Henry Altemus Company

Boys and Girls Classics (old)

Ebay description:  1888 Tales From Shakespeare Charles + Mary Lamb

Edition: Presumed First Edition Binding: Hard Cover Publisher: Henry Altemus, Philadelphia Date Published: 1878 Description: Very Good. No Jacket. 12mo-over 6¾"-7¾" tall. 1878. First edition. Hardbound. Book very good, no jacket. Date 1878 from intro, no other dates. Cover brown with gilt and colored illustration of jester with mask and bladder on front, color plate of Romeo and Juliet as frontis piece. Introduction by publisher A.A. dated October 1878. From the Altemius Illustrated Vademecum Series.

The Reality:  This book was part of the Boys and Girls Classics Series (not Vademecum Series) published in 1900-1901. Not a first edition but just another reprint. This seller clearly is not even close to describing this book accurately. But even worse is the $80 buy it now and the $11.25 shipping cost. Find me the buyer of this book at this price. I have a bridge to sell!

Boys and Girls Own Library

Ebay description:  This compact Henry Altemus Company version is preceded only by the very rare copyright & 1st editions.

The Reality:  This book was part of the Boys and Girl's Own Library Series (#59) first published in 1909. There are hundreds of editions (including at least 15 Altemus ones) that were published between the first edition and this one. Note that the format of this book is extremely similar to the earlier Series #58 Boys and Girls Classics (old). The difference is that within the gold rectangles of the latter series there is a gold gilt pattern.

Children's Gift Series (or Series #200 - Young Folk's Quarto Series)

Ebay description:  TRUE FIRST 1897 ALTEMUS ALICE in WONDERLAND, 4 COLOR !
LARGE FORMAT, SAME FRONTIS AS 1890 NURSERY ALICE COVER!
US $395.00
Special Attributes: 1st Edition
Printing Year: 1897

TRUE FIRST 1897 ALTEMUS ALICE in WONDERLAND, 4 COLOR !
RARE FIRST ALTEMUS EDITION / PRINTING, done just 7 years after the First Carroll Authorized Color Illustrated Version, .... Large 7" x 9" Format, allowing for those great pale green surrounds on every page, emphasizing it and the OTHER 3 ORIGINAL COLOR PLATES, containing All of Tenniel's Originals as well!!

The Reality:  There are sellers who are admittedly not book people and there are sellers who once in a while make a mistake. No big deal. The seller of this item however is not in either group. He claims expertise in rare books and he makes major errors in his description of most Altemus books he has listed over the last few years. Add to that his unbelievably overpriced items and he has hit this website's Bizarro World's great bookseller award.. Also appreciate when emailed about an error a while back, he was kind enough to point out that I knew nothing about these Altemus books.

The two series above without dust jackets cannot be distinguished in format 1 which is where this book lies. Series #200 was published in 1912/1913 and Series #64 was published from 1913 until 1920.

This book was published sometime between 1912 and 1920. The drawings around each page of the books of this series is an exclusive feature to this series. Although the Altemus copyright was 1897 (Altemus used the plates of its 1897 edition of Alice in Wonderland for this book), the book was not published in 1897 as the seller purports. Just the fact that the Henry Altemus Company imprint is in on the title page indicates a post-1900 date.

Next, this book is not a first edition. It is a very late reprint. Even Altemus' first publication of this title in 1895 is not a first edition. It is an Altemus first but in reality just another reprint.

The book is a nice edition nonetheless. But the $395 price tag is a joke.

This seller just must be clueless, In his blurb about books he makes the following statement. " I take several very detailed Photos, & nearly always include the copyright page so you know what impression/printing you are getting." Well, knowing the copyright of a book does not help at all when trying to assess what edition you have. All it tells you is when the publisher originally copyrighted that edition. I have a number of late reprinted editions of Charles Dicken's books. The copyright might say 1844 but that sure doesn't help me figure out when my book was published or what edition it is.

Buyer beware.

Classics Series

Ebay description:  Gold Dust......1890s DJ

UP FOR AUCTION A CIRCA 1890s BOOK. "GOLD DUST" PART OF THE ALTEMUS CLASSICS SERIES, PUBLISHED BY HENRY ALTEMUS COMPANY. NO COPYRIGHT DATE, I DID A LITTLE RESEARCH AND BOOKS SIMILAR TO THIS WERE LISTED AS 1890s TO 1907.

