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.

Shakespeare's Plays

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

Shakespeare's Plays

Q:  Romeo and Juliet. The book is 4 1/4 by 5 1/5 192 pages in play form. I would like to know what it is worth and how many are in the series and the year it was published. It was a Valentines gift and I might want to add to the series. Thank you.

A:  There were 39 plays included in this set which was published between 1899 and 1933. These little books were published in eight different formats and could be purchased in a boxed set as well as individually. The individual volumes had dust jackets. In order to know when your book was printed, I would need more information.

You can determine its date by checking here: Shakespeare's Plays

These books are very common and rarely sell for more than a couple of dollars each.

Shakespeare's Plays

Q:  Hello, A while back I purchased about a dozen of these small books, all of them the works of Shakespeare. This is one of them. Will you be able to tell me how much they are worth approximately or at least a range depending on the quality of each book? They are all in pretty good shape, but not mint. I do not know what year they were published. A woman wrote her name in them with the year 1906 written next to her name. Please find attached four photos of the book.

A:  This book belongs to Series 164 Shakespeare's Plays. These ubiquitous little books must have been some of Altemus' best sellers as I am frequently asked about them. There are 39 different titles in the group and some were sold within large boxed sets. See here.
These books were sold between 1899 and 1933 in as many as eight different formats. Your book appears to be from Format 5 or 7. You can figure this out by looking at the website and noting the subtle differences. (end papers, glossy title page, etc.)

Your book originally had a dust jacket. Shown here.
These books have little value and most often sell for a dollar or two apiece or go unsold altogether.

Shakespeare's Plays

Q:  My name is Jesse Roth and I am a volunteer at a bookstore in Bluffton, Ohio called Book Reviews. We received as a donation a set of 39 of William Shakespeare's Plays. Using your website, I have determined that our set is of the Format 7 variety, which was published from 1906-1933. I was wondering if you could tell me how to precisely date the set? Or is it that each book in the set was published within that range of dates? Also, they are used and in good condition, is there any way you could tell me how much they're worth?

A:  The Format 7 books were published continuously between 1906 and 1933. The title pages of the earlier format 7 books are red (later are black).

See Shakespeare's Plays for more information about this format. Originally all these volumes were all housed in a large box.

These books are very common. Most often when offered for sale, there are no bidders. A few dollars for each book would be reasonable. You might get a bit more if your books have dust jackets.

Examples of the dust jacket and the box are shown here.

Shakespeare's Plays

Q:  We picked up the following books at an antique auction from an estate and there were other books from 1800-1929, can you please tell us what we have? There are no dates anywhere, nor copyright info. Antony and Cleopatra. Thank you.

A:  You have a few books from this set: Shakespeare's Plays

There were 39 books in total. These titles were published in a number of formats. Your books were published in the 1906-1933 range.

They are incredibly common and have only nominal value.

Shakespeare's Plays

Q:  Hello. I was hoping you would be able to tell me a bit about some books I have. There are 3 and from what I gather based on your website, they are part of a collection of writings pub. by Altemus.

There is some water damage to one of the books and there is an inscription written on all three of the books by the owned and dated 1903.

A:  Henry Altemus published a 39 book series of Shakespeare's works beginning in 1899. The individual volumes are very common. The set initially came in a labeled box.

There were eight different formats during the publication history of the set.

Looking at your books it is clear they were published after 1900 since the imprint is Henry Altemus Company (and Altemus incorporated in 1900).

Beyond that the key distinguishing features for your books are whether the endpapers are plain or decorated and if the books are made of hard leather or limp leather.

The formats are clearly described at Shakespeare's Plays.

In regards to value, without the dust jackets or without a full a set in a box, the books only have nominal value.

Shakespeare's Plays

Q:  I have a set of Shakespeare, probably 20 or so mini books about 4 x 6 in a burgundy type cloth with a shield emblem on the cover.

There are no print dates. But each book is a work of Shakespeare. I found an exact copy on line on Ebay last evening. Taming of the Shrew they were asking $49 but really offered no information or origin (date or where printed) about the book. They are my grandparents and we are very interested to know about them. They are eldery late 80 and can't remember if their's or their parents. Any assistance is greatly appreciated. Thank you. i sent photo under separate email. thank you kindly.

A:  This series of 39 books is extremely common and the books only have nominal value. They are frequently listed for fairly high prices but seldom sell for more than a dollar or two a book.

Your books appear to have decorated end papers indicating that are pre-1905. They also were published by Henry Altemus Company telling us that they were published in 1900 or later. (Altemus incorporated in 1900). These book originally came with dust jackets.

For more information about this series see ../series/series164.htm.

Shakespeare's Plays Series

Q:  I have enclosed 2 pictures of the book in question (Julius Caesar). There is no ISBN or publishing date. I found you by looking up the publishing company. Any information you can give me about this book would be GREATLY appreciated.

A:  Your book is part of the 39 volume Shakespeare's Plays Series.
See ../series/series164.htm

This particular volume was published sometime after 1900. There is nothing that distinguishes a 1900 book from a later book.

The books of this series are very common. Frequently in lots of 10-30 they sell for less than a dollar a copy if they sell at all.

Shakepeare's Plays

Q:  I have a format 3 complete series of William Shakespeare published by your company. I have all 39 books in perfect condition. I think they have just been sitting on a shelf and never opened until I looked inside tonight the binding is crisp and has that new book feeling. Can you tell me if these are rare, any approx. value, and where I might sell them.

A:  This set is quite common although they are not usually seen in great shape like yours.

When sets sell, most often they bring no more than a few dollars per book.

If you have the original labeled box, they are worth a lot more.

See Shakepeare's Plays for more details.

Shakespeare's Plays

Q:  I was looking around the homepage but someone had done such a good job, I just couldn't find out information about the book I have. I bought my favorite play "Macbeth" (Half priced books) and when I got home a realized there is no information about it. As I learned it should be published around 1890's but that's all I know. It is different than others... the picture before the title page is different and the letters on the title page are black and red...
Title says:

Macbeth
by William Shakespeare
with The Historie of Macbeth
from Ralph Holinshed's chronicles of Scotland, 1577
Philadelphia Henry Altemus

There are no dates on the book. Has 192 pages. Thread binding.

I would be extremely happy if someone could help me out. And maybe let me know did I gain more than a great book.

A:  The Shakespeare's Plays Series included 33 books. It was published between 1899 and 1933. In 1899 the books listed Henry Altemus on the title page. Thereafter Henry Altemus Company was noted as the publisher. Thus, your book is an 1899 version. No real value but a nice book nonetheless.