getting it to someone who could use it. If you have any idea of how to do that I would love to know. Based on the Q&A on your page, I suspect it has a pretty small audience.

A Child's Life of Christ 208 pages.
Series 202 Young peoples Library
Spine Format 1

Blank first page (stuff written in red pen)
Second page blank on front with picture of Jesus on the flip side

I have included pictures of the Cover, Title, and Copyright pages. I think it is probably the 1897/1898 version if I followed your descriptions correctly.

4 pages of ads in the back starting with Robinson Crusoe, ending with Grandfather's Chair.

A:  As you guessed, there is very little interest in this book. You could list it on Ebay with a low price and see if anyone wants it. Beyond that I have no suggestions.

Young People's Library

Q:  I've got a question which may be either specific or general; I don't know. I'm looking at the Altemus edition of Black Beauty from, I think, 1902 (from scans at The Internet Archive, not the physical book), though the ads at the front confuse us by saying "Copyright 1897".

Question: Was there an Altemus house illustrator? Who did the almost-fifty pictures? I can't find an illustrator's name anywhere in the book, but I also don't see any other editions with the same pictures. The cover definitely looks more like 1902 than 1897.

A:  The copyright date is only indicative of when Altemus started publishing this particular version/format. It is not necessarily the publication date.

If you do not have the book, then determining the exact is difficult. With the book in hand it is quite easy.

See: http://www.henryaltemus.com/ypl/index.htm to start.

Altemus generally "borrowed" the pictures it used from other sources.

I have seen several different frontispiece color illustrations in the Black Beauty Books. The internal illustrations appear to be the same between the various Young People Library editions.

Let me know how I can help you further.

Young People's Library Format 1

Q:  I found your website when researching a book that I found in a box in the basement. I have attached a picture for you. According to your website it seems to be a first edition because it has 341 pages. It is listed under Format 1. It says copyright 1896 by Henry Altemus. I have been unable to find how much it might be worth. Can you give me any guidance? Mother Goose Rhymes, Jingles and Fairy Tales

A:  This book is part of Series 202 Format 1-Young People's Library. These books were published between 1895 and 1898. Interestingly it is the only book in this format that does not have the characteristic spine of Format 1 books. (shown here)

This title has a wrap around picture on its spine (see here). There were three editions of this book published in the Format 1 of this series.

The first and second editions have have these same cover with 341 and 252 pages respectively.

Your book has limited collector interest and only has nominal value.

Young People's Library Format 3

Q:  I own the hardback copy of Uncle Tom's Cabin from 1900. Henry Altemus Company - Philadelphia. Is it worth anything? Would anyone be interested in buying it? Do you have any suggestions on what we could do with it.

A:  This book is part of the Young People's Library.

This format of this series was published between 1902 and 1923. The titles in in this series are all reprints.

These volumes all originally came with dust jackets. An example is shown here.

Young People's Library

Q:  I was going through some old family property and found this edition of Through the Looking Glass. I was wondering if you have an insight on its value and the other books that may accompany it.

A:  Your book is part of the Young People's Library, Format 2. It was published between 1898-1900. It originally had a dust jacket. Henry Altemus incorporated in 1900 so your book had to be published in 1900 or earlier.

You can date it exactly by looking at the dating information here: http://www.henryaltemus.com/series/series202F2.htm

This is a very collectible book although it generally does not sell for as much as Carroll's Alice book.

Even though it is quite common, I have seen it sell for anywhere between $10-100. This price range is inexplicable.

Young People's Library

Q:  I have attached pictures of a book (A Child's Life of Christ) I have and am wondering if you have any idea of the value. It looks like, from the description on your website, it is a 1st Edition? Anyway, please take a look and see what you think!

A:  Your book is part of The Young People's Library, Format 1. It was published in 1895. There were two 1895 editions. The earlier one (yours) has only six books listed on the copyright page. Later 1895 editions have a book list that ends with Gulliver's Travels.

It is not a widely collected title and in average shape it has only nominal value.

Young People's Library

Q:  Hello, I found this book (Through the Looking Glass) at an estate sale and was wondering if you could give me any information about it at all? It's a hardback Blue in color. Altemus on the binding. The inside cover is dated 1895. I have attached a photo of the book and one of its title page. Thank you for your time.

A:  This book is part of the first format of the Young People's Library.

It is the first of the Altemus Alice individual titles. See ../alice/alice.htm

I think you have one of the better Altemus Alice books. The later 1897 and on Young People's Library editions frequently are sold for $50 and up. Your book is scarcer and in my opinion overall nicer. It is not unreasonable to think $50 or more. But since there is no true market price, it could sell for a lot less or a lot more.