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:  Dear Sir, I am hoping you can help me with a Henry Altemus Company edition of Abbe Constantin. There is no publication date inside the book and I am trying to get an idea of the age and value of the book and if you could supply the date it would be a help. A photo is attached.

A:  Your book is part of the Vademecum Series. It is a reprint and thus has only nominal value.

It was published in 1907.

See: ../vademecum.htm

Vademecum Series

Q:  Good Afternoon, I would like to know what the publication date is for this volume of The Courtship of Miles Standish And Other Poems – Illustrated. Thank you for your assistance.

A:  Your book is from the Vademecum Series and was published in 1901. The picture pasted on the front cover is one of more than forty that was used by Altemus with this cover design. See ../vademecum.htm

Vademecum Series

Q:  I have the book "The Merchant of Venice" published by Henry Altemus Company. No dates are give in the book and all the pages are intact. I've enclosed pictures. Do you have information on the publication date and if it is one of the Shakespeare series?

A:  Your book is part of the Vademecum Series and was published in 1900.

See: ../series/series180.htm

Vademecum Series

Q:  I have a copy of the Scarlet Letter published by the Henry Altemus Publishing Company and My late Uncle thought it was published about 1850. It is in very good shape. Thanks

A:  Actually your book was published in 1904. The early date is on the preface which Altemus reprinted.

See: ../series/series180.htm

When Altemus reprinted the classics, it frequently reprinted the entire text including the preface. Thus, it is easy to confuse the date of publication with the date on the preface.

It has only nominal value.

Vademecum Series

Q:  I have a copy of “The Lays of Ancient Rome”, by T.B. Macaulay published by Henry Altemus Co. No copyright and no publication date. I have attached a copy of the cover (giant oak on path with red cover). From my search through your site I think I can determine that the publication date is 1903. Is that correct? Thanks for your assistance.

A:  You are right. It is part of the Vademecum Series (Series #180).

See ../vademecum.htm

Vademecum Series

Q:  I was wondering if you can give me any info on this book, the title is “Poems” the author is Oliver W. Holmes and the publisher is Henry Altemus Philadelphia Copyright 1895

A:  It is part of the Vademecum Series. See ../series/series180.htm for info on your book.

It is a reprint and only has nominal value.

Vademecum Series

Q:  I have attached a picture of my book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in hopes you would be able to tell me what year it was published. I appreciate any information you can give me.

A:  Your book was published in 1904. See ../series/series180.htm

It is a reprint and originally came within a labeled box.

Vademecum Series

Q:  Dear Sirs:
I have an old publication of A Child's Garden of Verses and I wish to know the date it was published. The book measures 4 1/4 by 6 1/4. The cover is blue, with a narrow picture of some old buildings, by, what appears to be a river. The title page is in red ink, with decorations of green. Below title is printed

PHILADELPHIA
HENRY ALTEMUS COMPANY

There is no date in the book. In the back of the book is listed the books that were published by Henry Altemus Company, beginning with:
Abbe Constantin, The. Halevy.
The last book listed is:
Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers. By Kate Douglas

Please, I would like to know the printing date of this book. I know it is very old by the yellowed pages. What I find strange is that there are NO DATES in the book, not even in the listings in the back of the book naming previous published books by that company.

I would greatly appreciate your help, and I thank you in advance!

A:  Your book was published in 1907. It is part of the Vademecum Series.
It is a late reprint of this title.

See ../vademecum.htm

Vademecum Series

Q:  What can you tell me about this book (Vicar of Wakefield). It says copyrighted 1899 by Henry Altemus Company. Is it a first edition?

A:  Your book was published in 1903.

See: ../vademecum.htm and ../series/series180.htm

It is a reprint and only has nominal value.

Vademecum Series

Q:  Hello. I have a jacket that lists #117 Longfellow's Poem's Vol. 1 and #118 Longfellow's Poem's Vol. 11. It also says "ALTEMUS' ILLUSTRATED VADEMECUM SERIES" above each. I've attached pictures, but if you needed clearer ones, I'll use my camera. Could you please send me some information regarding this set? Thank you.

A:  You can find your books listed here ../series/series180.htm

They are 1907 publications. These book were published with various pictures on the front covers.

More information about these pictures can be found here ../vademecum.htm