Q: To Whom It May Concern:
I am helping my Aunt find out more about a book her father owned. I came across your website and wanted to ask you about our Robinson Crusoe book. I am including 3 pictures of our cloth bound book and was wondering if you could tell us about its value and whether or not it is a part of a series or not. We could not find a thing about this particular book on your website. Now we are even more curious. Any information you could tell us would be greatly appreciated. Thank you for your time and thoughtful consideration.

A: This book is part of Series 57 Boys and Girls Classics.

The 15 titles in this series were published with various linen swatches as covers between 1908 and 1926. The internal text and illustrations are identical to the previously published title when it was part of the Young People’s Library.

The cover of your book is the most commonly found in this series and was published between 1908 and the early teens. These books originally were sold within a labeled floral pictured box. An example is shown below.

Your book has nominal value.

This little book has been seen in several non series formats. The book I am adding to the data base today is most likely the second edition.

The difficulty in dating the three non series formats of this title is that the books are identical except for the covers.

Based on other Minna Antrim Altemus book formats, I believe that this book is the second edition.

For more information, see Non Series #100

Q: Hello, I have a Kipling book: With the Main Guard. It doesn’t have a year, but it states Philadelphia: Henry Altemus behind cover. It’s a small 65 page book, leather-bound; from the library of Robert W. Speck. What do you think the year is? And perhaps value. Thank you so much.

A: This Kipling title only appeared in one Altemus series, The Kipling Series. The 21 title series was published in 1899. There is only one format. These small volumes (6.25″ x 4.25″) are relatively uncommon and dust jacketed books can be considered rare.

A representative book and dust jacket is shown here.

Q: Good morning. I have one of the “rare” Henry Altemus photo gallery album. It is unused and is in exceptional condition, some foxing.

It is all original. 16 pages 8×10. Spots for photos back to back. It is the one with all the various important figures, presidents, poets, statesmen, etc. around where the photo sits.
It has all the index pages, the advertising card that has the lovell advert and how you can use it for cutting to size your cabinet photos.

Can you possibly tell me an estimated value?

A: I believe you are describing the Photo Art Gallery Album. (http://www.henryaltemus.com/albums/photoalbums.htm)

This scarce album was copyrighted by Altemus in 1888 but published by the Lovell Manufacturing Company in Erie, Pennsylvania.

My edition is the same as yours in that it is 8″ x 10″ and has 16 pages. Each page can hold one cabinet card on the front and one on the back.

As can be seen in a sample page shown here, every page has a certain category, i. e. president’s page, author’s page, etc.

In good condition this album certainly is worth roughly $150.

This interesting series of 15 titles was published between 1908 and 1926. The text of the books is taken totally from titles of the same name in the Young People’s Library, Format 3. Thus, the confusion about what series the volumes belong to and when they were published.

See Boy and Girls Classics (new)

During the years of publication there were 8 different large linen swatches (cut into book sizes) used as covers. The cover above is the most commonly seen and was placed on books in the 1908-early teens era. These books were boxed.

Below see the entire linen swatch that this cover was taken from.