Q: Hello. I’ve enjoyed the time I’ve spent reading different sections of your website. Had no idea the best story behind my purchase today would not be the novel or the author but the bookbinder/publisher!
The only cover photo I could find in your gallery of this title was found in the #37 series. I’ve learned elsewhere that it was published a year after the rights became public domain but wondered if you could offer some more information on this particular edition given its cover and publishing date? Uncle Tom’s Cabin

A: Your book is part of the Vademecum Series and was published in 1894. (Book #27)

It originally was published with a labeled box.

The Vademecum Series consists of numerous reprints of fiction, essays, poetry, etc by many different authors. During 1894 this particular cover was published in a number of different colors. Some are shown below.

The website only shows representative copies of each format. Thus, not every title is shown with every format. Since some formats have more than 150 titles, to show each one would be nearly (if not) impossible.

Q: I have a question about this book that I found in my mother’s collection: it’s an “Illustrated Vademecum Series” reprint of Tennyson’s In Memoriam. I read from other pages on your site that in this series, books were published essentially every year, and that the covers varied yearly. Upon examining your tables, the closest I could come to an accurate date for my book was the 1899-1926 range. I saw another user’s book, however, that was not “In Memoriam,” but that had a very similar cover design to mine; his was from 1901-2. So my question is this: is my book, too, from this same year? If not, when is it from? From your information about how the publisher was cited, my book’s “Henry Altemus Company” tells me that it is from after 1900, I believe.

A: Actually your book is part of the Petit Trianon Series and was published in 1903-1904. It is a reprint and originally came with a labeled box.

The 1903 books had a stereotyped pedestal picture on the left side of the cover. This left cover design has been seen in blue, pink and beige. Some 1903 books were published with the same pedestal on the left but they were in ooze calf.

The cloth books have one of sixteen different flowers on the right of the cover.

A lot of Altemus books which are not Vademecum books have the Vademecum Series listed in the ads in the back of the book.

This particular book in this format is not that common but scarcity and value do not necessarily go hand in hand. Because it is not a very collectible book, it has very limited value.

Q: Hi there, I could not find this exact book (Uncle Tom’s Cabin). I found one that is green the same picture dated I guess in 1901.
Can you tell me when this book was published and what the value of this book today?

A: This book is part of the Vademecum Series and was published in 1902. Originally this book came in a labeled box. All of the books in this series are reprints.

The 1902 books have been seen with a number of different color covers. More than 40 different pictures have been seen on the cover.

For more information see http://henryaltemus.com/vademecum.htm.

It only has nominal value.

Q: Would like info on this book (Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin), please.

A: This book is part of the Vademecum Series and was published in 1899. It originally came within a labeled box.

The 1899 books of this series have been seen with many different colors. See below.

Your book is a reprint as are all of the books of this large publisher’s series.
It has only nominal value.

Q: To whom it may concern:
I am very interested in finding out more about this copy of Discourses of Epictetus. It seems to be a copy designed for women and I am wondering if it was part of a larger series. I have attached some pictures. The book is in very good condition.

A: Your book is part of the Vademecum Series and was published in 1896.

It originally was published with a labeled box.

This series is made up of reprints of various essays, poetry, fiction, etc.

Young People’s Library editions of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland are frequently for sale. They are infrequently described correctly. Here is a Young People’s Library, Format 3 title and how to identify it and date it.

The Format 3 books were published between 1902 and 1923. They have a characteristic spine. It is obvious that these books were published in 1900 or later because Henry Altemus incorporated in 1900 to become Henry Altemus Company. Thus the Henry Altemus Company imprint on the title page indicates a 1900 or later book regardless of a copyright date of 1897 which is also on the title page.

To date the book exactly the ads in the back are key. There is a flow chart for dating on the webpage (http://henryaltemus.com/series/series202F3.htm). In this book “Vic” is listed in the Young People’s Library book list indicating a 1902-1906 publication date. Further narrowing it down to 1904-1906 because the Banbury Cross Series is listed in the ads.

1. Is Vic listed in the ads for the Young People’s Library. If yes, the book is 1902-1906. If not, 1907-1910.
2. If Vic is listed, do the ads have Wee Book, Banbury Cross Series- If yes: 1904-1906. If no: 1902-1904.

Format 3 Spines

Women of the Old and New Testament published by D. Appleton & Company 1850

Interesting that this 1850 title has been seen with two different bindings. The bindery identifier is noted on the bottom right of an endpaper: “Altemus Binder Philade”

I am not familiar with any other title that had two different Altemus bindings in one year.

Pictures are courtesy of the Philadelphia Library Company

Pearls of American Poetry published by Wiley and Putnam 1847

This elegant book has the binder’s imprint on the upper right corner of an endpaper. This is the only Wiley and Putnam book that I know of that was bound by Altemus.

Pictures courtesy of the Library Company of Philadelphia.

Psalms and Hymns published by Presbyterian Board of Publication 1843
Here is a nice example of an Altemus bindery product. Note that the identifier for the publisher is a stamped into the upper right corner of an endpaper.

Altemus binding examples from the 1840’s are quite uncommonly seen.

Pictures are courtesy of the Library Company of Philadelphia.

Although the main imprints used by Altemus were Henry Altemus and Henry Altemus Company, the Altemus & Co. imprint can be found on early Bibles from the 1870’s, scrapbooks and photograph albums. The Altemus & Company press also printed various titles. Some are monographs for groups mostly in and around Philadelphia. These latter books were generally produced in small quantities and are quite scarce. Here is another example.

This 11 page pamphlet was published by the “Press of Altemus and Co. in 1881. Interestingly Altemus did not publish any other Annual Reports for this organization.

Pictures courtesy of The Library Company of Philadelphia. Special thanks to Nicole Joniec.