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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.

 

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Questions & Answers:
Date Series Num Information
12 Jun 2013 47

Beauxarts Series

Q:  I came across this pretty little book at an estate sale. I only paid $3.00 for it, and plan to keep it for my personal collection of older, interesting looking books.

The pages are all connected to the spine, and the cover and pages are all intact and in remarkable condition. I think this book just sat on a shelf most of it's life.

I was wondering what you could tell me about it? Publication date and value are my big questions. I supposed anything else you could tell me would just be fun to know!

It's Hawthorne's Twice Told Tales. The outside spine says the title and then "Altemus" at the bottom. I've included a shot of one of the inside pages, which is located at the end of the book indicating it was published by Henry Altemus' Publications in Philadelphia, PA.


A:  Hello,
Your book is part of the Beauxarts Series and was published in 1898. It originally came within a labeled box.

This title is a reprint as are all of the books in this series.

$3.00 is probably a fair price.


16 Feb 2013 47

Beauxarts Series

Q:  We have a Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson with an inscription dated 1899. I attach a scan of the cover. We have found a close likeness of the cover on your website that is labelled as 1898. It has some illustrations and is in very good condition. Can you give us an approximate value for this copy?

A:  This book was published as part of the Beauxarts Series in 1898. It is a reprint and has limited value. Since Treasure Island is a very collectible title, there may be collectors who are interested in your book. Generally speaking however, these reprints have only nominal value.

During 1898 the covers of this series' books have been found with a number of variant colors.


24 Dec 2012 47

Beauxarts Series

Q:  I have this beautiful book in front of me. It is Uncle Tom's Cabin gifted at Christmas in 1898. The Copyright is 1894. I did not see this book cover on your site and was wondering if you could tell me a little more about it. Thank you.

A:  Your book is part of the Beauxarts Series and was published in 1898.

It is a reprint and has only nominal value.


07 Nov 2012 47

Beauxarts Series

Q:  Hello I just picked up this Black Beauty book, it has no date inside, a little girl wrote her name and date 1888. The inside reads Henry Altemus Philadelphia.
Was hope you knew more about it. Thank you.


A:  Your book was published in 1897 as part of the Beauxarts Series. See ../series/series47.htm

It originally came within a labeled box. All of the titles in this series are reprints.


01 Jul 2012 47

Beauxarts Series

Q:  Hello! I am working at vetting some books for a local organization, and I was hoping you could help me. Attached is a picture of the cover of one of the Altemus publications of Hawthorne's Mosses From and Old Manse.

I can make an accurate judgement of value based on condition and, interestingly (see attached) the fact that this book was the personal volume of our local writer, August Derleth, but I am having a little harder time determining exactly which Altemus edition this is and thus basic value from that. I have seen another version of this that looks identical but with a green/red coloring, so this makes it even a little harder to determine.

Also, if you could give me publication date for this edition - I cannot find it in the book - that would be wonderful.

Thank you for your help!


A:  Your book is part of the Beauxarts Series and was published in 1897. All of the books in this series are reprints and originally came in a labeled slipcase box. The covers of the Beauxarts' books in this year have been seen in a number of different colors.

No one color is scarcer or more valuable than any other.

../series/series47.htm

Because of its reprint status it only has nominal value unless the Derleth provenance is significant to a buyer.


09 Mar 2012 47

Beauxarts Series

Q:  I just acquired a copy of "Precept Upon Precept" by Henry Altemus, Copyright, 1897. I would like to know more info on this print, if it's a first edition, the value, etc. It's in pretty good condition too.

A:  Hello. Your Book is part of the Beauxarts Series and was published in 1898.

See ../series/series47.htm.

As with all the the books of this series, it is a reprint and only has nominal value.


20 Feb 2012 47

Beauxarts Series

Q:  Hello. I'm doing research on this old Henry Altemus book, Black Beauty. Your website has been very informative. It looks like this is a format 1 cover, and pre-1900. I would greatly appreciate any help you can provide for more information and its value. Here are some pictures for your consideration.

A:  Your book was published in 1897. It is part of the Beauxarts Series.

See: ../series/series47.htm

It is a reprint of this very famous title which was first published in 1890 by the American Humane Society.

Although your book looks to be in great shape, the reprints of Black Beauty are so common that they rarely sell for more than a few dollars. Of course, you never know when someone just has to have this particular copy.


26 Aug 2011 47

Beauxarts Series

Q:  Hello, I bought this book (Representative Men) for my Father and we are trying to find out the date it was published and if it has any significant value. Attached are the photos of the cover, and inside pages. From some research I have found it is part of the Vademecum Series, but I cannot seem to find a photo on this site of a cover that looks similar. I would appreciate any information that you can give me, thank you,

A:  Actually your book is part of the Beauxarts Series (See: ../series/series47.htm). It was published in 1897. Each year that the Beauxarts Series was published (1897-1902) it had a different cover format. During this year the cover format has been seen in a number of colors. This publisher's series of titles consists of the reprints of fiction, classics, poetry, essays, etc.

Because your book is a reprint of a not very collectible title, it only has nominal value.


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.


18 Apr 2011 47

Beauxarts Series

Q:  Hello, I have an antique copy of the light of asia, and it says it was published by henry altemus in 1842 or so. Can i have some more information on the book, along with possible worth? Thanks so much!

A:  It was not published in 1842. The 1842 refers to when the company was started by Joseph Altemus, Henry's father. Henry was born in 1833 and probably did not do much work at the age of nine.

Your book was one of many reprints of this title that Altemus published between the early 1890's and the teens. It is part of the Beauxarts Series. (../series/series47.htm)

Generally these publisher's series reprints only have more than nominal value if they have a collectible title, like Alice in Wonderland for example.


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