Here is a new dust jacket picture for this series (A Little Rough Rider).

The earliest format of the Dainty Series books have a decorative pattern, not an illuminated picture, on the right half of the front cover.

Here is an example (Honor Bright).

All Altemus books either came within a box or with a dust jacket. Finding the early 1890’s books with a jacket is quite difficult.

Here is a book from Series #150 (http://henryaltemus.com/series/series150.htm).

This book (Hawthorne’s Scarlet Letter) was published in 1893. On the reverse of the jacket this series as well as the Altemus Library are shown.

Here is a new book for the data base. In the Jester Life Series (http://henryaltemus.com/series/series112.htm) the Format 3 books have ooze calf covers. These books which originally came in labeled boxes are relatively hard to find. Here is book #1 Jester Life and His Marionettes in that format.

Q: Hello,
I recently purchased Pilgrim’s Progress by John Bunyan. It is a Henry Altemus publication, Images of the book’s front cover, inside cover and some back pages are attached. However the title page is missing, so I do not know the publication date. Would you be able to help out with this missing info.

A: Your book was published between 1899-1901 as part of the Beauxarts Series.
See http://henryaltemus.com/series/series48.htm.

Here is a new book for the database. This four book series (http://henryaltemus.com/series/series173.htm) was published from 1914 until the 1930’s. Only the 1914 books however have a dust jacket which has brown uncoated paper. See the pictures below.

Several of the books of this series have the same cover as the books from the Good Time Series (http://henryaltemus.com/series/series100.htm). The dust jacket may be all that distinguishes them.

#2 Dust Jacket (early)

#2 inside flap of dust jacket

#2

Here is a picture of the Format 5 book. This book cover is new for the data base.

As has been noted before, Altemus occasionally did publishing for other companies. It did a Shakespeare’s Works for Gusky’s Department Store. Here is an example of a Bible that was published for Montgomery Ward & Co. The cover is B11 (See: http://henryaltemus.com/bibles/bibles.htm) which was published between 1894 and 1896. It appears that all Altemus did is replace its imprint with that of the department store giant.

Q: Can you possibly date and give a possible value to these two books? One measures measures 3 3/4″ x 6 1/8″ and is a soft sueded leather in reddish brown hue.
The other seems to be a grayish fabric, measuring about 5″ x 7 1/2″ and has no publishing information but is by Edward Fitzgerald.
I was given these by a deceased family member and know absolutely nothing about old books.Thanks for your consideration.

A: The Altemus book was published between 1914 and 1917. See Langhorne Series

Without the original box the value is probably worth between $5-15.

I cannot tell you anything about the other book. Sorry.

Q: We have a book written by Rev. Charles Spurgeon (John Ploughman’s Talk). Published by Henry Altemus Company. No publishing date is listed. Could you tell us something about this book. Does it have any value?

A: Your book was published in about 1907 as part of the Devotional Series.

See http://henryaltemus.com/series/series75.htm