Amazon has listed a new entry for the forthcoming third edition of The Annotated Hobbit, by J.R.R. Tolkien and Douglas A. Anderson.

Revised for the thirtieth anniversary of publication, Douglas A. Anderson has drawn on new sources of criticism and newly discovered writings by Tolkien himself to ensure that The Annotated Hobbit is the definitive explication of the sources, characters, places, and things of J.R.R. Tolkien's timeless classic. Integrated with Anderson's notes and placed alongside the fully restored and corrected text of the original story are more than 150 illustrations showing visual interpretations of The Hobbit specific to many of the cultures that have come to know and love Tolkien's Middle-earth. Tolkien's original line drawings, maps, and color paintings are also included, making this the most lavishly informative edition of The Hobbit available.

https://amzn.to/2JquENC

No cover art is available yet - I am reaching out to Houghton Mifflin for more information and will share when available. I am assuming there will be a UK edition as well.

Hardcover: 416 pages
Publisher: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt (March 19, 2019)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1328497593
ISBN-13: 978-1328497598

Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth

The exhibition dates are January 25 through May 12, 2019.

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit.” With these words the Oxford professor J.R.R. Tolkien ignited a fervid spark in generations of readers. From the children’s classic The Hobbit to the epic The Lord of the Rings, Tolkien’s adventurous tales of hobbits and elves, dwarves and wizards have introduced millions to the rich history of Middle-earth. Going beyond literature, Tolkien’s Middle-earth is a world complete with its own languages and histories. Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth celebrates the man and his creation. The exhibition will be the most extensive public display of original Tolkien material for several generations. Drawn from the collections of the Tolkien Archive at the Bodleian Library (Oxford), Marquette University Libraries (Milwaukee), the Morgan, and private lenders, the exhibition will include family photographs and memorabilia, Tolkien’s original illustrations, maps, draft manuscripts, and designs related to The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion.

Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth is organized by the Morgan Library & Museum in collaboration with the Bodleian Libraries, Oxford University and with the support of The Tolkien Estate, The Tolkien Trust and members of the Tolkien family.

The Morgan exhibition is made possible through the generosity of Fay and Geoffrey Elliott.


https://www.themorgan.org/exhibitions/tolkien

I was wondering if anyone else saw this pop up on eBay; one of the earliest audio interviews (or the earliest?) of Tolkien from a 1957 radio show in Chicago. There's a smattering of info/quotes from it here and there (H&S Chron. p 527, RG p514, 516; Annot. Hobbit p8, 210; ALA Bulletin, Feb 1957, p120, etc.) but I'm curious if there are other audio copies floating around (not including the 'tape recording' stored at the Library of Congress). Oxfam was selling it on eBay and in response to my question they surmised that, "perhaps only one acetate set was made at the recording session and that either that or a copy was used for the US broadcast." Does anyone here have additional info about this they'd be willing to share?

Back in the 1980s, Melissa and Mark Hime were booksellers under the business name "Biblioctopus" and put out many fine catalogs. They certainly had a liking for Tolkien related materials, as many catalogs had at least one Tolkien related lot, and they put out one catalog called Precious Stones (alternately Eorclanstanas or The Hobbitiana) in 1980 that was exclusively Tolkien related. All of the early catalogs have metallic cardstock covers with minimal design, and typically a small embossed symbol or word indicating the theme of the catalog. Four of the catalogs were important enough to bear mentioning in Hammond's and Anderson's Descriptive Bibliography for the primary materials mentioned within.




Note that the prices below are from the original catalogues and not present day!


Biblioasis One, or The Quencher - 1980 - Hammond Dii38 (mention)

Item 114 - ALS (Autograph Letter Signed), 1959. To Naomi Mitchison. Signed "Ronald Tolkien". $850

Ink and Lead, or, The Bibliolograph - 1980 - Hammond Dii45 (mention)

Item 31 - Farmer Giles of Ham, first edition. Also, autograph letter to Miss. How dated 12 November 1949. Mentions family game the book was based on, and forthcoming publications. $1700.

