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: http://henryaltemus.com/vademecum.htm and http://henryaltemus.com/series/series180.htm

It is a reprint and only has nominal value.

Q: I have attached a picture of the Black Beauty book I have. Inside the book says copyright 1897 by Henry Altemus. I saw on the internet a discussion with someone else that has this book. Just wondered if you all came to any conclusion of a value on it?

A: I believe that this book has only nominal value when it has no dust jacket. The dust jacket is pictured at http://henryaltemus.com/images/NS_23.htm

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 http://henryaltemus.com/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 http://henryaltemus.com/vademecum.htm

Q: Can you tell me anything about this book (The Song of Hiawatha)? Henry Altemus Company in Philadelphia appears to be the publisher ?

I have attached a copy of the cover and the inside of it… there is no Copyright date that I can find.

Is it worth anything ??

A: You can find your book here with the 1909-1912 books.

http://henryaltemus.com/series/series180.htm

It has only nominal value.

Most of the formats of the Petit Trianon Series have a stereotyped decorative pattern on the left of the front cover and one of a number of different floral/decorative patterns on the right half of the front cover. Here is a new pattern for one of the 1897 books. The familiar dots are noted on the left of the cover. This is the 10th different design shown in the database for the right half of the 1897 books.
See: http://henryaltemus.com/series/series141.htm

This book was most likely published in 1908. Ads in the back tell the story of the date of publication. Non Series book Jester Life is listed. This book was first published in 1908. Ads for the Little Men and Women Series do not list Helen’s Babies which was published in 1909. Thus 1908 is the date.

This book’s cover is very similar to the books of Series #59 The Boys and Girls Own Library. See: http://henryaltemus.com/series/series59.htm
These books have green lines surrounding the title and the picture of the main character in the book. This book has a picture of a tree as opposed to the character.

The Vademecum Series books of 1901 have a similar cover but they have a three paneled picture unlike this book. Plus this book was published many years after the Vademecum book.

Thus, although I am inclined to think that this book belongs in Series #59, but at this point it has to go into the unknown series category.

Vademecum Series 1901

Boys and Girls Own Library

Unknown Series Book

Here is a new picture for the database. This book was part of the Jester Life Series (http://henryaltemus.com/series/series112.htm) beginning in 1909.
On the back of the jacket is a list of books which also became part of the Jester Life Series in 1909.
The top two books on this list, “Jester Life” and “Don’ts for Bachelors”, were published in 1908. Starting in 1909 this list always had the Jester Life Series noted at the top of the jacket’s page. Thus this book is a 1908 publication.

Here is another unique cover for the 1899-1900 Petit Trianon Series books. The left sided pattern is the same for all this series’ books published during these years. Numerous different designs have been seen on the right half of the cover. This one is the 26th different one in the data base.

This is one of the more interesting books published by Altemus (Lives of the Presidents of the United States). Published from 1896 to the mid-teens, the text of the book was changed to reflect updated information.
The first book listed presidents up to Grover Cleveland (who was in office until January, 1897) while the last reprints listed Woodrow Wilson who was inaugurated in 1913.

Thus these books can be dated based on the presidents listed as well as the ads in the back (and sometimes the front).

The first edition appeared in the Young People’s Library Format 1. (http://henryaltemus.com/series/series202F1.htm). The books in this format include the first edition with 1896 at the base of the title page and listed only to Grover Cleveland in the back of the book. Later editions in this format list to William McKinley.

In the Young People’s Library Format 2- http://henryaltemus.com/series/series202F2.htm (1898-1902) the earliest book which has a picture of George Washington on the cover and lists to McKinley in the back of the book. The newest of this format’s books list Theodore Roosevelt’s presidency which began in 1901. There is an in between book which has the new Format 2 cover but lists only to McKinley. See pictures.

In the Format 3 editions, books after 1909 list William Howard Taft. Books prior to 1909 list Roosevelt.

In 1911 a number titles (including this one) were deleted from the Young People’s Library and were combined to make the Stories from History Series.http://henryaltemus.com/series/series170.htm The only book I have from this series lists to Woodrow Wilson who took office in 1913. I assume there is an earlier book in this series that lists only Taft (after 1909 but before 1913).

Order of Editions:

Young People’s Library Format 1
1. 1896 on the title page/White House frontispiece/ lists to Grover Cleveland in the back of the book. (360 pages)
2. No date on Henry Altemus title page/White House frontispiece/ Lists to Mckinley (359 pages)

Young People’s Library- Format 2
3. 1898 on the Henry Altemus title page/White House frontispiece/Lists to Mckinley (282 pages)
4. Henry Altemus Company title page-no date/Inauguration frontispiece/ Lists to McKinley (282 pages)
5. Henry Altemus Company title page-no date/ Inauguration frontispiece/ Lists to Roosevelt (292 pages)

Young People’s Library- Format 3
6.Henry Altemus Company title page- no date/ Inauguration frontispiece/Lists to Taft (292 pages)

Stories from History
7. Henry Altemus Company title page-no date/Inauguration frontispiece/Lists to Wilson (292 pages)

Format 1 books (1896-1898)	Earliest Format 2 book(1898)	Basic Cover of all books from 1899 on
1896 title page	1898 title page	White House frontispiece
Later title page	Inauguration frontispiece

Here is another Format 5 book. This format has a decorative pattern on the left side of the cover. This book is #2 in the series -Paradise Lost. Interestingly, the right sided pattern has also been seen in a Petit Trianon Series published in 1899-1900.