Henry Altemus Company

Young People's Library

Ebay description:  GRIMM'S FAIRY TALES ~ ORIGINAL DUST JACKET ~ 1898

1st Edition
Printing Year: 1898

The Reality:  As the prices rocket up in Ebay bidding on this item, I wonder why no one bothers to do any research. First it is obviously not a first edition because that was published in the 1820s. Second, it is not even an Altemus first thus. The Henry Altemus Company on the title page (not shown here) as well as the jacket dates it after 1900. The titles on the back of the jacket are typical of a post-1911 Young People's Library Series book. It was in 1911 that the Abbott books were dropped from the series. The spine reveals that this is a format 3 Young People's Library book -1902 or later. I suspect that the ads in the back of the book also are post 1910 ads. Some unsuspecting bidder will end up with a nice book but perhaps not what he thinks it is. But since the seller has shown numerous pictures it is an example of "a fool and his money".

Valenciennes Series

Ebay description:  4 Rare Books Over 100 Yrs Old -
Tales From Shakspeare

I believe that this book is an incredible 143 year old book. Authors are Charles and Mary Lamb. The publishers are Henry Altemus Philadelphia. There is 368 pages. Hardcover book with green cloth like covering, silver lettering on spine and flowers, outline lines on front and back in silver also. The size is 4" X 6".

The Reality:  This series of reprints was published in 1897 and 1898. This book is from 1897. Henry Altemus was not publishing any books for reading in 1864. In fact that was only the second year that Altemus & Company had published anything on their own imprint and that was photographic albums. Where the seller came up with this date is unclear.

Esperance Series

Ebay description:  Old Christmas, by Washington Irving, dated 1896-Classic

Old Christmas. Philadelphia. Henry Altemus Company, 1896. First Edition dark green felt cloth cover embossed with Leaves and the title & authors names embossed in gold. 64 pages; book measures aprox. 6” x 4”. ... Considering that this book has been in use for 111 years, I think this is minimal wear!

This book was listed for sale on an antique book website for $275.00, I will sell at a starting bid of $40.00

The Reality:  This book is part of the Esperance Series which began publication in 1905. See -- http://henryaltemus.com/series/series79.htm.
The post-1900 publication date is obvious because of the Henry Altemus Company imprint. This book was published a number of times by Altemus before this Altemus printing. A first edition, clearly not.

Even if this book had the original box, the value would be nowhere near $275 or even $40. The buyer who pays north of $40 for this book hopefully will also be interested in some magic beans I have growing in my backyard.

Wee Books for Wee Folks

Ebay description:  Little Black Sambo 1st Altemus Edition in D/J c.1920s

Little Black Sambo. Altemus' Wee Books for Wee Folks. No author. With Twenty-seven Illustrations. Philadelphia: Henry Altemus Company, n.d. (circa 1920s). Tall 32mo., 63 pp., color illustrated dust jacket, purple illustrated paper over boards, red cloth spine, color illustrated pastedown on front cover matches the dust jacket, illustrated endpapers, 27 full-page color illustrations within.

The Reality:  The first Altemus Little Black Sambo was published in 1918 and had yellow lettering. See below. It is unclear to me how a book published at an unknown ("circa 1920s") date can be described as a first edition. Clearly the seller has no information whether this is a first or not.

Peter Rabbit Series

Ebay description:  PETER RABBIT'S CHRISTMAS-1917-DUFF GRAHAM-ALTEMUS CO.
RARE PIRATED AMERICAN EDITION OF POTTER'S WORK

PETER RABBIT'S CHRISTMAS
BY DUFF GRAHAM
PART OF THE ALTEMUS' PETER RABBIT SERIES
COPYRIGHT 1917 BY HOWARD E. ALTEMUS; PRINTED IN UNITED STATES

PIRATED AMERICAN EDITION OF BEATRIX POTTER'S WORKS....ILLUSTRATIONS NOT POTTERS.

