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.

Poems We Love Series

Q:  I found this book (The Raven and Other Poems) on a website and would love to get an idea of when it was printed. I have attached a picture of it.

Thank you very much for your time!

A:  Hello,
It was published between 1912 and 1915 in the "Poems We Love" Series.

It originally came within a labeled box.

The $55 asking price is significantly more than this $10-20 book is worth.

Poems We Love Series

Q:  I have an older suede leather bound book titled A Child's Garden Of Verses. Can you tell me the year it was published and the approximate value? I have attached photos.

A:  Your book is part of the Poems We Love Series.

It was published between 1912 and 1915. Originally all of the books in this series came in a labeled box. An example is shown here.

This book only has nominal value.

Poems We Love Series

Q:  We have a very old small book (The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam) appearing to be published by your firm. A search found some information about the title as part of the Petit Trianon Series 143. But the cover does not match any of those in that series website. Here and in 2 following emails are photos of cover and title page and opposite page art. The cover feels like a soft suede.

Can you help with a year of publication please? (I did find a Q & A about possible value of the Petite version and it was indicated that the value was nominal.)

A:  Your book is part of the Poems We Love Series. See ../series/series146.htm

It was published between 1913 and 1915 and originally came in a labeled box.

Poems We Love Series

Q:  I have a important question to ask. My father gave me a book called "The Song of Hiawatha" by Henry Longfellow. The cover of the book is made of leather which is very frail and fragile. It has 219 pages with notes and vocabulary sections at the end. Inside the first pages is a drawing of "Minnehaha". It was published at The Henry Altemus Company. I was wondering if it could possibly be an original from 1855?

A:  Your book is part of the 10 book Poems We Love Series. It was published between 1912 and 1915. The covers have been seen in brown or green suede. The books originally came in a labeled box.

More information about your book can be found at ../series/series146.htm

It only has nominal value.

Poems We Love Series

Q:  The book, Thanatopsis and Other Poems, is in my possession and I would like more information on how much this book is worth. Please see picture attached. Thank you very much for your time and consideration.

A:  Your book can be found here-- Series 146

It is part of the Poems We Love Series. It originally came in a labeled box.

It has only nominal value.

Poems We Love

Q:  I have a small green leather-bound book copy of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam, published by Henry Altemus Co but without a publishing date. The leather green except around the edges where it is slightly worn, and turned brownish. The title letters are in gold and there is a gold lyre printed on the cover. The tops of the pages are beautifully gilt in gold and in marvelous condition. The pages have not been cut apart and so the outer edges of the pages are uneven. Is this a printer's proof? It seems unlikely it would have been gilt. More likely, it has just not been fully cut.
Any idea of its value? Any other information you could give me about this beautiful book? Date??

A:  I believe that you have a book from the 10 book series- Poems We Love Series (#146) published in 1912 and reprinted until 1915. The books are occasionally found without page separation. These volumes are seen frequently and although you never know what someone will pay for something, they have little collector value. The exception would be if you had the box that the book came in originally.

I am enclosing a picture of the book format which I think you are describing.

Popular Series of Popular Authors

Q:  I found this copy of Drummond's Addresses at a flea market and I have struggled to discern what series it is from your website. The inside says Philadelphia Henry Altemus 1893. Thank you so much!

A:  This book belongs to the seven title Popular Series of Popular Authors. All of the books were published in 1893 and are reprints. They originally came with dust jackets. See: http://henryaltemus.com/series/series150.htm

Popular Series of Famous Authors

Q:  I am interested in the value of this book. Twice Told Tales. Thank you.

A:  Your book is from Series 150 Popular Series of Famous Authors. This seven book series was published in 1893. All of the titles are reprints.

These books originally came within dust jackets.

Because the titles are reprints of a very reprinted title, they only are worth a few dollars each.

Popular Series of Famous Authors

Q:  Greetings,
I came across your website in a search for info about a book that has been passed down through my husband’s family. It is an edition of Drummond's Addresses, with 8 stories. Approximate measurement is 4-1/2 x 6 inches. A handwritten inscription reads "To Lizzie from Alice. Christmas 1893."

I've attached photos. Can you tell me anything about this book? I didn't see this particular cover on your website. Is there any resale value?

A:  This book belongs to the seven title Series #150 Popular Series of Famous Authors. This titles previously had been published as a non series book. This is the only Altemus series that uses this particular left sided cover decoration. These books originally had dust jackets.

For more information see: http://henryaltemus.com/series/series150.htm.

Popular Series of Famous Authors

Q:  I found this book in a thrift store. "The House of the Seven Gables" by Nathaniel Hawthorne. Published 1893. Could you tell me anything about it? Thank you.

A:  Your book is part of the "Popular Series of Famous Authors".

It is a late reprint and was published in 1893.

In this shape it has no monetary value.