Q: Can you tell me anything about this book? The title is The Blithedale Romance by Nathaniel Hawthorne. It was published by Henry Altemus in Philadelphia.

A: Your book is part of the Vademecum Series and was published in 1896. It originally came in a labeled box. It is a reprint and only has nominal value. See http://henryaltemus.com/series/series179.htm for more information.

Q: This little book (Songs of Shakespeare) is published in 1906 by Henry Altemus Company. I could not find any info on the web about it. I would like to have more info like its value on the open market today, part of a series etc?

A: Your book is part of the Waistcoat Pocket Series. See http://henryaltemus.com/series/series184.htm.

This book is a reprint and was originally published with a labeled box. It only has nominal value.

Q: I have had this book (Black Beauty) for about four years and it came from an estate. The handwritten inscription inside dates it as a 1903 Christmas present. Would you be able to verify when it was printed? If so, do you know it’s current value?

A: Your book was published in 1903 and is part of the Vademecum Series. All of the titles in this series are reprints.

In 1903 the books of the Vademecum Series had one of several colored covers with the same basic cover template. Any one of more than 40 paintings have been seen on the front cover.

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

It only has nominal value.

Q: Hi I have the 1895 ALICE’S ADVENTURES IN WONDERLAND Book 1ST ALTEMUS ED. Lewis Carroll it has a blue cover on it and is in wonderful condition I was just wondering what it would be worth.

A: Your book is the first Altemus edition of the individual title Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. In the same year (1895) Altemus published two combination books which included Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. In 1895 there were two different editions of your book. The earlier one has 1895 at the base of the title page and the fronts ads list to Through the Looking Glass.

For more information see http://henryaltemus.com/series/series202F1.htm.

Appreciate that all other Altemus Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland are later editions.

As I have mentioned numerous times, more than 95% (probably closer to 98%) of all Altemus published books were initially printed within a series. Sometimes I am quite sure a book is a series book but I cannot identify the series. Here is an example.

This edition of House of the Wolf was published in 1899. This is clear because the copyright on the picture is 1899 and the title page imprint is Henry Altemus which indicates a pre-1900 publication. The cover of this book is unlike any other series cover I have seen yet the size of the book (6.5 x 4.5), the title page and the title of the book are all indicative of an Altemus publisher’s series book.

Originally the book had either a dust jacket or a box which would have noted the name of the series. Until I find one of those elusive items, this cover will have to go into the unknown series section.

See http://henryaltemus.com/series/series-unknown.htm for other Unknown Series books.