Inherited Books – DeWolfe, Fiske & Co.

Q I inherited a book called ”Through the Year with Longfellow,” which has readings for a full year and many color illustrations. It was published by DeWolfe, Fiske & Co. There is a portrait of Longfellow on the cover and his signature on the inside of the cover. I’d like to know if this book has any value and where I might sell it.

A DeWolfe, Fiske & Co. was a publisher in business in Boston, Massachusetts, from 1880 to 1905. It published a series of ”Through the Year” 12-month books, including readings from Longfellow, Tennyson, Shakespeare, and other famous authors. The book evidently doesn’t list the publication date, but most sources say it was 1890. Henry Wadsworth Longfellow lived from 1807 to 1882, so the signature in your book is probably just a facsimile. These books sell online for about $8 to $16.