Henry Altemus Company

Young People's Library

Book #13 Lives of the Presidents of the United States lists anonymous as the author. This is true for format 1 books. Format 2 and 3 books note Prescott Holmes as the author.

Young People's Library

Poor Boys' Chances was published in 1900 as part of this series. The bibliography lists no date. It was book #32 and was only published in 1900-1901. Thereafter it was replaced by Tales from Shakespeare.

The cover is identical to the Poor Boys Chances published as a non series book and as part of the Little Men and Women Series, Cherrycroft Series and Boys and Girl's Booklovers Series.

The difference is noted by the spine. The Young People's Library book has the characteristic format 2 spine. See below. The title page also states Young People's Library.

Young People's Library

A Child's Garden of Verses which is book #39a within the third format has no copyright listed in the bibliography. It should be 1902.

Little Color Books - New Series discovered

Two books of the same format have been discovered. These books clearly are part of the same series but are not listed in any Altemus catalogue or advertisement. Both of these books were part of the Little Color Books Series published by Thomas Nelson in 1927. The Altemus books have neither copyright dates nor advertisements but both have inscriptions stating 1933. I would guess they were published in the early 1930s.

There were ten books listed by Nelson but it is not clear how many were published by Altemus.

The two discovered books are:
1. Adventures of Chippybobbie by Mildred Batchelder. Illustrated by Hawley Morgan.
2. Podgy Puppy and Naughty Neddy by Clara G. Dennis. Illustrated by Alan Wright and Anne Anderson

Format. Red cloth cover with yellow applique which has the title and author and a small line drawn picture of the title character. Numerous color illustrations on glossy paper. 6.25 x 4.75. I have not seen a dust jacket but undoubtedly they had one.

Aubrey Beardsley and Altemus

In 1896 Henry Altemus co-published a 5 volume series, The Pierrot Library (Series #204) with John Lane, a London publisher. These 5 books are quite scarce.

The front and back covers as well as the end papers and title pages for all 5 books have great illustrations by Aubrey Beardsley (1872-1898). He was a well known English artist of the art nouveau era. Although famous for erotic pictures, he also did numerous black ink drawings. The pictures here are representative of those.

Interestingly enough, Beardsley is frequently mentioned with Alphonse Mucha, another art nouveau Victorian era artist. Mucha’s illustrations are on some of the Petit Trianon Series’ covers.

American Series

A Phantom Series is one that is advertised but never published. Altemus advertised a boy’s series called the Ben Lightbody Series in the 1912-1914 era. The series was noted in numerous book and print ads. For whatever reason it was never published.

I have just come across another phantom series. It is mentioned in a periodical called the Critic. The excerpt below comes from the June 19, 1897 issue.

There is no evidence that the “American Series” was ever published. Trif and Trixy was published in 1897. Of great interest is that although many copies (in red and green) show the 1897 date at the base of the title page, there is a way to distinguish the very rare first edition from the later edition.

Look carefully at the page below which is the last page of ads in the back of the book. The earlier 1897 book lists Trif and Trixy at 35 cents whereas the later lists it at 50 cents. Subtle but real. Of course, there is no evidence it was offered at 30 cents which is the phantom series price.

Around the World in Eighty Minutes Ephemera Discovered

In 1894 Altemus published "Around the World in Eighty Minutes". Written by Wm. S. Walsh, it consisted of text opposite photographs of monuments or edifices. Pictures were from all over the world, thus the title.

The book came in two different formats. The illuminated paper covers book was priced at fifty cents while the Fine English cloth and silver book was one dollar. Of interest is the fact that two different hardcover books have been seen with fine English cloth while no example of the illuminated paper covered books has been discovered.

The two English cloth books differ from each other not only in the cover design but in the quality of their printing also. The book noted as “a” has thicker better quality paper as compared to the book designated as “b”. Thus the former book is significantly thicker and heavier.

A wonderful advertising sheet which is 5.5 x 2.25 was found in an Altemus Library, Format 2 book. It is shown below.

Non Series - Vic, The Autobiography of a Fox Terrier

Listed as being published in 1896 by Altemus. The correct Altemus publication date is 1895.

Non Series #30 - The Care of Children

There have now been seen 4 different editions of The Care of Children by Elizabeth Scovil. Details with pictures can be found in the Non Series section.

Non Series #28a- Pilgrim's Progress (Facsimile Reproduction)

Henry Altemus co-published this book with the London publisher Elliot Stock in 1895. This is the second time that I am aware of that Altemus co-published books with an English publisher. John Lane and Altemus printed the books of Series #205- Pierrot's Library in 1896. Of interest is that neither this book nor Series #205 was ever noted in the Altemus catalogues. Also to be noted is the absolute scarcity of this volume and the series #205 books. Certainly among the rarest of all Altemus books.

It is unclear whether the Pilgrim's Progress facsimile had a dust jacket or initially was boxed. Undoubtedly it had one or the other.

The book below is 6.75 x 4.25.