Henry Altemus Company

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.

Wee Books for Wee Folks Series (Peter Rabbit)

Ebay description:  Potter, Beatrix. The Tale of Peter Rabbit. Philadelphia: Henry Altemus Co., 1904. FIRST PIRATED AMERICAN EDITION. Green cloth with front cover illustration in blue, navy, white and red and spine lettered in red. 123 pages. The very first of the endless series of Peter Rabbit pirate editions in the US, allowed because of Warne's failure to secure copyright, possibly the most expensive copyright error in history. With 31 full page color illustrations. A very hard to find edition.

The Reality:  This is really the second pirated American edition published by Altemus. Not especially rare. The first edition is much more uncommon. This mistake is made frequently. The problem is that Altemus never removed the original publication date from the bottom of the title page. Thus all the Peter Rabbit books published for years after the first edition look as if they are first editions. The true first which has the half vellum and picture in the oval is pictured here. By the way, the books are identical except for the covers.

Wee Books for Wee Folks Series

Ebay description:  1900s LITTLE BLACK SAMBO, FIRST PIRATED U.S. EDITION
FIRST ALTEMUS "WEE BOOK" PRINTING PRE-1910, VERY SCARCE

FIRST EDITION of the ALTEMUS Original "WEE BOOKS For WEE FOLKS" Title!!

This is indeed the ORIGINAL FIRST EDITION, undated but Published Ca. 1910 as the First American Pirated Edition that Attributed the Story to Helen Bannerman and used all of her Original Illustrations !!

Rare First Printing, with Plain endpapers (Later Printings had illustrated ennd papers).

It was this Edition that prompted Frederick A. Stokes --the Original American Publisher-- to place the phrase "Only Authorized American Edition" in their Third Edition in 1910 (Red Cloth with Full Front Paste-on)!

The Reality:  This book was published between 1918 and 1921. Thus, unless Stokes had a time machine, its 1910 edition had nothing to do with this book.
It was not until 1918 that Altemus changed the format of the Wee Folks Series such that the books had the applique (paste-on) covers. Between 1918-1921 the end papers were blank and the lettering on the front cover was yellow.

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.

Wee Books for Wee Folks (third format)

Ebay description:  **RARE ORIGINAL 102 YEARS OLD "THE FOOLISH FOX" BOOK**
....... VERY OLD RARE BOOK. COPYRIGHT 1904 BY HENRY ALTEMUS. T........SINCE IT IS 102 YEARS OLD. ....... THIS PARTICULAR BOOK SELLS FOR OVER $125. 00 ON THE INTERNET.

The Reality:  This book was published after 1920 as a third format in the Wee Books for Wee Folks Series. I have substituted a picture of my copy with their copy because the condition of their book was so poor.

The fact that this book is listed on the internet (ABE) for $125 is not really very relevant to its value. A listing price should not be confused with a "selling" price. Actually listings for this book on ABE range from $4.00 to $125. with the actual value based on a history of selling prices closer to $10-15. Anyone can list any book for any price on the internet.

Wee Books for Wee Folks

Ebay description:  Up for auction is a 1904 copy of the Three Little Pigs by Henry Altemus.
A lovely classic. This is a 1904 edition of the Three Little Pigs. There is also another story included in the book, Brave Little Taylor.

The Reality:  This is the third format of this book- not published with the paste-on cover until 1918.
From 1918-1920 the cover lettering was dark yellow. This lettering began in 1921. Thus, the earliest that this book could have been published was in 1921.

Wee Books for Wee Folks

Ebay description:  1904 ALTEMUS WEE BOOK, FOOLISH FOX, JOHN R. NEILL (OZ) FIRST ALTEMUS EDITION, ALL 22 J. R. NEILL COLOR PLATES!

The Reality:  This is not the 1904 printing of the Foolish Fox which was actually the first edition. Although this book's copyright was 1904, this book is actually a third format book of the Wee Books for Wee Folks Series. The third format began publication in 1918. The dark lettering on the cover did not start until 1921. Thus, this book is at its earliest a 1921 book. The other two formats are quite different. See bibliography.

Wee Folks Peter Rabbit Series

Ebay description:  All three of the books this seller has listed come from the Wee Folks Peter Rabbit Series.
1. The first he lists is The Tale of Peter Rabbit. He notes the print year as 1904-first edition thus.
2. Here is his second Peter Rabbit book. He claims again a 1917 print date and first edition thus.
3. Peter Rabbit and the Little Boy

The Reality:  1. Now what about that term- “First edition thus". Here is the definition:
First thus. First revised edition by the original publisher or the first printing by a different publisher. Note that the revision indicating a first thus state might consist of altered content in the text itself or an accompanying change such as a new introduction. A first thus may also be the first printing in paperback form, whether published by the same publisher or not. (http://www.bookologist.com/cab/abu/y203/m07/bk0008/s03) Of course, for this book the new revised edition does not equate to more valuable than even the earlier editions which are not worth $125.
Altemus changed the format of this Peter Rabbit book in 1917. It was at that time that all of the Wee Books had paste-on (applique covers). But from 1917 to 1921 all of the covers had yellow lettering. So this book at its earliest is a 1922 reprint. On the title page the copyright date of 1904 is stated. Of course, the copyright date is different here from the publication date. In terms of price, look at this copy. Chewed up spine and shabby stained cover. Nominal value if any.
2.Unfortunately neither is true. The lettering is not yellow-relegating it to an after 1921 date and no new content or form from the 1917-1921 editions except for minor lettering changes. Look at this copy. Again shabby spine and cover. Value-only nominal. The 1917-1921 copy is pictured below. Note the yellow lettering.
3. His third Peter Rabbit book is also dated incorrectly. The title Peter Rabbit and the Little Boy was ?rst used in 1925. Between 1922 and 1925 the title of the book was Peter Rabbit, Jack-the-Jumper and the Little Boy. Not enough for a “first thus” and the condition merits only nominal value.

It is startling how some Ebayers hold themselves out as sellers of “rare antique first edition books” but then do not do the research necessary to give fair and accurate listings.

Wee Folks Peter Rabbit Series

Ebay description:  PETER RABBIT'S CHRISTMAS 1917 1st First Edition G. DUFF

RARE! This is a Signed 1st Edition of an early Children's classic Peter Rabbit tale.

Title: Peter Rabbit's Christmas
Author: Duff Graham
Publisher: Philadelphia: Henry Altemus
Year: 1917
Edition: First Edition, First Printing

Authenticity Guaranteed by me, or your money back!

The Reality:  Clearly not a first edition since the lettering on the first edition in 1917 was red. See below.

In addition, in the first edition it says Wee Books for Wee Folks on the top of the title page. See below.

This seller was apprised of these facts but stated: "I'm sorry but that website is not what I consider a reliable source of information. I still believe it to be a first but if you don't, then don't bid on it."

Perhaps a more appropriate dialogue would be for him to explain why he thinks it is a first edition. Since he will be unable to verify his conclusion how in the world will someone be able to "get your money back". This is the ultimate in buyer beware about book claims on Ebay. Too many sellers are just guessing and really have no clue.

I suspect that his books has later ads in the back of the book as well as the later endpapers. Those were not commented on by the seller.

For more information about this series see http://henryaltemus.com/series/series189.htm.

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.