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 4

Q:  I recently purchased an antique copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland on ebay.. And looking at the cover i realized i have never see that style before.. So i googled different cover styles and i came across your site where you mention all the different errors ebay sellers make. And i noticed what you said made their description was completely wrong about the printing date.. I'm going to post you a picture of the book and paste the info the ebay seller had put about it.. I wanted to know if you have ever seen this cover before? Because I can't find it anywhere...

A:  I had seen this book on Ebay. You can find your cover here (Book #2 Variant): Series 202 Format 4

It is a nice "Alice" book just not a very early one. It is quite easy to see that the date is way off by looking at all the ads in the back. You will see a number of books listed there which were published for the first time in the 1920's.

Even with the dust jacket this book generally does not command this dollar amount.

Unfortunately many sellers see the copyright date and mistake it for the publication date.

The most common of all the Altemus "Alice's" can be found in the Young People's Library. There is seldom a time on Ebay where several of them are being auctioned.

See Young People's Library.

Young People's Library Format 2

Q:  I have a friend who has a first edition of Lives of the Presidents copyright 1899. Any idea what it might be worth?

A:  Your friend's book is not the first edition of this title. The first edition can be seen here as book #13.
Young People's Library Format 1

As you can see the cover looks quite different.

Your book is pictured here: Young People's Library Format 2

The book you sent is a format 2 book whereas the earlier book is a format 1 book.

Without the dust jacket it has nominal value.

Young People's Library-Format 1

Q:  Hi. Is this an original 1895 First edition? Thank you.

A:  I cannot see the pictures on the side very well.

The 1895 book has 1895 on the title page and the ads opposite only go to Through the Looking Glass.

See Young People's Library-Format 1 for dating your book.

A. 1895 (early) Title page 1895 with front ads to Through the Looking-Glass
B. 1895 (late) Title page 1895 with front ads to Gulliver's Travels
C. 1896 Title page 1896 and/or with front ads to Grimm's Fairy Tales
D. 1897 (early) Front ads to Grimm's Fairy Tales/ back ads to Black Beauty
E. 1897 Front ads to Black Beauty/ back ads to Black Beauty
E. 1897 (late)/Early 1898 Front ads to Flower Fables

The 1895 book sells anywhere from $0-100.

Yours is not in the best shape however so it is hard to know what price it might bring.

Young People's Library Format 4

Q:  Hello- I have a copy of John Bunyan's book The Pilgrims Progress. It's in format 4 - 5 good condition. Do you know when it was printed?

A:  It was published between 1923-1933. The date can be narrowed down by studying the ads in the back of the book.

A review on dating this format is at Young People's Library Format 4

Copies are still in circulation today as a used book.

Young People's Library - Format 3

Q:  The attached picture shows the cover of the book Swiss Family Robinson by Altemus Henry. The inside is stamped 1893-Philadelphia Henry Altemus Company, Can you give us an idea of its worth? Thanks.

A:  Your book is part of the Young People's Library-Format 3 published between 1902 and 1923. The exact date could be determined by reviewing the ads in the back of the book. Although a nice book, it is worth no more than nominal value because of lack of collector interest.

Young People's Library

Q:  I have a book "Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There" by Lewis Carroll, with 50 illustrations. It has a cloth cover with old english style printing of the title in silver. Alice has yellow hair and is wearing a red dress. She's looking into the mirror which has characters from the book in blue on silver background. The book is small about 6 x 4.5. It says on the third page "Price 50 Cents Each" and Henry Altemus, Philadelphia - Copyright 1895 by Henry Altemus. The book is old but I wanted to find out more about it. Can you help.

A:  I will assume that your book is as is shown below.
This book is part of the Young People's Library and you are right that it is from format 1. Format 1 was published from 1895 to early 1898. This particular book was published in several colors. The 1895 book has the date on the bottom of the title page whereas the later reprints do not.

If your book does not have the date on the title page, then the year of publication can be determined by the ads in the front of the book. Listing to Grimm's Fairy Tales-1896, to Black Beauty-1897, Flower Fables- Later 1897-1898.

This is the first Altemus edition (but a later reprint overall) of this book by itself. Altemus did publish this story in combination with Alice in Wonderland in another format in 1895.

This book is not especially rare but it is a nice example of the original pictures by Tenniel of this work.

