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.

Classics Series

Q:  We have an old copy of Undine. Doesn't seem to exactly fit any of your photos or descriptions. Small, green cloth cover. 5 1/2" x 4 1/8". Photo attached. Thanks in advance for any info.

A:  This book is part of the Classics Series. It was published between 1907-1909 and originally came in a dust jacket.

Classics Series

Q:  Hello, Can you identify and date this book for me? (Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam)

A:  This book is part of the Classics Series. It was published between 1907 and 1910. The only way to determine the exact year is by studying its dust jacket. The list of titles on the back of the jacket changed with the year of publication. Without the jacket the book's publication date can only be approximated.

Classics Series

Q:  Hi, we have "The Chimes" marked 31 on the binding. No dates. Searched your blog with no luck. Can you tell us anything about it? Thanks.

A:  Your book is part of the Classics Series. See ../series/series166.htm

It was published in the 1909-early teens era. In fair shape without the dust jacket it has little value.

Classics Series

Q:  I have this little book called "The Greatest Thing in the World" by Henry Drummond. Printed in Philadelphia by Henry Altemus Company. It doesn't have a date or anything else like that. I was just wondering when this book might have been published and what the value of it is. I am trying to send you a picture of it. It is dark green, 4 1/2" x 5 1/2" with gold writing on it. It is hard to see the writing on it, but that is what it is. It also has a picture of Henry Drummond in it.
I was just wondering if you could tell me something about it.
Thanks.

A:  Your book is part of the Classics Series. See ../series/series69.htm

It was published between 1907- ca.1909. It originally had a dust jacket.

Without the dust jacket it has only nominal value.

Classics Series

Q:  Hello, I was given this book (Poe's Poems) and it has no date or anything, but it reads henry altemus company after a few blank pages. Curious about it. Thank you.

A:  You can find your book's format here: ../series/series69.htm

It is part of the 76 volume Classics Series. This series of reprints originally was published with a dust jacket.

This is a 1907-1908 book.

It only has nominal value.

Classics Series

Q:  I am hoping that you can help. I have attached pictures of a book (Evangeline) that was left to me by my mother. It has a handwritten message inside from my grandmother to my mother for Christmas 1909. The book is 148 pages. I'm trying to find out what year it was published. I got lost on your awesome website.

A:  Your book is part of the Classics Series. See http://www.henryaltemus.com/series/series69.htm

I would date it in the 1907-1911 range.

It originally came in a box which you can see an example of on the series site.

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.

Classics Series

Q:  Greetings! I have a book from the Altemus Classics Series, A Child's Garden of Verses. It has a different cover on it than the ones you have pictured on your website. I have attached it and am wondering if you have an approximate date of the book.

A:  I do not have the Classics Series books shown as of yet on the website. This series was first published in 1907 with the name changed to the Slip-in-the-Pocket Classics Series in 1909. The series had three different formats of which yours is the first. Your book was deleted from the series in 1913. In order to distinguish if your book was part of the Classics or the Slip-in-the-Pocket Classics Series you would need the dust jacket which states the series name on the front. I am including a couple of pics to show you what I mean.

Classics Series

Q:  I am not a bibliophile but I've come into possession of 15 copies from the Altemus Classics Series. They measure 5 1/2 x 4 1/4, green covers with gold colored embossed cover designs with floral and vines. The only dating I can find is in The Man Without A Country of which there are two copies in the collection. The dating is: Copyright, 1908, by Howard E. Altemus Published June, 1908.

I found your website but can't find any reference to this series of books which has been handed down to me from my father. I'd be interested in finding more information about these little books -- can you help me find a resource? I thank you in advance for taking time with this for me.

A:  The website is only for new information not in the book. Thus, the Classics Series (Series #69) is not on the website.

The Classics Series was first published in 1907 and was in print until 1921. There were a total of 76 books in the series but in certain years particular books were added or deleted to the list such that only in a few years of publication was the entire list actually done. The name of the series was changed in 1909 to the Slip-in-the-Pocket Series (Series #166) presumably because the size of the books was perfect to slip in the pocket. Only the jackets (which all of these books had originally) ever had the name Slip-in-the-Pocket however.

There are 4 different formats. Most of the books are dark green but the soft leather book has been seen in brown. The format you have is the most common.

I hope that this is helpful. The complete listing with additional information about this series is in the bibliography.

Colorful Story Books

Q:  I have a poor condition book published by Henry Altemus Company Philadelphia ..the back of the first page says copyright 1930 by Howard E. Altemus Printed in the United States ...it is called The Little Black Sambo Story Book by Helen Bannerman and Frank Ver Beck with illustrations by the authors...I have searched and cannot find the book with the title most that I have found are the story of Little Black Sambo I hope you have some more information.

A:  This book is part of Series #70, the Colorful Story Books Series. It was published in 1930.

The six books in this series are each comprised of four or five abridged stories (books) from the various Wee Books for Wee Folks' Series. Each volume was published with a colorful dust jacket. See here.

Platt and Munk later reprinted all the titles.