Q: Hello, I recently found a copy of Shakespeare’s Heroines by a Mrs Jameson. I’m trying to find out when it was published, as there is no date printed in the book. The cover looks very similar to one in the Vademecum Series you have pictured. The author died in 1860, but the introduction to the “second edition” speaks of her as though she were still alive, though I gather from your site it was printed around 1909. I’m very ignorant when it comes to antique books, so I hope you can explain this. Was it common for introductions to refer to the author in this way? Or is the copy I have not the second edition, but simply printed with the introduction to that edition?

I’ve attached a picture of the cover and the title page.

Thank you for your help!

A: This book was published between 1909 and 1912 as part of the Vademecum Series.

What many of the reprint publishing companies did (including Altemus) was to reprint the entire book from an earlier copy. When Altemus did this, the new copy would sometimes include an earlier dated preface and the like. Thus, your assumption is right. Altemus reprinted the entire second edition.

Many of the books that Altemus reprinted are similar to this one with earlier prefaces included.