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.

Poems We Love Series

Q:  I found this old book while helping my Mother (84-years old) clean out her house. She says it belonged to her Mother. She is not sure where her Mother got it.

The book is not in good condition. It was wrapped in old tissue paper when I found it. The cover is a reddish-brown suede with gold foil stamp lettering, "BARRACK ROOM BALLADS AND DITTIES," and a "harp-style" musical instrument logo in the bottom right corner.

The title page has the same title name plus author, Rudyard Kipling. Below the author name is the publisher, "Philadelphia, Henry Altemus Company." The page before the title page has a photo of the author, author name, and in small italics, "Frontispiece."

Based on the information from your website, this publisher did not publish suede covers earlier than 1902. I'm not sure if this book has value or, better yet, what to do with it.

A:  Your book was published between 1912-1915 as part of the Poems We Love Series. The limp velvet calf covers came in either brown or green. Each of the ten books in this series originally was published with a labeled box. An example is shown here.

It is a reprint with no significant value.

Poems We Love Series

Q:  Hi. Just found your website. Incredible help and very thorough. Thanks for putting it up. I recently acquired a copy of Barrack Room Ballads and Ditties. I know price is subjective but in your opinion what is a reasonable price?

A:  This book is part of the ten book Poems We Love Series. Each of these limp velvet calf books were published in either green or brown calf and originally came within a labeled box. (See example here). They were published between 1912 and 1915 and all are reprint editions. $10 is not unreasonable.

Poems We Love Series

Q:  Hello. Here is a lovely little book (Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam). I’d love to know more about it and any value it may have. Many of the pages are uncut. Gilt on cover and top of pages is in wonderful condition. Henry Altemus Company Philadelphia on the inside. More pics available from every angle if wanted. Thanks.

A:  Your book is part of the Poems We Love Series. This ten book series was published between 1912-1915. The books are bound in limp velvet calf and have been seen in green or brown. When originally sold it came in a labeled box. A picture of the box is here.

The titles are all reprints, not especially collectible and thus have only nominal value (despite the very fine condition of your book).

Poems We Love Series

Q:  I found this book (The Raven and Other Poems) on a website and would love to get an idea of when it was printed. I have attached a picture of it.

Thank you very much for your time!

A:  Hello,
It was published between 1912 and 1915 in the "Poems We Love" Series.

It originally came within a labeled box.

The $55 asking price is significantly more than this $10-20 book is worth.

Poems We Love Series

Q:  I have an older suede leather bound book titled A Child's Garden Of Verses. Can you tell me the year it was published and the approximate value? I have attached photos.

A:  Your book is part of the Poems We Love Series.

It was published between 1912 and 1915. Originally all of the books in this series came in a labeled box. An example is shown here.

This book only has nominal value.

Poems We Love Series

Q:  We have a very old small book (The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam) appearing to be published by your firm. A search found some information about the title as part of the Petit Trianon Series 143. But the cover does not match any of those in that series website. Here and in 2 following emails are photos of cover and title page and opposite page art. The cover feels like a soft suede.

Can you help with a year of publication please? (I did find a Q & A about possible value of the Petite version and it was indicated that the value was nominal.)

A:  Your book is part of the Poems We Love Series. See ../series/series146.htm

It was published between 1913 and 1915 and originally came in a labeled box.

Poems We Love Series

Q:  I have a important question to ask. My father gave me a book called "The Song of Hiawatha" by Henry Longfellow. The cover of the book is made of leather which is very frail and fragile. It has 219 pages with notes and vocabulary sections at the end. Inside the first pages is a drawing of "Minnehaha". It was published at The Henry Altemus Company. I was wondering if it could possibly be an original from 1855?

A:  Your book is part of the 10 book Poems We Love Series. It was published between 1912 and 1915. The covers have been seen in brown or green suede. The books originally came in a labeled box.

More information about your book can be found at ../series/series146.htm

It only has nominal value.

Poems We Love Series

Q:  The book, Thanatopsis and Other Poems, is in my possession and I would like more information on how much this book is worth. Please see picture attached. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

A:  Your book can be found here-- Series 146

It is part of the Poems We Love Series. It originally came in a labeled box.

It has only nominal value.

Poems We Love

Q:  I have a small green leather-bound book copy of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, published by Henry Altemus Co but without a publishing date. The leather green except around the edges where it is slightly worn, and turned brownish. The title letters are in gold and there is a gold lyre printed on the cover. The tops of the pages are beautifully gilt in gold and in marvelous condition. The pages have not been cut apart and so the outer edges of the pages are uneven. Is this a printer's proof? It seems unlikely it would have been gilt. More likely, it has just not been fully cut.
Any idea of its value? Any other information you could give me about this beautiful book? Date??

A:  I believe that you have a book from the 10 book series- Poems We Love Series (#146) published in 1912 and reprinted until 1915. The books are occasionally found without page separation. These volumes are seen frequently and although you never know what someone will pay for something, they have little collector value. The exception would be if you had the box that the book came in originally.

I am enclosing a picture of the book format which I think you are describing.

Popular Series of Popular Authors

Q:  I found this copy of Drummond's Addresses at a flea market and I have struggled to discern what series it is from your website. The inside says Philadelphia Henry Altemus 1893. Thank you so much!

A:  This book belongs to the seven title Popular Series of Popular Authors. All of the books were published in 1893 and are reprints. They originally came with dust jackets. See: http://henryaltemus.com/series/series150.htm