Young People's Library

Q:  Would you be so kind as to tell me if I have a treasure or not. It is an Altemus book entitled A Child's Story of the Bible copyright 1895.

It is personally inscribed: 1896.

It does not have a loose cover..it doesn't look like it ever had one as the hard cover is beautifully done with colors of red and green with much silver ornamentation. The cover depicts Moses in the rushes being found by a Noble Woman and her slaves.

A:  I am going to assume that the book you have is the one I have pictured here. This book is part of The Young People's Library. (Series #202) Although a very nice book, it has little value to collectors. Unfortunately it is neither rare nor special.

You never know of course what a person might pay for a book but you would have to be quite lucky to sell it for more than a nominal price.

Young People's Library

Q:  I have the book "Lives of the Presidents of the United States" copyright 1896 by Henry Altemus, Philadelphia. Can you tell me if this book is rare or what the value of it is? Thanks.

A:  The Lives of the Presidents was published in several different formats from 1896 until 1911. Mostly as part of the Young People's Library but also was part of the Favorite Series and Abbott's Historical Series.

This book has a very interesting history. I am familiar with 4 variant formats. As opposed to many books in this series, these books actually change their content based on the year of publication. In other words the newer books list newer presidents. The format 1 book that I have seen lists up to William McKinley who became president in 1897. Even though this book was copyrighted in 1896, I have not seen a book which lists only up to Grover Cleveland who was president before McKinley (in 1896).

The first of the two format 2 books lists not only up to McKinley also but expand his biography in the text of the book from about one page to more than 10 pages. These 10 pages include the events of his presidency (Spanish American War). The format 1 book was clearly published just after he took office so no events had taken place. It changes the copyright to 1896 and 1898.

The later format 2 book was published later (new copyright is 1899) and includes Theodore Roosevelt in the listings (succeeded to the presidency after the assassination of McKinley in 1900). It also includes a short biography on Roosevelt including events of 1901.

My format 3 book (copyrighted in 1899) lists up to William Taft who took office in 1909. This book as with many books in this series lists the 1899 copyright on the title page. This can be confusing but it does not indicate the publication date.

There are other differences between the formats including expanded biographies, lengthened prefaces etc.

This title was deleted from the series in 1911.

The book without a dust jacket has only nominal value. Although I have seen it sold for $20 or so, this would be unusual. With a jacket maybe up to twice that amount depending on condition. The earlier books are more valuable. You can date your book rather easily by the title page if the date is at the bottom. Also, some of the books have a listing of presidents on the last page. That can help date it. If not, the spine design also is helpful. If you would like, send me a pic of the spine and I can date, within a range, your book's date.

Young People's Library

Q:  I have a book named Exploring and Discovery in the Frozen Seas (copyright 1896). Could you tell me about it, was it a series? Thanks

A:  Your book is part of the Young's People Library. It is in format #3.
This format was published beginning in 1902 and continued into the 1920s.
Dating your book exactly can be done by using the ads in the back plus the dust jacket (which unfortunately is not present on this book).
A couple of tips: If the book Vic is listed in the Young People's Library books in the back ads, then your book is pre-1907. If not, post-1907. If Circus Boys #4is listed, then it is post 1912.

Young People's Library

Q:  I would like to know how to identify Henry Altemus editions. I have a copy of a book titled Vic: The Autobiography of a Fox Terrier. It has a red cloth binding with green and black lettering and pictorial fox terrier. End pages are green flowered with little girl holding a book in her lap. 184 numbered pages. Frontispiece is a Victorian era woman sitting in a chair with her maid looking on and a little fox terrier at her feet looking up: "My poor mistress was quite blind." This book is from the Altemus' Young People's Library and is written by Marie More Marsh. There is no copyright page and it doesn't appear that a copyright page has been torn out, but I suppose it could have been. Any help you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

A:  The book you describe was included in the Young People’s Library Series (#202) between 1900 and 1906. Your volume was published later in the run than the one shown here. It was deleted from the series as of 1907. It originally came jacketed.

Vic, The Autobiography of a Fox Terrier by Marie More Marsh was first published by Henry Altemus in non series form in 1895. (non-series title #139)

Both books are seen here. The non series book is the one that pictures the woman and Vic on the cover.