Q: I recently acquired a book that I can’t locate anywhere.

It is WEIRD TALES, 1899. What I am finding is that every copy I’ve seen and every other frontispiece illustration used in this printing does not match the one I have. I’ve seen other sellers date this at 1895, when I think it is actually 1899.

The copyright page says 1895, but the illustration says 1899. The illustration is a ghastly color version of the ape cutting a woman’s head off. I have not seen this in color anywhere else but in the book I have.

Can you tell me about it and it’s possible value?

I am a new collector and after perusing the Altemus website, I am a big fan. All of your books are beautiful!

A: Your book is from the Vademecum Series and was published in 1899.

This cover format was published in a number of different colors (some examples are shown below) and sold within a labeled box.

All of the books in this series are reprints. Therefore the value of these titles is somewhat limited. On the other hand, there are Poe completists out there who want every Poe format. One of them might feel this book is worth a bit. Hard to say.

Q: Hi, A good friend found this Black Beauty Book, and gave it to me as I have always loved it, and was wondering the age and value. There is an inscription dated 1989. Here are a few pictures.
Any help would be appreciated.

A: Your book is part of the Vademecum Series and was published in 1898.

It is a reprint. This format originally was sold within a labeled box.

The cover has been seen with a number of different colors. Some are shown below.

Q: I have a copy of “Lucile” that appears to be Velvet Calf with gold on top. It’s in fairly good condition I’d say (I’m not any expert) with just the bottom of the book cover being bent a little probably from being upright on a shelf. I lay it flat. It is clearly green but is faded on front.

Something I find quite interesting is there are multiple pages that appear to be uncut on the bottom edge. The front simply says “LUCILE” embossed in gold and a gold embossed harp in the lower right corner.

I believe this may have been part of a box set? Could you possibly give me some information on this book?

A: Your book is part of the ten title Poem’s We Love Series. All of the volumes were published between 1912 and 1915 and are reprints.

They originally came within a labeled box. An example is shown below.

Q: Can you please advise when this little book was published? The Song of Hiawatha. Thank you so much. I found one similar to the cover but was about Carolina.

A: Your book is part of the Vademecum Series. The titles in this series are all reprints.

This volume was published in 1902.

Q: Here is a picture of my mothers book – A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens. Could you please tell us a little about it?

A: This book was published as part of the Vademecum Series in 1900 and is a reprint.

It originally came within a labeled box.

The cover has been seen in multiple different colors.

It has nominal value.

Q: My wife recently found a copy of Charles Dicken’s A Christmas Carol for me at a bookstore in Raleigh, North Carolina, and I’m interested in knowing an approximate date of publication. Attached are pictures of the cover, binding, and the inside plate, which holds the only publishing information.

The book is obviously in poor condition, but I’m fascinated by the little tome. =)

The publisher given is “Henry Altemus Company”, but there are no dates anywhere inside.

I couldn’t find a picture of this particular volume on your website, and there are no dates that I can find in the volume, although there may be some front matter pages missing.

A: This book is part of the 40 volume Boys and Girls Classics Series. All of the titles are reprints and were published between 1899 and 1906. Each book originally was sold within a labeled box.

Your book can be found here: http://www.henryaltemus.com/series/series58.htm
Information about dating your book is on this page.

Q: I came across this book but I can’t find a date on it or info on value anywhere. Can you please help me out?? Marcus Aurelius Antoninus

A: Your book is part of the Vademecum Series was published in 1895-1896. All of the titles in this series are reprints. This format appeared in a number of different color covers during its short print run. Some examples are shown below.

Q: ​I wonder when was this book of “Adventures of a Brownie” published? It belonged to my foster mother who was born in 1894. I looked at many sources without any luck. Thank you.

A: Your book is part of the publisher’s Vademecum Series and was printed in 1907. It is a reprint as are all of the titles in this series. The appliqué on the front cover is one of more than 40 possible pictures, many of which could be combined to make larger pictures. See: http://henryaltemus.com/vademecum.htm

This format originally came within a labeled box.

Q: I recently came across a find (Fanchon) at a local rummage sale and can not seem to find much information on it. I believe it’s from the L’Art Nouveau Series as the cover seems to be the same, but your website is the only one with information on these books and it seems to be a mystery to everyone! I would love to hear your take on it and what you think. Do I have a one of a kind ? Please observe the attached photos and I would love to hear back from you.

A: Your book is from the La Belle Fleur Series and was published in 1901. See: http://henryaltemus.com/series/series115.htm

This series is one of the less common Altemus Publisher’s series. The covers have been seen in a number of different colors. Here are some examples.

But all the titles in this series are reprints and unless the title is a very collectible one, the value (without a dust jacket) is minimal.

A picture of the dust jacket is shown below.

Frequently sellers of Altemus and other late 19th century books state there is no dust jacket, “as issued”. The vast majority of the time this claim is not true. Virtually all Altemus books from the 1890’s and later had dust jackets or were boxed. The exception is the rare book in wraps.

The next number of blog posts will illustrate some of these early Altemus dust jackets.

Non Series #131 Stephen: A Soldier of the Cross

This non-series book was published in 1896 and 1898.

The cover formats are all the same but differences exist such that the first edition can be easily distinguished from the later ones.

The dust jacket matches the front of the book. The rear of the jacket is blank.
The paper of the jacket is the usual brown uncoated type.