This Format was published between 1902-1923. Today I am adding a picture of a dust jacket for title #32.

These books can be dated easily by reviewing the ads in the back of the book. There is a flow chart on the site to help with dating, see: http://henryaltemus.com/series/series202F3.htm

In this book Grunty Grunts is noted in the Wee Books for Wee Folks List. Thus, the publication date is 1922.

The first editions of the two titles in Jenk’s Talking Animal Series (1901, 1902) can be hard to distinguish from the later editions that were published in Series 125 The Little Men and Women Series starting in 1907. There are several points that distinguish the earlier from the later books.

Galopoff, The Talking Pony was first published in 1901.
The first edition (1901):
1. Pictorial endpapers
2. Glossy frontispiece and illustrations
3. Title page with some red lettering and lines

Second Edition (1902)
1. Endpapers are now plain
2. Glossy frontispiece and illustrations
3. Title page with some red lettering and lines

Gypsy, the Talking Dog (1902)
First edition:
1. Plain Endpapers
2. Glossy frontispiece and illustrations
3. Title page with some red lettering and lines

Editions in the Little Men and Women Series (1907 and later)
1. Plain endpapers
2. All of the pages in these books are on plain paper. No glossy pages.

Here is a salesman dummy (sample) book for this series. It was published in the early 1890’s. These books were used by traveling salesman (such as H. M. Caldwell) to show the different books that were available. Frequently different formats of the same title were included in the Dummy Book. Here different titles in this same series were shown.

Series titles #1-4 are included in this sales piece. #1 Dore’s Bible Gallery and #4 Dante’s Purgatory and Paradise make up the front and back cover respectively. The book covers are 12 x 9.75 and are from the Format 1 books.

Titles #2 (Milton’s Paradise Lost) and #3 (Dante’s Inferno) are displayed when the book is opened.

Inside the back cover is a representative spine for the series.

In the back of the book there are sheets to record purchaser’s names and addresses.

Within the book there are short excerpts from The Dore Bible Gallery, Dante’s Inferno, and Milton’s Paradise Lost.

This item is among the rarest of all the Altemus ephemera I have seen over the years.

Q: Hello from what I have found on your site I have in my possession a copy of format 1 #11 The Sleeping Beauty and Other Stories. It is in fair condition considering its age. I am looking to sell this book and wondering what a fair price would be to ask for it. Since you are the expert on all things Henry Altemus I figured you would be the person to ask. I don’t want to swindle anyone by over pricing it just looking to sell it to someone who will appreciate it.

Any information you could give me would be greatly appreciated.

A: This twelve book series was published in three different formats. The earliest (your book) covers have a vellum decoration on the left third of the cover which has been seen in blue, red, green or dark beige. The right half has a book appropriate pictorial picture within an oval. The dust jacket matches the left decoration but the right is plain (see the picture). The books are 96 pages.

The second format is the same as the first format except that the vellum decoration is beige and the books are only 64 pages.

The third format cover has a pictorial book appropriate picture.

These books can be hard to sell if they are not in great shape and/or do not have a dust jacket. Anything more than a few dollars would be a good sale for you.

Examples of the formats are shown.

For more information see Mother Goose Series

Format 1-2 Dust Jacket

Format 2

Format 3

Format 3 Dust Jacket

Q: Hello, I have a copy of The Last Letters of Elia but cannot find a publication date. Can you please help? There are covers and it looks lick blue roses intertwined on the front cover.

A: Your book is part of the Vademecum Series and was published in 1897.

This publisher’s series consisted only of reprinted titles. Generally the covers are distinctive and indicate what year the book was published in. Your cover is an 1897 cover. It was printed in a number of different colors. A few examples are shown below.

It was originally sold in a labeled box. An example is below.