Henry Altemus Company

Young People's Library

Ebay description:  1897 ALICE in WONDERLAND & LOOKING GLASS, ALTEMUS FIRST
MATCHED PAIR FIRST PRINTINGS, 4 COLOR PLATES

CARROLL'S CLASSICS, in Two Volumes, Published by Altemus (Philadelphia), both with Publication date of 1897 on Two Color Title Page. Hardcovers, 5" x 7", Complete in 183pp & 211p respectively inches. In Color Illustrated Cloth Bindings. BOTH FIRST ALTEMUS PRINTINGS, with All 4 Color Plates (Later Printings have on the Color Frontis)!

The Reality:  Over and over again novice booksellers (although this is a bookseller who claims not be a novice) claim that these Carroll Altemus editions are the first Altemus did.
These are later Altemus reprints. First note the title page. It clearly says Henry Altemus Company. Thus, these books were published after Henry Altemus incorporated which dates them at 1900 or later. The seller does not provide us with the back of the book ads which list many post-1897 books. Also appreciate that Altemus first published these titles in 1895 as part of the first format of the Young People's Library. These books are pictured below.

Holly Tree Series

Ebay description:  A MODERN CINDERELLA BY LOUISA ALCOTT 1904 FIRST EDITION

The Reality:  This is the second format of this book. Below is a picture of the actual first edition. For more information about this series see: http://henryaltemus.com/series/series105.htm
The $100 opening bid price is somewhat north of outrageous.

Standard 12 mos.

Ebay description:  TALES FROM SHAKESPEARE CHARLES LAMB 1895 HC 1ST EDIT ?

THIS AUCTION IS FOR ONE BOOK TITLED ~ TALES FROM SHAKESPEARE BY CHARLES AND MARY LAMB WITH ONE HUNDRED AND FIFTY-FIVE ILLUSTRATIONS. HENRY ALTEMUS 1895. COPYRIGHTED 1895 BY HENRY ALTEMUS. BELIEVE THIS IS A FIRST EDITION SINCE THE SAME DATE IS ON THE TITLE PAGE AND COPYRIGHT PAGE.

The Reality:  This 1895 edition is not even the first Altemus publication of this title. Altemus first published this title in 1892 as part of the Altemus Library (Series #37). See below:

Charles Lamb died in 1834 and his book was published by numerous publishers before 1892.

Young People's Library - Format 3

Ebay description:  SINBAD Aladdin ALI BABA Horse ARABIA 1st Ed 1899 xRARE

Henry Altemus Comany, Philadelphia [PA - USA]
1899
Special Attributes: 1st Edition

The Reality:  Not a first edition or even the first Altemus publication. This book is from the third format of the Young People's Library. This format was first published in 1902. See: http://henryaltemus.com/series/series202F3.htm
This title was first published by Altemus in 1897 in the first format of this series. This picture is shown below:
The Arabian Nights was published numerous times by multiple other publishers prior to the earliest Altemus printing.

Automobile Girls Series

Ebay description:  RARE Laura Dent Crane " Automobile Girls At Wash. "1913

Description
Special Attributes: 1st Edition
Printing Year: 1913

Full title:" The Automobile Girls At Washingtong Or Checkmating The Plots Of Foreign Spies " by Laura Dent Crane. Henry Altemus Company 1913. First Edition I believe. Illustrated with one plate illustration with caption opposite the title page. Nice color plate illustration by Walt Hayn on the front cover. 253 pages not counting 16 pages of ads for other Altemus series books at the end. Scarce book. One in the "Automobile Girls" series. I don't know if it was issued with a dustjacket or not.

The Reality:  The applique (paste-on) covers were not used on Altemus series books until 1926. All series books came jacketed. So, clearly not a first edition. This book has been seen in three formats and this book is part of the third and last format. The dust jacket format (which matches the book cover) is shown here. For more information see: http://henryaltemus.com/series/series3.htm

Stories We Love Series

Ebay description:  OLD COLLECTOR'S THE SKETCH BOOK WASHINGTON IRVING 1848

UP FOR BID IS THIS WONDERFUL OLD LEATHER BOUND EDITION OF "THE SKETCH BOOK" BY WASHINGTON IRVING. THIS IS THE 1848 REVISED EDITION, PUBLISHED BY THE HENRY ALTEMUS COMPANY. HE TELLS OF HIS DIFFICULTIES IN GETTING THIS VOLUME PUBLISHED IN ENGLAND IN "THE PREFACE TO THE REVISED EDITION". AFTER TELLING OF HIS MANY SET BACKS HE INLISTS THE HELP OF SIR WALTER SCOTT TO GET HIS BOOK PUBLISHED. THE VOLUME HAS 33 OF HIS BEST STORIES INCLUDING "RIP VAN WINKLE".

The Reality:  This book is from the 10 volume Stories We Love Series published between 1912-1916. I suspect that this seller is using the date from the preface to date his book. This is an unfortunately common mistake. Many novice book sellers do not realize that the reprint publishers like Altemus reprinted the books in totality- including the early prefaces to the original editions. So they see a dated preface and assume that that is the date of their book's publication.

Dainty Series

Ebay description:  YOUNG ROBIN HOOD G. MANVILLE FINN, ILLUSTRATED c.1900

This childrens book, Young Robin Hood, appears to be a first printing copyright of 1900. Published by Henry Altemus Co. and written by G. Manville Fenn. This 104 year old book measures 8 3/8 inches by 6 3/8 inches.

The Reality:  The book that is being sold here with the illuminated pictorial picture of the little boy is really from the third format of this series published between 1903 and 1905. The floral decorated books were the earliest Dainty Series books published between 1899-1902. See: http://henryaltemus.com/series/series74.htm

Vademecum Series

Ebay description:  Old Christmas [From the Sketch Book of Washington Irving]
Irving, Washington

Book Description: Henry Altemus Company, Philadelphia, 1880. Binding is Hard Cover. Undated, ca. 1880. Christmas excerpt from Washington's Sketch Book, illustrated with small engravings throughout,

The Reality:  This is a 1900 published book. Regardless if you can identify the cover or not, the fact that Henry Altemus Company published this book makes it a 1900 or later printed volume. (The book pictured is not the book advertised although the cover and date are the same. This cover was substituted for the seller's book cover for the sake of clarity.)

High School Girls Series

Ebay description:  Grace Harlowe's Plebe Year @ High School W/DJ CR 1910

Grace Harlowe's Plebe Year at High School W/ DJ or The Merry Doings of the Oakdale Freshmen Girls by Jessie Graham Flower, Illustrated. Published by Henry Altemus Co. CR 1910 I think this is a First Edition.

Special Attributes: 1st Edition

Printing Year: 1910

The Reality:  Just from looking at the dust jacket it can be determined that this book is a later reprint and not a first edition.

The white coated jackets replaced the brown uncoated jackets in 1914. In addition the first jacket had a different illustration.
See: http://henryaltemus.com/series/series19.htm

Holly Tree Series

Ebay description:  1904 HC THE RULE OF THREE Susan Coolidge Embossed Cover

Special Attributes: 1st Edition
Printing Year: 1904

Here is a vintage hard cover book entitled "THE RULE OF THREE" by Susan Coolidge. The book has illustrations by Joseph Johnson Ray, tan cloth boards with and a beautiful color illustrated cover, 3 ladies walking perhaps from a school with red flowers on either side with gilt design. The hard cover book has a beautiful frontspiece (see picture #2) and many black & white illustrations throughout the book.

The Reality:  The seller's book is not a first edition. This book is a second format printing of this title published after 1909. The first format is shown here. For more information on this series see: http://henryaltemus.com/series/series105.htm