LAST 5 PAGES (NOT PART OF 63 PAGES) ADVERTISING FOR "WEE BOOKS FOR WEE FOLKS" SERIES BY ALTEMUS

Special Attributes:
1st Edition
Printing Year: 1917

The Reality:  The true first edition of this book had red lettering (see picture below). Also the end papers were blank until 1921. This green/grey pattern was not used until 1926. If there were 5 pages of advertising for Wee Books in the back of the book, it should be relatively easy to date this book exactly. Why guess about the edition of the book when it is so easy to do a modicum of research and date the book exactly.

Beauxarts Series

Ebay description:  1898 THE SONG OF HIAWATHA by LONGFELLOW 1st Ed.

THE SONG OF HIAWATHA
by H. W. LONGFELLOW

Copyright 1898 Henry Altemus 1st Edition!!!

The Reality:  The first American edition of this book was published by Ticknor and Fields in 1855. Henry Altemus published this title as a reprint numerous times. In 1898 it was published as part of the Beauxarts and the Vademecum (#179) Series. The Beauxarts book is shown here.

Vademecum Series

Ebay description:  The Ethics of the Dust by John Ruskin 1894 1st edition

The Reality:  Although the seller is correct about the date of publication, he is wrong about the first edition status. The first American was published in 1866 by John Wiley. Henry Altemus published numerous great works of fiction, nonfiction, poetry, essays etc. in their publisher's series but virtually all of them were reprints.

Young People's Library - Format 3

Ebay description:  1897 Alice's Adventures in Wonderland Altemus Library
Considered collectible, this 1897 edition from the Altemus' Young People's Library

The Reality:  This book is part of the Young People's Library - format 3 which was published from 1902- 1920s. The spine which can just be seen in this picture is typical for that format and not the earlier formats. See - http://henryaltemus.com/series/series202F2.htm This book is incredibly common and can be found in better shape quite easily.

Young People's Library - Format 3

Ebay description:  Lewis CARROLL 1897 Alice Looking Glass

Title: Through The Looking Glass And What Alice Found There
Author: Lewis Carroll
Publisher: Printed in Philadelphia: Henry Altemus and Co in 1897 as stated on title page.

50 ILLUSTRATIONS including 4 color.

Description: Great Early Vintage Edition!! A must have copy of this treasured story. Pictorial cover of Twiddle Dee and Twiddle Dumb with many illustrations including 4 color ones. Sure to delight any Alice In Wonderland Fan!!

We sell Authentic Antiquarian Books That Are Sure To Become Heirlooms In Your Family. All Of Our Books Are Genuine From Time Period Stated In Auction. They Are Not Reproductions! All Of Our Fine Bindings Come With A Certificate Of Authenticity UPON REQUEST.

The Reality:  Once again someone mistakenly dates an Altemus book without realizing two key facts. Prior to 1900 the title page stated Henry Altemus not Henry Altemus Company as the publisher. Once Henry Altemus incorporated in 1900 all the title pages added Company to the Henry Altemus name. Also remember that in certain series-(the Young People's Library was one of them) Altemus used their original date of publication on the title page.

This book is from the 3rd format (as clearly seen by the characteristic spine) of this series and was not published before 1902. The exact dating could be determined by analyzing the ads.

A certificate of authenticity offered by this seller probably will not change the publication of this book to 1897.

Young People's Library

Ebay description:  BATTLES of the CIVIL WAR FOR THE UNION- 1st Ed H/B 1879
80 DRAWINGS OF MEN & BATTLE SITES, NO RESERVE

THE BATTLES of the WAR FOR THE UNION, by Prescott Holmes, published by Henry Altemus Co., Philadelphia, 1897, a first edition. Altemus Young People’s Library. The story of the Great Civil War, from the election of Abraham Lincoln to the Surrender at Appomattox, impartially told. Hard cover with 80 illustrations, 338 pages plus 16pp of a catalog of Altemus titles.

The Reality:  This book is a format 3 Young People's Library book published in 1902 or later. Without seeing the ads in the back of the book I cannot be certain when between 1902 and the teens it was published. The first Altemus edition of this book was published in 1897 as part of Series #120- The Library of Standard Authors. The format of that book is seen below.

As is frequently the case, the seller not only does not appreciate that Altemus did not publish any reading books earlier than 1890 but he/she also did not realize that the Henry Altemus Company on the title page indicates a post-1900 book.