Q: Hello – I have a copy of John Bunyans book the pilgrims progress its in format 4 – 5 good condition, do you know when it was printed?
A: It was published between 1923-1933. The date can be narrowed down by studying the ads in the back of the book.
A review on dating this format is at http://henryaltemus.com/series/series202F4.htm
Copies are still in circulation today as a used book.
Q: I have a family book of A Child’s Garden of Verses by R. L. Stevenson that was part of the Young Peoples Library with a copyright of 1902. In looking at your website, the design of the dust jacket matches what I believe is the Series 57 Boys and Girls design with the ship pattern, however I do not see that particular book in your photographs. Could you confirm the attached photo and possibly provide information regarding its value?
A: Yes you are correct about the series that your book is from. Your cover is not a dust jacket but rather the cover of the book. The jacket is quite different.
Not every possible title is shown on the website. Instead I have used representative pictures of each format.
The various covers from this series can be seen at: http://henryaltemus.com/series/series57.htm
These books generally sell for only a few dollars if they sell at all.
Q: After attempting to identify one of my books on your website, I can see why so many people are mis-identifying their Altemus books. I would like to avoid that with your help, if possible. I am now totally confused. I have an Altemus hard cover, TWICE TOLD TALES, Nathanial Hawthorne, Henry Altemus Philadelphia, 6″ x 4-1/4″ x 1″, dark blue cover, gold leaf floral design on cover, black & white illustrations. 4 blank pages precede the title page. Title & author name in red, framed by green flowing floral design surround with publisher & city on bottom ribbon. A Greek or Roman Head symbolic portrait at top of page. Another blank page & then a portrait of Hawthorne in black & white, opposite another title page framed in green floral motif, surrounding title, author & printer in red. Any help as to which series, year or set this belongs to would be greatly appreciated.
A: This book belongs in the Beauxarts Series. http://henryaltemus.com/series/series47.htm
This series published numerous reprints in the areas of the classics, fiction, poetry , etc.
Every year had a new cover. Your book dates from 1897.
Altemus published several different versions of Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress.
Here is the cover of one that I have just seen for the first time. I believe that this book was published contemporaneously in the early 1890’s with the first edition already pictured at http://henryaltemus.com/images/NS_28.jpg.
This book is also oversized and with the exception of the cover is identical to the first edition book.
