Around the World in Eighty Minutes advertisement

In 1894 Altemus published “Around the World in Eighty Minutes”. Written by Wm. S. Walsh, it consisted of text opposite photographs of monuments or edifices. Pictures were from all over the world, thus the title.

The book came in two different formats. The illuminated paper covers book was priced at fifty cents while the Fine English cloth and silver book was one dollar. Of interest is the fact that two different hardcover books have been seen with fine English cloth while no example of the illuminated paper covered books has been discovered.

The two English cloth books differ from each other not only in the cover design but in the quality of their printing also. The book noted as “a” has thicker better quality paper as compared to the book designated as “b”. Thus the former book is significantly thicker and heavier. The book pictured in the ad is type “b”. Two cover colors have been seen.

This wonderful glossy advertising sheet which is 5.5 x 2.25 was found in an Altemus Library, Format 2 book.

As of this time three small leatherette titles have been seen in this format.
A Shropshire Lad
The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam
As a Man Thinketh

The books are 5.75″ x 3.75″. There is a small picture tipped in opposite of the title page. No ads are noted in the book.

No known Altemus series contains these three titles. I suspect these volumes came boxed and that the box will identify the series name.

Q: I have a copy of Autobiography of Benjamin Franklin see attachments.
The odd thing is the size of 6.25 X 4.25. Not the 6.50 X 4.25 that is prevalent.
There is not writing in the bottom space for the author, but this could because it is an autobiography.
An approximate date and is the size important?
Thank you for your time.

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

It can be dated by noting the ads in the back of the book and reviewing the dating summary on the series’ webpage.

I have several volumes that are of the slightly smaller size. The ads in these variants indicate a 1903 publication.

Q: What can you tell me about this book? Pathway of Promise

A: This book belongs to the long running publisher’s series: The Devotional Series.

During its 38 year run, titles were published in ten different formats.

This volume is from Format 5 and was published between 1898 and 1924. It was originally sold within a labeled box. See below.

For other format examples, see the web page.

Q: Hi, I tried to send from website but I could not. Can you help with information on this? I was so surprised to see your website and the amount of books. Through the Looking Glass

A: This book is a part of the Petit Trianon Series and was published in 1901-1902.

All of the titles in this series are reprints. Several formats of this style exist. On the right half of the cover one of 16 different flower pictures were used. On the left half the lady and her decoration are either in beige, pink or blue. The beige is the most common with the blue being quite scarce.

Originally the box was sold within a labeled box.

An advertising sheet announcing the new Caroline Wells’ Folly Book, Folly in the Forest has been found. The 7.125 x 3.25 inch flyer announces the Folly book on one side and Frederick Ober’s For Prey and Spoils on the verso.

The Folly Book was originally part of the two book Folly Series, Series 89. Later it was included in the Little Men and Women Series, Series 125 which was introduced in 1908.

The Ober book was at first part of Series 60, Boys and Girls Series of New Copyrights. Later it was also included in the Little Men and Women Series.

Both books are included in the bibliography’s main section of pictures. Both the books here were also published in 1902.

It is presumed that since the sheet announces the new publication of Folly in the Forest, that the advertisement dates from the 1901-1902 era. It is also presumed that there are many more of these flyers from this vintage not yet discovered.

1902 Advertising Flyer found
Within a Diplome L’Honneur Series book a one sheet advertising flyer has been discovered. This series was only published in 1902 and both books advertised on the flyer are also 1902 books.

As pictured below, on one side of the flyer is a picture of the frontispiece from the book Gypsy the Talking Dog by Tudor Jenks. The Jenks’ book was originally part of the two volume Jenks’ Talking Animal Series (Series 111). Later, beginning in 1908, it was part of the Little Men and Women Series (Series 125).

The other side of the flyer advertises Wings and Fetters by Florence Morse Kingsley. This book was part of The Boy’s and Girl’s Series of New Copyrights (Series 60) published in 1901-1902. Of interest is that the picture seen on the flyer does not appear in the book. This book has an illustration page which lists the four glossy pictures found within. None match the flyer’s picture. A puzzle to be sure.

The flyer is 7.25″ x 3.25″.

An advertising flyer for the Magic Wand Series (#129) has been discovered.

This 6 volume collection of books is very special. Tudor Jenks wrote the books and John R. Neill, the Oz illustrator, illustrated them. The Neill pictures have made these books very collectable and much more valuable than many other Altemus published fairy tale books. Of course, this is also true for the Neill illustrated books of the 6 volume Fairy Tale Series (#84) which was published in 1906.

The Magic Wand books are 6″ x 4.5″ and were published in only one format although some of the books have been seen with different cloth pictorial covers. Brown colored endpapers were noted (see below). The volumes were all priced at 50 cents.

From the Altemus catalogue: “These stories are bright, humorous, and especially clever in text and illustration. They are fresh examples of the author’s delicate flights of fancy.”

Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Altemus – Altemus published the works of numerous authors whose works they were not authorized to publish. For the most part these were books not covered by the copyright act. The Tale of Peter Rabbit by Beatrix Potter was probably the most well known of the Altemus unauthorized books. In fairness however, perhaps the most well known and popular books”pirated” were the 4 books of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle. These were published as part of the Printemps Series.

The Printemps Series was a 25 book series published in its entirety in 1895 and only 1895. The cloth multicolored cover was the same for all this series’ books. It is presumed it was jacketed with a jacket that matched the cover but this has not been verified.

Confirming the scarcity of these books is the fact that the classic bibliography of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle by Green and Gibson only mentions two of the four Doyle books published in the series (The Sign of the Four and Beyond the City). Omitted are A Case of Identity and Other Stories (shown here) and A Study in Scarlet.

These books are without illustrations and are 6.5″ x 4.5″.

A Printemps Series advertisement as well as the cover of a Doyle book are seen below.

Printemps Advertisement

Printemps Book

Q: I was hoping to find out some information about this book (The Legend of Sleepy Hollow). It looks like a Belles-lettres series but I am having trouble finding out much. Is there anything you can tell me about it? If the copyright date really is 1896, etc. thank you so much.

A: Your book is part of the Belle-Lettres Series.

This series of 31 books was published in 1896 and 1897. A number of different cover formats have been seen. See below.

Your book was first published by Altemus in 1896 but the Altemus printing is a late reprint. The first edition of this story appeared in 1820.