Q: I would appreciate your help with a book I have “A Christmas Carol” by Charles Dickens. The book measures 4 1/4 X 5 1/2. I am stumped because it does not have Henry Altemus Company embossed on the cover; as I have seen in all the examples on your website. The cover is green. Could this be part of Dickens Complete Works – a reprint. Thank you.

A: The words “HenryAltemus.com” are not actually on the books. Those words are placed on the pictures of books that appear on the website so that people will know where the pictures came from.

Q: Hi my name is Amber and I recently purchased this book from a flea market. The cover says “Endymion” and the title page says “Endymion, and other poems.” Unfortunately, the first 12 pages are missing. I would like to know the year in which this book was published. Thank You.

A: Your book is part of the Diplome D’Honneur Series and was published in 1902. This series was only published for one year and the books are somewhat uncommon.
See: http://henryaltemus.com/series/series76.htm .

Q: This book (The Little Lame Prince) belonged to my grandfather. He was born in 1913. I took a look at your site, and I couldn’t find anything that looked quite like it. Could you tell me anything about it? Inside Title page says copyright 1900, but as your site suggest, it may have been published after that.

A: Your book is part of Series #57 Boys and Girls Classics (New) Series. See http://henryaltemus.com/series/series57.htm

This series used various pictorial linen cloths for its covers. Your cover has been designated sw-5a and was published sometime between 1908 and the early teens. The exact year can be determined by a study of the ads.

The dating confusion exists because the original Altemus copyright is on the title page. The copyright is not the same as the date of publication in this instance. Also this series used the text from the Young People’s Library and thus the title page says the book is from the Young People’s Library. This is not the case however.

Q: Good Afternoon,
I would like to know what the publication date is for this volume of The Courtship of Miles Standish And Other Poems – Illustrated. Thank you for your assistance.

A: Your book is from the Vademecum Series and was published in 1901. The picture pasted on the front cover is one of more than forty that was used by Altemus with this cover design. See http://henryaltemus.com/vademecum.htm

In 1928-1929 a variant cover has been seen in all of the Wee Books Series. Here is an example from the Wee Books Peter Rabbit Series. Note that the variant cover has an applique that encompasses the entire front cover. I have placed a picture of the more commonly seen cover next to it. It can be seen that the full cover applique duplicates the cloth/applique cover perfectly.

This cover variant is quite uncommon.

Q: I have the book “The Merchant of Venice” published by Henry Altemus Company. No dates are give in the book and all the pages are intact. I’ve enclosed pictures. Do you have information on the publication date and if it is one of the Shakespeare series?

A: Your book is part of the Vademecum Series and was published in 1900.

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