The Reality:  The Altemus Classic's Series was first published in 1907. The name of the series was changed to the Slip-in-the--Pocket Series in 1909. Thus this book was published in 1908-1909.

Classics Series

Ebay description:  Marmion Sir Walter Scott 1808 Pocket Book

Gorgeous little "pocket" book of the poetry of Sir Walter Scott, this is Marmion. Printed in 1808 by Henry Altemus Co. of Philadelphia, it has a wonderful embossed and gilded cover ...

The Reality:  Since Henry Altemus was not born until 1833, it is highly unlikely that the company he founded published this book 25 years before he was born. Actually this book is part of the Classics (Series #69) or the Slip in the Pocket Classics Series (#166)- which it changed its name to in 1909. These series were published between 1907 and 1921. The back ads as well as the jacket or box style would help in telling what year this book was printed in.

Dainty Series

Ebay description:  YOUNG ROBIN HOOD G. MANVILLE FINN, ILLUSTRATED c.1900

This childrens book, Young Robin Hood, appears to be a first printing copyright of 1900. Published by Henry Altemus Co. and written by G. Manville Fenn. This 104 year old book measures 8 3/8 inches by 6 3/8 inches.

The Reality:  The book that is being sold here with the illuminated pictorial picture of the little boy is really from the third format of this series published between 1903 and 1905. The floral decorated books were the earliest Dainty Series books published between 1899-1902. See: http://henryaltemus.com/series/series74.htm

Devotional Series

Ebay description:  Ploughman's Talk C.H. Spurgeon CHRISTIAN GILDED BOOK

Book: John Ploughman's Talk
Author: C.H. Spurgeon
Edition: First?
Publication Year: 1890s?
Publisher: Henry Altemus Company
Condition: Good

This is a book of sermons and fables by famed preacher C.H. Spurgeon. This is one of the books from about the middle of his writings. There is no date on the book, but it was probably published as a first edition in the 1890's at the latest.

The Reality:  This book is part of the Devotional Series (Series #75) and was published between 1905-1908. The first edition was published in 1869 and reprinted numerous times before the 20th century publication by Altemus. Another example of shoddy research.

Esperance Series

Ebay description:  Old Christmas, by Washington Irving, dated 1896-Classic

Old Christmas. Philadelphia. Henry Altemus Company, 1896. First Edition dark green felt cloth cover embossed with Leaves and the title & authors names embossed in gold. 64 pages; book measures aprox. 6” x 4”. ... Considering that this book has been in use for 111 years, I think this is minimal wear!

This book was listed for sale on an antique book website for $275.00, I will sell at a starting bid of $40.00

The Reality:  This book is part of the Esperance Series which began publication in 1905. See -- http://henryaltemus.com/series/series79.htm.
The post-1900 publication date is obvious because of the Henry Altemus Company imprint. This book was published a number of times by Altemus before this Altemus printing. A first edition, clearly not.

Even if this book had the original box, the value would be nowhere near $275 or even $40. The buyer who pays north of $40 for this book hopefully will also be interested in some magic beans I have growing in my backyard.

Esperance Series

Ebay description:  For auction is a book by Phillips Brooks. The book is 27 pages long and was published in 1896 by the Henry Altemus Company. The book is 6.5" by 4.5".

The Reality:  This 20 book series of reprints was first published in 1905. It was reprinted until 1909. Again the most common dating mistake is made here. If the title page says Henry Altemus Company, the book dates from 1900 or later.

Ever New Series

Ebay description:  ALICE'S ADVENTURES LOOKING GLASS Lewis Carroll 1890COLOR PLATES - LOVELY BINDING - RARE

Special Attributes: 1st Edition
Category: Children's
Printing Year: 1890

Title: Through the Looking Glass and What Alice Found There.
Author: Lewis Carroll
Publisher: Published in Philadelphia by Henry Altemus Co. No printed date but circa 1890's. Early Edition.

The Reality:  Nobody can be expected to know about all the lesser known works/series of the Henry Altemus Company. But if a seller does not know much of anything about a book, then just post the pictures and what can be gleaned from the book itself. Make no claims about what you really have no clue. When I was a medical student a long time ago, the bottom line was when you didn't know the answer to a point blank question-don't bullshit-just say you don't know.

This seller has no idea when this book was published. It is part of the Ever New Series and was published in 1915. Secondly, it is not an Altemus first edition or an American first edition. Just another late reprint.

If you do not know- make no claims-just show a lot of pictures.

Let the buyer decide about the book without the BS.