Henry Altemus Company

Ted Jones Series

A new format has been found. A plain cover with only lettering without the applique is shown here. This is a later edition. (Format 2). Of note it has the revised text with only 212 pages. The cover is reminiscent of other Altemus juvenile series of the 1930's-i.e. Randy Starr, Doris Force, Perry Pierce. The jacket is the same as is seen in the earlier format.

Abbott's Historical Series

This series is briefly described in the bibliography but no pictures were shown. Originally all 18 of this series' books were part of the Young People's Library. That series dropped 27 books and in 1911 Series #170 Stories from History Series included all 18 of the Abbott books and nine other books by Dickens (1), Holmes (4), Hartwell James (2), Nathaniel Hawthorne's Grandfather's Chair, and Christopher Columbus and the Discovery of America. In 1915 the non Abbott books were deleted from the series. At that time this series was referred to as Abbott's Historical Series in some ads and Stories from History Series in others.

From this point forward I intend to refer to the post 1915 books as Series #35 Abbott's Historical Series. This is different from the bibliography.

Included here is a picture of a sample book with the ad and title page. All the books of this series have the same covers as seen in the earlier Young People's Library and Series #170. The books have slightly different dimensions- 7 x 4.75. (6.75 x 5.5 Young People's Library)

Altemus Library

Format 2- A light blue cover has been seen. Each page of text is surrounded by a green decorative pattern.

New dust jacket picture added to data base for series #41 - The American History Makers

Series #41, the American History Makers, is a three volume series written by Wayne Whipple. Whipple also wrote the three books in the Patriotic Series (#139).

Series #41 had three formats. This jacket which matches the underlying blue book cover is from format #2. A representative jacket was not included in the book on page GP-12 (where the other Series #41 pictures are).

Format 2 had 8 color illustrations on glossy paper. One of the 8 is the same as the front cover appliqué and the dust jacket picture. These illustrations were also found in Format 1 but dropped in the third and last format.

Format 3 has a variant with black lettering on the cover and spine. The earlier of the format 3 books has gold gilt lettering. The books and dust jackets are otherwise identical including the rear ads.

Belles-Lettres Series

In the bibliography book #6 is listed as Confessions of an Opium Eater. This is incorrect. Book #6 is actually Conversation by Thomas De Quincey.

Series 54 - Book of Love Series

Format 1a - Brown leatherette. Title printed in gold gilt letters on the upper left of the cover. 5.5 x 4.25. Published simultaneously with Format 1.
A picture of this book format can be seen in the picture section.

Book of Love Series

A new format has been found in this series. Format 3. Limp velvet. Title in gold gilt. Boxed. 6 x 4.5. Published beginning in 1915.

Boys and Girls Classics (new)

This series was reprinted until 1926 not 1913 like the bibliography states.

The catalogues note that the books came boxed from the inception of the series. A dust jacketed book has been seen. Whether the box contained the jacketed book or the books were also published with jackets without boxes is unclear at this time.

The newly discovered book which dates from 1923 is shown below.

Children of the Bible Series

Formats 1 and 2 have multicolored appliqués on their covers. At this time for the 10 book series, fifteen different appliqués have been seen. They are not book specific and one title may be seen with several different covers. It is unclear whether each title was published with all the different appliqués or only certain ones.

A new format for format 1 which does not have the decorated left half of the page has been seen. It has the black end paper decorations and was published circa 1910.

Christmas Gift Series

The Christmas Gift Series was never noted in any Altemus catalogues or advertisements. The books came boxed with a piece of holly attached to the front cover of the book. It is unclear how many books were in the series. At this point we know that there are at least 25 books because a boxed book with the paper label stating Altemus Christmas Gift Series- Stepping Heavenward has been seen and it was numbered #25. Since the box containing The Courtship of Miles Standish has the number 7, it is assumed that this series like so many other Altemus Series is numbered with the books in alphabetical order. Thus, the total number of books is probably somewhere inthe neighborhood of 30.