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.

Young People's Library, Format 4

Q:  Ten days ago, I came across a Henry Altemus Company book without a publishing date and doing my usual daily research, I came across your website and was able to roughly match my book with an image of the cover of another book, thus giving me a nice estimate for a publishing year, around 1907.

Today's book, I'm afraid, has no date and I can find no matching cover style on your site so far. Fortunately, there is an inscription inside the front cover dated Christmas 1924, but I was hoping to match a cover style as well to make that a more concrete date, if possible.

The book is 'A Child's Garden of Verses' by Robert Louis Stevenson. I have attached my images of the day for the book and I apologize that there isn't a direct shot of the cover, but I think you might be able to get a general idea just the same. My question to you is, does this look like it could be from around 1924? Or do you perhaps recognize that style of cover as another particular year?

I don't expect much, but thought I would drop a line and check with you.

A:  Your book appears to be from the Young People's Library Format 4 (see: ../series/series202F4.htm) which was published for the first time in 1923. Thus based on the inscription in your picture the book probably is either a 1923 or 1924 book.

I looked at your slideshow. Very nice. If you have other questions regarding dating books, I can try to help. I have an extensive reference library for this sort of thing.

For dating issues the place to start is generally the title page.

Young People's Library-Format 1

Q:  Hello, I have a Gulliver's Travels published by Altemus, Philadelphia from the Altemus' Young People's Library, date of publication: "Copyright 1896 by Henry Altemus". The price printed on it is 50 cents. It has 55 illustrations. Could you kindly tell me what this book is worth approximately, if anything?

I've included a jpeg - it happens to be accompanied by my Dr. Dolittle book, which is not published by Altemus.
I appreciate your help.

A:  Your book which can be found here ../series/series202F1.htm is not uncommon. There is a flowchart on that page to help you determine which Altemus edition it is and when between 1896 and 1898 it was published.

Clearly your copy is in excellent shape. Unfortunately there is not a lot of interest in this edition. I would think $10-20 would be on the high side.

Of course, you never know when someone just has to have a certain book.

Young People's Library- Format 1

Q:  Hi, I recently found this book at a local Library book sale. I really liked the inlay and engravings etc, and with a copyright of 1895, I imagine it has it's own story. Not that it matters but I was curious that maybe it was worth something? I could not find it online, so I wondered what you make of it. Thank you.

A:  Your book is part of the Young People's Library- Format 1. You can find it shown here ../series/series202F1.htm as #5.

Although it is an early or first edition of this title (check the ads to see which), it is not in the best shape and has little collector interest.

Although sometimes I am quite surprised at the prices that certain books sell for, your book generally would only sell for a few dollars if it sells at all.

Young People's Library

Q:  I have a 1897 Black Beauty- The Autobiography of a Horse by Anna Sewell with Fifty illustrations. Copyright 1897 by Henry Altemus. Hard back book. Signed by a Harold Sliward in 1906. Printed by Altemus' Young People's Library. I wanted to find more information on it and when I looked on your website of the books you had I did not see this year nor the cover. I'm attaching pictures for you to see. If you have any info on this book I would surely appreciate it.

A:  Match the spine to your spine here: Young People's Library

Then you can date your book easily with the flowchart shown for dating. This book is shown in the data base.

Of course, your book is a post-1900. The copyright is different than the year published in this instance.

Young People's Library

Q:  I have three Altemus books, the first is an 1895 Through the Looking Glass and what Alice found there, from your information on the spine design, I believe it is a Format 1 second edition because it lists Gulliver's Travels in the box opposite the title page. It is slightly smaller than the following two Format 2 books.
The other two are Format 2 based on the spine design. Swiss Family Robinson dated 1896 and Arabian Nights dated 1897. Both have four pages of ads in the back with Grandfather's Chair being the last one listed. Arabian Nights has the green patterned endsheets with a girl sitting in the letter "A" while Swiss Family Robinson has plain endsheets.
I am wondering if I have understood your information correctly, and where I might go to learn of their value?

