Q: Can you help me identify this book of Poe’s Poems? There is no copyright date in it, and I’d love to know how old it is. I can’t find any covers like it online. Every page is intact, but no page with the copyright date. It was printed in Philadelphia by the Henry Altemus Company. In the back is a listing of other publications of Henry Altemus Company that are advertised as having Title pages, etched portraits, full cloth ivory finish and embossed gold and inlaid colors with side titles, boxed for 40 cents, with a second list of gift books for 50 cents each. There is also a listing of ‘new’ publications – Galopoff, the Talking Pony, by Tudor Jenks,Gypsy, the Talking Dog, by Tudor Jenks, Caps and Capers, by Bagrielle E. Jackson, Doughnuts and Diplomas, by Gabrielle E Jackson, For prey and Spolls; or The Boy Buccaneer, by Fred A Ober, and Tommy Foster’s Adventures, by Fred A Ober. Since those are listed as new, I looked up Tommy Foster’s Adventures, by Fred A Ober and found that it was published in 1901. That would mean that this Poe’s Poems is at least that old, right? What is it’s value?

A: This book is part of Series 143- Petit Trianon Series. This series consisted of numerous books which were all reprints of previously published works. Fiction, non fiction, essays, poetry, short stories all are seen in this series. Your book is the 1901-1902 version of this series. In those years the left side has been seen in blue, pink, and white. The blue and the pink are less common than the white. 16 different flower pictures have been seen on the right half of the cover. Yours is #3-Rose

These Poe’s reprints are very common. Despite that, they are frequently advertised incorrectly as first editions and sell for relatively high sums on some auction sites. Good for the seller but unfortunate for the buyer.
For more information on Series 143, click here

Q: I have this book can you tell me anything?

A: This book is part of Series 80- The Eternal Life Series. This book is #8 in that series and was published between 1896 and 1898. Books of this series have the leatherette covers. At this point in time eight different covers have been seen for each title. These books have only nominal value.
For more information on Series 80, click here

Q: Hello, I inherited the attached book and after my dog ripped the first page I started to do some research on it (after putting him in the kennel of course)…but can’t find any info on it. There is no publication date except there is a date someone wrote (1908) by hand on the interior.
When was this book published? Do you know anything about ‘Little Pillows’? It isn’t listed anywhere in the site. I assume it’s part of the reprint series?

A: This book is part of the In His Name Series, Format 2. There are 16 possible flower picture. Yours is #10 Lily of the Valley. It was published in the 1903-1904 range. This book originally had a dust jacket.
For more information on Series 110, click here

This series had covers with European paintings as paste-ons in the early 1900’s. See: http://henryaltemus.com/vademecum.htm

Here is picture #42 on a 1907 book. This picture combines with the picture labeled #28 to form a larger picture. See below.

These two books are part of an unknown series. Their spines are the same as those seen in Format 1 books from Series 157 Representative Poets Series (http://henryaltemus.com/series/series157.htm).

These two books: Idylls of the King and Lady of the Lake were published before 1900 (Publisher is Henry Altemus not Henry Altemus Company). Both of the titles are included in the Representative Poets Series list. Thus it is most likely that this cover format is part of Series 157.

Unfortunately a similar spine is not enough. Until a book is found with a labeled box or a dust jacket, placement into a series will be an educated guess.

Here are other series possibilities:
#47 Beauxarts Series
#83 Fairmont Series
#119 Laurel Series
#141 Petit Trianon
#155 Representative English Poets
#162 Sanspareil Series
#179 Vademecum Series
#181 Valenciennes Series