Monthly Archives: December 2015

Question & Answer Series 202 Young People’s Library, Format 1

Q: Your web page is fascinating!

I have the following book. I am less interested in getting money for it, more interested in getting it to someone who could use it. If you have any idea of how to do that I would love to know.
Based on the Q&A on your page, I suspect it has a pretty small audience.

A Child’s Life of Christ 208 pages.
Series 202 Young peoples Library
Spine Format 1

Blank first page (stuff written in red pen)
Second page blank on front with picture of Jesus on the flip side

I have included pictures of the Cover, Title, and Copyright pages.
I think it is probably the 1897/1898 version if I followed your descriptions correctly.

4 pages of ads in the back starting with Robinson Crusoe, ending with Grandfather’s Chair.

A: As you guessed, there is very little interest in this book. You could list it on Ebay with a low price and see if anyone wants it. Beyond that I have no suggestions.

Question & Answer Series 202 Young People’s Library

Q: I’ve got a question which may be either specific or general; I don’t know. I’m looking at the Altemus edition of Black Beauty from, I think, 1902 (from scans at The Internet Archive, not the physical book), though the ads at the front confuse us by saying “Copyright 1897”.

Question: Was there an Altemus house illustrator? Who did the almost-fifty pictures? I can’t find an illustrator’s name anywhere in the book, but I also don’t see any other editions with the same pictures. The cover definitely looks more like 1902 than 1897.

A: The copyright date is only indicative of when Altemus started publishing this particular version/format. It is not necessarily the publication date.

If you do not have the book, then determining the exact is difficult. With the book in hand it is quite easy.

See: http://www.henryaltemus.com/ypl/index.htm to start.

Altemus generally “borrowed” the pictures it used from other sources.

I have seen several different frontispiece color illustrations in the Black Beauty Books. The internal illustrations appear to be the same between the various Young People Library editions.

Let me know how I can help you further.

Question & Answer Series 186 Wee Books for Wee Folks

Q: Attached are photos of a Wee Book that I’m interested in selling – inside cover is blue in case it doesn’t come through on the photo.
Can you give me some information. Alice Through the Looking Glass

A: Your book is part of the Wee Books for Wee Folks Series.

The third format (this book) with the appliqué picture on the front cover includes all of the titles in the series. The dust jacket matched the front cover of the book.

There were two Alice books. This one and Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Both were published in 1926. The blue endpapers were noted between 1923 and 1926.

These are very collectible books and with a dust jacket could sell for as much as $100. Without, $10-50 is not unreasonable.

This book is much scarcer that the Young People’s Library formats of the same title which are frequently listed for more than $100. (Although they seldom sell for more than a fraction of the listing price).

Question & Answer Series 179 Vademecum Series

Q: I’ve got a Copy of ‘Tales From Shakespeare’ by Lamb that doesn’t fit the websites information. I would just like to know the actual publication date.

A: This book was published in 1896 as part of the Vademecum Series.

It is clearly shown on the website at http://www.henryaltemus.com/series/series179.htm.

The titles in this series are all reprints and originally were sold within a labeled box. Other color covers have been seen. See below.

Question & Answer Series 47 Beauxarts Series

Q: Please help me understand what I have here thank you I appreciate your time and consideration.

A: You have a reprint that was published in 1898 as part of the Beauxarts Series.

Most of the volumes in this series have only nominal value. Certain titles (Alice in Wonderland for example) are more widely collected and may bring a bit of a premium.