Q: Hello! Are you able to tell me if this is an Altemus first edition (Through the Looking Glass)? I am not able to locate this cover decoration on your website; the spine and rear-board also are decorated in color with a continuation of the front board decoration. The book is “Copyright 1897”; and there is a 1909 gift inscription. Your website is very helpful, and I have used it several times over the years.

I look forward to your reply. Thanks and best wishes.

A: Your book can be found at Boys and Girls Classics.

The exact picture is labeled swatch 6 and is shown in the picture section.

The books of this series are not Altemus firsts but rather reprints of the earlier Young People’s Library but with different covers.

Each book originally came in a floral decorated box. An example of the box is shown.

Q: I have the complete set of 1899 Kipling Series 114 books, no jackets in amazing condition. Are you able to give an insurance estimate to replace, or can you point me to someone in AZ who can? I also have other antique books I need to have evaluated.
Thank you in advance for your time.

A: This is a relatively uncommon Altemus series. The titles were only published between 1899 ands 1901 in one format. The books originally came with dust jackets but the jackets are very scarce. A picture of a representative jacket (front cover and reverse) is shown below.

I think it is reasonable to price the 21 book set between $300 and $400.

Of course, it might take a while to sell them.

For more information see Kipling Series.

Q: I am hoping you can help me date and get a possible value on this book. Black Beauty by Anna Sewell. No date. I have included a photo of cover and inside with publisher name.
Thank you for any help you can give me.

A: Your book is part of the Petit Trianon Series and was published in 1903-1904.

Each year the books of this series had a different cover. So identifying the year of publication can be done accurately.

During 1903-1904 the Petit Trianon Series books had covers that had a stereotyped pedestal decoration on the left side of the cover. This decoration came in pink, blue, and beige. On the right half of the cover was one of sixteen flower pictures.

Although there are many Black Beauty collectors, there is nothing that makes this particular copy stand out. It is a reprint without great illustrations. So to get more than a few dollars will depend on finding that one collector who has to have this format.

Virtually every Altemus book originally came with a dust jacket or a labeled box. Here is a nice example. The Vademecum Series was characterized by using a new cover every year or so for the same list of titles.
The 1909-1912 books had this basic cover although there are numerous cover appliqué pictures. These books came with a labeled red box which is shown below.

Q: Hello, Can you identify and date this book for me? (Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam)

A: This book is part of the Classics Series. It was published between 1907 and 1910. The only way to determine the exact year is by studying its dust jacket. The list of titles on the back of the jacket changed with the year of publication. Without the jacket the book’s publication date can only be approximated.

Q: I have an older suede leather bound book titled A Child’s Garden Of Verses. Can you tell me the year it was published and the approximate value? I have attached photos.

A: Your book is part of the Poems We Love Series.

It was published between 1912 and 1915. Originally all of the books in this series came in a labeled box. An example is shown. This book only has nominal value.