Henry Altemus Company - American Series 206

Series Name:
Publish Dates:
Topic:

American Series
1897
Children's stories

Series Number:
Volumes:
Formats:

206
0
0

	Title:	Author:	Year:	Illustrator:
1	Trif and Trixy	Habberton, John

Henry Altemus Company
Not published.

Series Notes:
1. This series was noted in a periodical called The Critic- June 1897. The article stated that Trif and Trixy would be the first volume in a series of books by American authors. These books were to be sold at 30 cents. Although Trif and Trixy was released in 1897, it was not within this series. Rather it was by itself as a non series book and priced at 35 cents.

For more information see http://henryaltemus.com/images/NS_138.htm

American Series

A Phantom Series is one that is advertised but never published. Altemus advertised a boy’s series called the Ben Lightbody Series in the 1912-1914 era. The series was noted in numerous book and print ads. For whatever reason it was never published.

I have just come across another phantom series. It is mentioned in a periodical called the Critic. The excerpt below comes from the June 19, 1897 issue.

There is no evidence that the “American Series” was ever published. Trif and Trixy was published in 1897. Of great interest is that although many copies (in red and green) show the 1897 date at the base of the title page, there is a way to distinguish the very rare first edition from the later edition.

Look carefully at the page below which is the last page of ads in the back of the book. The earlier 1897 book lists Trif and Trixy at 35 cents whereas the later lists it at 50 cents. Subtle but real. Of course, there is no evidence it was offered at 30 cents which is the phantom series price.

Critic excerpt

Title Page

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