Q: Hi! Picture of my book. Any idea of value? Tales From Shakspeare

A: Your book is part of the Boys and Girls Classics Series.

This series was published between 1899 and 1906. All the titles are reprints and originally came within a labeled box.

Except for a few very desirable titles, these books only have nominal value.

Another advertising flyer has been discovered. It is for Series #100- Good Times Series.

This flyer is 8 x 5.5 which is slightly larger than the page size of the actual Good Time Books. It was discovered within a book from the series.

Non Series #109 Paul and Virginia
This flyer was found in non series book #28 Bunyan’s Pilgrim’s Progress. This book was published from 1890 to the late 1890’s. The flyer is the same size (10.5 x 6) and of a similar style as the flyers previously described for the Dore’s Masterpieces. http://henryaltemus.com/flyers/flyer-S78.htm

This one page advertisement advertises two different Paul and Virginia books that were published between 1891 and 1897. In 1898 the cheaper Paul and Virginia book was published at $1.50 and the $3.00 was discontinued.

As has been noted before, it is my belief that all the early non-series Altemus books were advertised using these flyers. Finding them is another matter.

Q: Can you identify the publishing date for this “Black Beauty” book? Is there any value to it?

A: Your book is part of the Vademecum Series and was published in 1903. More than 40 different appliqués were used on the front cover of the books of this format.

These books originally came within a labeled box. See below.

This book is a reprint and only has nominal value.

Q: Hi. I am curious about the age and value of this book. King Henry VI Part 3.

A: This series of 39 titles was published by Altemus between 1899 and 1933. Your book looks like a Format 7 title. These books were published between 1906 and 1933.

For more information see: Shakespeare’s Plays

Most Altemus books were published in series form. Here is a Lucile by Owen Meredith. This book was part of a series but which series remains a mystery. No advertisement or catalogue listing shows a book with this format. Based on the title page which says: Henry Altemus Company we know that it was published in 1900 or later.

In order to properly determine the series, a boxed book or a dust jacket on a book will have to be found.

Three other titles have been seen in this format. For more information see http://www.henryaltemus.com/series/series-unknown11.htm

Q: I have a book of Alice in Wonderland and Through the Looking Glass. I’d like to know if this is a first or second publishing?

A: I cannot date your book exactly. But it is neither a first or second printing of this title.

Altemus published reprints of this title numerous times. The earliest were pre-1900 publications. Your book was published by Henry Altemus Company. Since Altemus incorporated in 1900, this volume is a post-1900 book.

The format appears to be from the Little Men and Women Series. This series was published between 1907-1925. The ads in the back of the book (if any) could help date your book more exactly.

For more information about the Altemus Alice’s see: http://henryaltemus.com/alice/alice.htm.

The dust jacket for this book is shown below.

Q: Hello, I purchased this book recently because of the beautiful cover and my love of Victorian literature. Could you tell me the publication date? Sesame and Lilies

A: Your book is part of the Petit Trianon Series and was published in 1906.

This format has been seen with four different flowers on the left side of the cover. It also originally came within a labeled box. See below for examples.

All the titles in this series are reprints.

Q: I bought “Poe’s Poems” in an antique store in Guthrie, Oklahoma for $6. I’ve searched the Internet for it and I cannot find it anywhere; whenever coming across your website, I entered the title and it said that nothing of the such was in the data base. There are also a total of 32 pages at the end of the book that lists others that were published by the Henry Altemus Company. In the front cover, as pictured, December 25th, 1910 has been written in – hopefully that gives insight into the general time it was published. If there’s a year and also probably a value on the book, I would love to know that information.

A: This book is part of the Petit Trianon Series. It was published in 1908-1909.

As with all the titles in this series, it is a reprint.

This format originally came within a labeled box. See below.

You paid fair value.

After Altemus stopped publishing books, it still produced blank books and did some printing with the Altemus & Co. name. Here is an envelope from 1937. As has been noted before, most of these blank books have no Altemus identifying features and therefore are very hard to locate.