Henry Altemus Company

The following are questions submitted via email by our visitors.

If you have a question about Altemus books that you'd like answered please click on the Questions link at the bottom left of this page.

Vademecum Series

Q:  I recently purchased a copy of "An Englishwoman's Love Letters" at a local antique store, printed by the Henry Altemus Company. I looked to see if my cover matched any listed on your site but it doesn't appear so. I was wondering if it was perhaps an unlisted design. The gold print on the front (I'm sorry for a lack of proper terminology) appears to be mostly that of a grape vine with two flowers with multiple petals. There is also a gold frame around a picture of a field, and a few people working in it.

A:  Your book is part of the Vademecum Series and was published in 1901. The cover format can be seen here: (Series 180)

During this year there were more than 40 different pictures used as paste-ons on the front cover. Your book's exact cover picture can be seen here Vademecum and is listed as picture #18.

Young People's Library Format 3

Q:  Rip Van Winkle. Year 1900. All pages 46 illustrations up 230 pages. Plus the young people library after the 230 pages. Do you know what edition this is. Its in good condition. But not like new. If any value to the book. I know it's the

Thank You for your time. Jim

Picture attaches of book cover. But not mine. Do not have a camera or scanner. But it tell you what book it is.

A:  You can start here (../ypl/index.htm) and date your book fairly easily. Based on the ads in the back of the book, you will be able to narrow down the date of publication to a specific date between1902-1923 (when the third format of the Young People's Library was published).

It only has nominal value.

Vademecum Series

Q:  I found this book (Knickerbocker's History of New York) while cleaning out my mother's home. Copyright date is 1899. What can you tell me about it? Sorry pictures aren't very good. I had to use my cell phone.

A:  Your book is part of the Vademecum Series (../series/series180.htm) and was published in 1899. This series consisted of reprints of fiction, poetry, essays, classics, etc. It originally came in a labeled box. It only has nominal value.

Vademecum Series

Q:  Hello, I have recently acquired a book by Edgar Alan Poe / Weird Tales that has little to know information on which addition copy from which it was produced the copyright is 1895 and there is no further information... I have not seen any hard covered print design from Altemus like this one.. Attached are two photos of the cover of the book.. If you could give me some insight into which addition this may be and what this copy may or may not be worth on the market I would surely appreciate your professional opinion..

A:  Your 1895 book was published as part of the Vademecum Series. (../series/series179.htm). As you can see this cover format came in numerous colors.

Although this is a very common Altemus title of Poe reprints, for some reason it frequently sells for more than you would think. I have seen it sell for between $10-75. I cannot explain the wide range-perhaps different sellers see it at different times.

Little Bunnie Bunniekin Series

Q:  Hello, I am trying to find out any information you may have on this book "Little Lambie Lambkin" it was published by the Henry Altemus Company in 1921. Is this a first edition? and anything else you may be able to tell me. Thank you in advance for your help.

A:  Your book is part of the eight volume Little Bunnie Bunniekin Series.

In order to determine what year your book was published in you can look at the endpapers and the advertisements. Look at the bottom book in a list of the ads and then go to the website and put in the name of that book. By doing that you should be able to determine the earliest the book could have been published.

../series/series124.htmand ../wee_books/index.htm

Boys and Girls Classics

Q:  I got your contact information from the Internet (http://en.allexperts.com/q/Book-Collecting-3231/2009/7/Altemus-Black-Beauty.htm). Can you tell me anything about the attached edition of Black Beauty?

Thank you for your time.

A:  Information about your book can be found here: ../series/series58.htm. It is part of the Boys and Girls Classics Series. This series of forty reprints can be found with and without the gold decorative gilt pattern seen on your book cover. On the series page you can see how to date your book by checking the ads in the back of the book. It was published between 1899 and 1902.

It is a reprint and has only nominal value.

Juvenile Quartos Series

Q:  Hi, I was going through some of my grandmothers hand me downs and came across this book (The Story of Little Black Sambo). I have been searching the internet but cannot seem to locate this particular book.

Can you please provide me with some detail on it? Is it rare? With all the Black Sambo books I've found I cant imagine it would be but I am interested in some detail on this book and why I cant find it on the internet?

Thank you for your time.

A:  Altemus published this book in 1931 and later David Mckay did a reprint edition of this exact book. You can find this book on this website here: ../series/series113.htm.

It is quite uncommon because Altemus stopped publishing books in 1932 so your book was only in print for a short time. I trust your book is the oversized format at about 7 x 9.

Although it is not a first edition, it is still quite a nice book.

Vademecum Series

Q:  Hello, I've purchased an old Edgar Allan Poe book called Weird Tales. It is small hardback, measuring 6 1/2 x 4 1/4 inches. It has a copyright date of 1895 by Henry Altemus, Philadelphia. The cover has a picture and it also has a floral pattern & the title pressed into the cover. I wanted to know more about the book, but haven't been able to find this particular book when doing searches on the internet. Can you tell me anything about this edition of the book?

A:  Your book was published as part of the Vademecum Series in 1901. See ../series/series180.htm.

The picture is from #5 and #18 seen here: ../vademecum.htm.

This book originally came in a labeled box and is a reprint.

Beauxarts Series

Q:  I haven't been able to find a representation of the cover on my copy of Uncle Tom's Cabin. Based on the signature on the inside cover dated 1897, I am assuming the book is one of the early publishings.
Will you help me determine the value of my book?

A:  Your book is an 1897 publication from the Beauxarts Series. (../series/series47.htm). All of the books in this publisher's series are reprints of fiction, poetry, essays, etc.

Uncle Tom's Cabin was published by numerous publishing houses in the 1880's and 1890's. Most of these editions are quite common without any distinguishing features.

This Altemus reprint is quite common and generally sells for less than $25 if it sells at all.

Classics Series

Q:  Can you tell me the printing date for this book by Charles Dickens? The Cricket On The Hearth. PIC. Attached. I would also like to know if this is a common book or if I should store it for safe keeping.

A:  Your book can be found here: ../series/series69.htm. The 76 books of this series are all reprints.

Without the dust jacket I can only estimate the book's printing to be between 1907-1915.

It is relatively common and has very little value.