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 have attached a picture of my book Alice's Adventures in Wonderland in hopes you would be able to tell me what year it was published. I appreciate any information you can give me.

A:  Your book was published in 1904. See ../series/series180.htm

It is a reprint and originally came within a labeled box.

Vademecum Series

Q:  Dear Sirs:
I have an old publication of A Child's Garden of Verses and I wish to know the date it was published. The book measures 4 1/4 by 6 1/4. The cover is blue, with a narrow picture of some old buildings, by, what appears to be a river. The title page is in red ink, with decorations of green. Below title is printed

PHILADELPHIA
HENRY ALTEMUS COMPANY

There is no date in the book. In the back of the book is listed the books that were published by Henry Altemus Company, beginning with:
Abbe Constantin, The. Halevy.
The last book listed is:
Half-A-Dozen Housekeepers. By Kate Douglas

Please, I would like to know the printing date of this book. I know it is very old by the yellowed pages. What I find strange is that there are NO DATES in the book, not even in the listings in the back of the book naming previous published books by that company.

I would greatly appreciate your help, and I thank you in advance!

A:  Your book was published in 1907. It is part of the Vademecum Series.
It is a late reprint of this title.

See ../vademecum.htm

Vademecum Series

Q:  What can you tell me about this book (Vicar of Wakefield). It says copyrighted 1899 by Henry Altemus Company. Is it a first edition?

A:  Your book was published in 1903.

See: ../vademecum.htm and ../series/series180.htm

It is a reprint and only has nominal value.

Vademecum Series

Q:  Hello. I have a jacket that lists #117 Longfellow's Poem's Vol. 1 and #118 Longfellow's Poem's Vol. 11. It also says "ALTEMUS' ILLUSTRATED VADEMECUM SERIES" above each. I've attached pictures, but if you needed clearer ones, I'll use my camera. Could you please send me some information regarding this set? Thank you.

A:  You can find your books listed here ../series/series180.htm

They are 1907 publications. These book were published with various pictures on the front covers.

More information about these pictures can be found here ../vademecum.htm

Vademecum Series

Q:  Can you tell me anything about this book (The Song of Hiawatha)? Henry Altemus Company in Philadelphia appears to be the publisher ?

I have attached a copy of the cover and the inside of it... there is no Copyright date that I can find.

Is it worth anything ??

A:  You can find your book here with the 1909-1912 books.

../series/series180.htm

It has only nominal value.

Vademecum Series

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.

Vademecum Series

Q:  Hello was just checking on the age and value of this book. The book is really good shape.

A:  Your book was published in 1899. It is part of the Vademecum Series.
See Series 180

Vademecum Series

Q:  Could you please tell me what year this Alice in Wonderland was published? I looked at the website but I was unable to find one that was close to what this one looked like. I have enclosed a photo of the front cover. If you need more photos or more info please let me know. Also any information on the value would be greatly appreciated.

A:  Hello,
Your book was published in 1903. See Vademecum Series.
Your picture is listed on this page as #7.

For more on the Vademecum Series see Series 180

Most of the books of this format have only nominal value. Alice in Wonderland books however are more widely collected than most. $10-35 would be fair I think.

Vademecum Series

Q:  I found this book (Cranford) in an abandoned storage and was trying to get some info on it's value when I came upon your website. Any help or info you might have would be appreciated.

A:  Your book can be found here with the 1899 books: Vademecum Series

Most of the books in the various publisher's series by Altemus have little value without the original box or dust jacket. This book falls in this category.

Vademecum Series

Q:  Is there anyway you can tell me if this old book of my grandmothers is worth anything and when it was published? Tanglewood Tales

A:  Your book can be found here with the 1904 books. It is part of the Vademecum Series. This long running series of reprints generally changed covers yearly.

Series 180

It only has nominal value.