Henry Altemus Company

Salesman Sample Series 180 Vademecum Series 1903

Here is an extremely rare item from the Henry Altemus Company. Whether this was a salesman sample of covers or some sort of marketing aid is unknown. My guess is that this piece was used to show store owners the variety of covers that Altemus books could be found with and how this variety could help sales.

Between 1901 and 1907 some of the Altemus' Vademecum Series' books had appliqué covers with European paintings. More than 40 different ones have been seen. In most instance several different cover pictures could be put together to form a larger illustration. See: http://www.henryaltemus.com/vademecum.htm

The cover templates below were from books published in 1903. Very interesting is that the title: "Allegories of the Heart" which is on the fourth cover from the left was never published by Altemus.

I have seen one similar item over the years. That item has three of the six 1904 Wee Books for Wee Folk's Series' covers.

Altemus envelope

After Altemus stopped publishing books, it still produced blank books and did some printing with the Altemus & Co. name. Here is an envelope from 1937. As has been noted before, most of these blank books have no Altemus identifying features and therefore are very hard to locate.

Series #1-34 Juvenile Series Ad 1912

This accordion advertising flyer has eight panels per side making it the largest of its type that I have seen. It is from 1912. It noted a number of 1912 books but no 1913 publications.

The first two titles in the Range and Grange as well as the Boys of Steel series are listed. They are all 1912 volumes. The third and fourth books in these series are not mentioned. The first two books in the Young Engineers Series are advertised but the 1913 third title in the series is not.

Side 1

Verso

Arkansaw Bear Series

This two page flyer advertises The Arkansaw Bear by Albert Bigelow Paine. It is 6.25" x 3.5". It advertises book #1 in the series. The pamphlet has a number of illustrations by Frank Ver Beck. These pictures are all in the book.

This advertising piece was probably published 1902-1910 time frame.

Unknown format- 1890's Advertising Flyer

Here is a one sided advertising piece for Natural Law in the Spiritual World. This little flyer is 6" x 3.5".

There is no evidence that this title was published as a non series book.

Based on the address and general look of the flyer, it was published in the 1890-1894 era.

In this time frame Natural Law in the Spiritual World appeared in three series:

Altemus Library
Fairmount Series
Laurel Series

The books in these series did not cost 50 cents and were not "maroon and white" as per the flyer.

Thus, a mystery.

Non Series #124 Advertising Flyer

This one page, one sided flyer advertises two different The Scarlet Letter formats which were published in 1892. Thus, I believe this flyer was printed in 1892 also.

The book pictured on the flyer has an identical format to an 1891 Addresses by Drummond book. It is unclear whether these books belong in a series.

This little flyer is 6" x 3.5".

Pilgrim Publishing Company, Philadelphia (Bunyan's Pilgrim's Progress)- Salesman Sample Book

Here is the Altemus Edition of this title which was published for the Pilgrim Publishing Company. This book appears to be a salesman's sample since the red cover is pasted onto a blank cloth cover and it only contains some of the 266 pages of the original book.

The advertisement in the back notes the regular price and the price to subscribers. Unfortunately no other evidence regarding this as a salesman's sample is present.

Based on the copyright page, this volume is an early Format 2 edition and was published in the early 1890's. (See: http://www.henryaltemus.com/images/NS_28.htm)

This is the second copy of this title that I have now seen that Altemus published for another company. (See: http://www.henryaltemus.com/publications/HACMisc.htm)

Salesman Dummy Book Dore's Masterpieces

This sample book is from the early 1890's. The door to door publisher's representative would show this book to prospective buyers. This book highlights Format 1 of the Dore's Masterpieces Series.

This is the second Salesman Sample book of this series that I have seen. This book differs a bit from the other one. Its condition is not quite as good and I think two of the covers that would have been part of the book may have been removed.

The external covers have Milton's Paradise Lost and Dante's Inferno. Note that the other sample book has these two covers internally. Milton's Paradise Lost was bound upside down. The covers are 12" x 9.75".

Inside the front cover are three sample spines.

Within the book are excerpts from Dore's Bible Gallery, Dante's Inferno, and Milton's Paradise Lost. Interestingly a one page flyer advertising Paradise Lost is tipped in at the first page of its excerpt.

In the back are a number of pages of customers who had ordered one ofthese books. The addresses are all in the northern California area (Sacramento, Stockton, etc.)

Altemus Correspondence

Here is a 1927 letter from the Henry Altemus Company to an unknown Book Review Editor touting the greatness of the Wages of Peril written by Jack Bechdolt. The letter summarizes the plot of the book.

There is a note on the bottom of the letter which says " Did not review".

Altemus Bindery

Women of the Old and New Testament Published by D. Appleton & Company 1850

Interesting that this 1850 title has been seen with two different bindings. The bindery identifier is noted on the bottom right of an endpaper: "Altemus Binder Philade"

I am not familiar with any other title that had two different Altemus bindings in one year.