Q: I looked through the series numbers I saw you’d recommended for copies of The Scarlet Letter and didn’t see any covers similar to this one (though I might have missed it). Might you be able to identify this copy? Just curious as to when it was published. The picture in the third photograph was copyrighted in 1899, so I know it was sometime after that.

A: This cover format was published in 1902 as part of the Vademecum Series. This series consisted of reprints of various works of fiction, poetry, essays, etc. Any one of more than forty paintings could possibly be seen within the gold gilt on the cover.

For all the different possibilities see http://henryaltemus.com/vademecum.htm.