Q: I came across a early copy of “The Legend Of Sleepy Hollow” and was hoping you could provide some insight as to the edition and year published. If possible, could you also render an opinion on the value? Thanks for your assistance.

A: Your book is part of the Love and Friendship Series. It is part of Format 2. The exact date of publication is not known but the range is between 1902 and around 1905.

This book originally came with a dust jacket. (A sample is shown below.) The format 2 books have been seen with two different colors on the left side of the cover. The right side has one of sixteen different flower pictures.

Your book is a reprint, has little collector interest and will be hard to sell at any price.

Q: Can you identify the year of publication? Is it worth anything? They are In Memoriam by Tennyson, The Princess and Maud also by Tennyson and Bab Ballads and Savoy Songs by Gilbert.
Thank you for your help.

A: Your books are part of the Vademecum Series and were published in 1898. They are all reprints.

They only have nominal value.

Today I am adding a new book cover picture to the Holly Tree Series. This picture is a Format 2- #5 (Later edition).

Here is a brief review of this series’ formats.

All twelve books were published by Altemus in 1904. There are two different formats.

The first format has been seen in a number of different cover colors. These books have a centrally placed illustrated paste-on and one of four flowers as appliqués on each side of the cover. A representative dust jacket is shown. This format was published between 1904 and 1908.

Format 1

The second format has a line drawn illustration on the front cover with a matching dust jacket. Illustrated endpapers (between 1909 and 1910) drawn by J. R. Neill. Note that the later books has plain endpapers. Also the earlier cover has more coloring than the later book.

Earlier Format 2	Later Format 2

For more details about this series see: Holly Tree Series

Q: I just received this copy of Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland by Louis Carroll and I am struggling to find any clues to the origins I’d this book (such as the age, series, or worth) and I was hoping you could give me some insight, I saw a copy of Black Beauty on Amazon with the same hard cover but neither have a dust cover so although I know is published by Altemus I don’t know which copy this is.

A: Your book is part of the Sanspareil Series and was published in 1899. It originally came with a dust jacket.

During this year, a number of different color covers were published. Some of these in addition to a representative dust jacket picture are shown here.

There are quite a few “Alice” collectors. The Altemus Alice books that have a picture on the cover seem to sell for much higher prices than the publisher’s series Alice’s. Thus, unless you find a collector that just has to have this format, your book will probably not sell for very much.

Q: I have attached an image of the book that I have in my possession published by Henry Altemus, Philadelphia. The bookplate from the original owner has the date of 1898 in it, and I have been unable to see another copy with this binding. I was wondering if you could give me anymore information on it. Thank you.

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

It is a reprint as are all the books in this series. It only has nominal value.

The books of this series were published in a number of color combinations during this year. See below for some examples.

This 16 book series was first published in 1915. The books are similar to the same titles which are in the Young People’s Library, Format 3 except that they are larger and the front cover has a horizontal decorative pattern at the bottom. Also each book has four full color illustrated plates. These books were published with dust jackets. See Ever New Books for Young People

The books in this series are quite scarce. Today I am adding a new cover picture to the database.

Q: Is this book worth anything? The Queen of the Air

A: Your book is part of the Vademecum Series and was published in 1904. This title is a reprint as are all of the titles in this series. Originally this volume came with a labeled box. A representative box is shown below.

These 1904 books have been seen in numerous colors. There are four different flower pictures that were used for the paste-on strips on the front cover.

Unless the title is one that is collectable, the books generally only have nominal value.

Q: What year is this book (A Christmas Carol) really? Is it a reprint? What is its worth? Thank you

A: Yes, it is a reprint. This format was published between 1900 and 1906. It originally came with a labeled box. The first American edition of the Christmas Carol was published in 1844.

Your book is part of the Boys and Girls Classics Series. On the website there is an explanation of how to date your book more precisely -using the ads in the back of the book.

This 320 page is 7.5″ x 5.25″. This title was added to the Little Men and Women Series in 1910. There are four full page black and white line drawn illustrations by Herbert Pullinger. The non series version of this book cost $1.00.

The earliest book is distinguished from the later books by the white cover lettering and no ads in the back. The later books have red lettering.

After the earliest book was published but before this title was added to the Little Men and Women Series, there is a format with red lettering but no ads in the back.

Earliest non series book		Later non series edition

See also Non Series #26

Altemus published Bibles for other firms. Here is an example of a Bible that Altemus published for this Cleveland firm. The cover is shown above as B43. It is not dated but appears to have been published in the mid-1890’s.

This Bible contains:
Old and New Testament
Dore illustrations
Marriage Certificate and Family Registration
Revised Verson Appended
Apocrypha
Smith’s Dictionary
Dictionary of names

Chas. W. and Harris B. Burrows opened their book and stationery store in November, 1872. Charles was a West Point graduate and had previously worked with the Boston publisher Lee and Shepard.

Their publishing business began by 1875. Burrows incorporated in 1886 and absorbed the business of a competitor, E. L. Schinkel, formerly of Brooks, Schinkel and Company. The brothers sold out in 1912. The publishing business was discontinued at that time.