Their sale "Printed Books, Manuscripts and Artwork, including the Collections of Cecil & Desmond Harmsworth" has three Tolkien related lots. The auction runs on both 11 December and 12 December, with the Tolkien lots starting sometime after 2:00 on the 12th.


Viewing beforehand on
Tuesday 9th December from 9.30am to 5.30pm
Wednesday 10th December from 9.30am to 8.00pm
Thursday 11th December from 9.30am to 1.00pm
Friday 12th December from 9.30am to 11.00am


972. Tolkien (J.R.R.) The Lord of the Rings, 3 vol., comprising The Fellowship of the Ring, second impression, ink name on front free endpaper, slight browning to jacket spine, otherwise very good, 1954; The Two Towers, first impression, bookplate on front pastedown, light staining and browning to spine, 1954; The Return of the King, first impression, third state, slight shelf lean, small split at 3 corners, foot of spine slightly frayed, small tape repairs to inside corners, 1955, first editions, maps, original cloth, dust-jackets, 8vo
Estimated at £2000 - £3000


1091. Tolkien (J.R.R.) The Hobbit, or, There and Back Again, first edition, first impression, frontispiece and illustrations by the author, maps and original cloth covers and spine bound in at end, slight loss to panel of original upper cover at lower fore-corner, small section of loss to text near inner margin of pp.13/14 replaced in ms., light ink name on one map, otherwise internally very good, bookplate with monogram on preliminary blank f., bound in full green morocco with gilt borders, lettering and spine compartments, by the Chelsea Bindery, g.e., fine, matching green morocco-tipped cloth slip-case, 8vo, 1937.
Estimated at £2000 - £3000



1092. Tolkien (J.R.R.) The Lord of the Rings, 3 vol., first editions, first impressions, vol.III third state (with sagging text and number ‘4’ on p.49), folding maps, light spotting to endpapers, last few ff. and extreme edges, ink ownership inscription on front pastedowns, original cloth, in very good condition, dust-jackets, light marking and spotting, most visible on vol.I, vol.III with tear at lower fore-edge of lower panel with resultant creasing, vol.I with slight loss to corner-tips and 2 small splits, overall a good set, 8vo, 1954-55.
Estimated at £3000 - £4000