A:  The two Format 2 books were published between 1898 and 1902. You should be able to date them with the notes on the Format 2 page. They generally do not sell for much. That is, less than $15. Occasionally someone just has to have a book, but as a seller you cannot count on that.

The Through the Looking Glass book is a nice book. You have identified it perfectly. This book should bring in $25-75. Again luck plays a role if you put it on Ebay. What I mean is that I have seen it sell for more but also I have seen it not sell. Just cannot figure it. Remember that the Altemus book is a reprint with the first edition being published many years before.

Young People's Library

Q:  My friend was in an antique store and found this 1895 edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland, published by Henry Altemus. It is priced at $150. The internet has conflicting prices and information. The book is in good condition. Would you mind letting me know if this price is reasonable or what your thoughts are. Thanks

A:  $150 is high. First you have to figure out which edition it is. Take a look here to determine when it was published between 1895-1898.
../series/series202F1.htm

The true Altemus first is worth more than later copies.

The prices for this book as well as the later Young People's Library reprints are hard to figure. What I mean is that the later Alice's in the Young People's Library. ( See ../series/series202F2.htm and ../series/series202F3.htm frequently are promoted as earlier and rarer than they are and unknowing buyers will pay $50-100 for a copy. This is despite the fact that not only are they buying a misdescribed book but they are buying a very, very common book.

Getting back to your book. The condition is not great so even if it is the 1895 edition, it is not worth the money. Maybe $50-75 if you just have to have it. If not, you can be patient and pick up a better copy for $25-50.

Young People's Library (Format 1)

Q:  Can you tell me what the age of this book is (Through the Looking Glass)?

A:  This book was published between 1895 and 1898.

To determine which year it was published in you can refer to the small chart that can be seen at: Young People's Library (Format 1)

Let me know if you have any other questions.

Young People's Library Format 4

Q:  I recently purchased an antique copy of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland on ebay.. And looking at the cover i realized i have never see that style before.. So i googled different cover styles and i came across your site where you mention all the different errors ebay sellers make. And i noticed what you said made their description was completely wrong about the printing date.. I'm going to post you a picture of the book and paste the info the ebay seller had put about it.. I wanted to know if you have ever seen this cover before? Because I can't find it anywhere...

A:  I had seen this book on Ebay. You can find your cover here (Book #2 Variant): Series 202 Format 4

It is a nice "Alice" book just not a very early one. It is quite easy to see that the date is way off by looking at all the ads in the back. You will see a number of books listed there which were published for the first time in the 1920's.

Even with the dust jacket this book generally does not command this dollar amount.

Unfortunately many sellers see the copyright date and mistake it for the publication date.

The most common of all the Altemus "Alice's" can be found in the Young People's Library. There is seldom a time on Ebay where several of them are being auctioned.

See Young People's Library.

Young People's Library Format 2

Q:  I have a friend who has a first edition of Lives of the Presidents copyright 1899. Any idea what it might be worth?

A:  Your friend's book is not the first edition of this title. The first edition can be seen here as book #13.
Young People's Library Format 1

As you can see the cover looks quite different.

Your book is pictured here: Young People's Library Format 2

The book you sent is a format 2 book whereas the earlier book is a format 1 book.

Without the dust jacket it has nominal value.

Young People's Library-Format 1

Q:  Hi. Is this an original 1895 First edition? Thank you.

A:  I cannot see the pictures on the side very well.

The 1895 book has 1895 on the title page and the ads opposite only go to Through the Looking Glass.

See Young People's Library-Format 1 for dating your book.

A. 1895 (early) Title page 1895 with front ads to Through the Looking-Glass
B. 1895 (late) Title page 1895 with front ads to Gulliver's Travels
C. 1896 Title page 1896 and/or with front ads to Grimm's Fairy Tales
D. 1897 (early) Front ads to Grimm's Fairy Tales/ back ads to Black Beauty
E. 1897 Front ads to Black Beauty/ back ads to Black Beauty
E. 1897 (late)/Early 1898 Front ads to Flower Fables

The 1895 book sells anywhere from $0-100.

Yours is not in the best shape however so it is hard to know what price it might bring.