"Precious Stones" - Eorclanstanas, or The Hobbitiana - 1980 - Hammond Dii46

26 pages, 63 items. Of note are:
* items 4&5 for A Middle English Vocabulary in two states (184 and 186 ornaments) mentioned in Hammond A1, both pictured.
* Item 6 - 2 pages of Tolkien's manuscript philological notes laid in to a 1912 copy of Schroer's Standard of Spoken English.
* Item 14 - The Hobbit, 1st edition, inscribed with four lines of Middle English verse (pictured).
* Item 29 - Proofs of The Lord of the Rings. (One page pictured)
* Item 40 - Proof of The Adventures of Tom Bombadil (cover pictured)
* Item 45 - Colin Smythe correspondence set (see below)
* Item 47 - Galadriel's Lament manuscript fragment, handwritten (pictured)
* Item 53 - TLS (typed letter signed) from Christopher to Jared Lobdell, regarding Compass for Tolkien including the Nomenclature, and other letters to Lobdell.
(Christopher's letter reproduced in full)
* Item 56 - Father Christmas Letters, proofs of the first edition, ALS of provenance, and advance review copy (all of the American edition).
* (Item 63, though unnumbered in the catalogue) The Tolkien Phenomenon - a file of working papers including a 9 page typescript with holograph changes and corrections, signed JRRT, containing over 5000 words of autobiographical commentary and a 2 page autograph cover letter signed "Ronald Tolkien".

44 Great Works or The Adventures of Captain Classic - December 1980

Item 38 - [i]The Lord of the Rings, proofs of the first edition with Tolkien's final manuscript additions, changes and corrections in Volume III. SOLD (as marked in the catalog, sold before went to press).


Biblioasis Two or The Biblioctopii - Spring 1981

Item 98 - King Edward's School Chronicle. Number 171-196 (October 1908-December 1912). Bound in one volume, fine condition. $1750.

Item 99 - The Hobbit or There and Back Again, 1938. Publisher's sample mock-up of the first American edition. Pictorial wrappers (colour plates of Tolkien's Hobbiton and Smaug). $1500.

Item 100 - The Silmarillion, four editions. Publisher's Dummy (Currey's state A), Publisher's Dummy (Currey's State B), First edition (Clowes imprint), First edition (unbound sheets). $750.

Item 101 - Unfinished Tales. Uncorrected proofs of the first American edition. $150.

Bibliamerica or 13 Stars and 13 Stripes - 1981

(no Tolkien item in this catalogue, not surprising given the focus on American authors).

Bad Dreams or The House of Shock - 1982

Item 58 - Fine condition set of The Lord of the Rings in 3 volumes, first editions. Photo of The Return of the King. $2750.

Catalogue 8: Holding Together, or, The Ink of the Octopus - 1983 - Hammond Dii55

Item 30 - A Correspondence between Tolkien and Colin Smythe. 20 letters in the lot, from July 1964 to ~1971 (last one not dated, thank you note from Hill to Smythe). Smythe is in the publishing business and would love to publish a poem by Tolkien. Tolkien hurts his leg in 1968 and is delayed from sending one on - discussed have been the two published in Winter's Tales for Children, or a new one about 'Westernesse'. Eventually Tolkien gets too busy working on The Silmarillion and is unable to help Smythe. $1000

Biblialphabet - 1985

(Item not numbered) - Sir Gawain & The Green Knight, first edition, first issue, with errata sheet and dustwrapper. $350.

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If you are aware of other catalogues from this bookseller, please let me know! Mentioned as forthcoming in the last one I have (Biblialphabet, 1985) as coming soon are Biblioasis III and Flaps & Panels (a catalogue in dust jacket). Also I have seen mention of Bibliameranth or Books that Never Die as also forthcoming.

Apologies for the late notice. Sotheby's has two separate auctions coming up at the start of next week. The first has two rebound first editions (The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings) and the second has a first impression of the deluxe edition of The Hobbit. Nothing particularly catching my eye personally.

July 9-10
London
English Literature, History, Science, Children's Books and Illustrations


Lot 623
TOLKIEN. THE HOBBIT, 1937, FIRST EDITION, RECENT FULL CALF WITH MOROCCO ONLAYS, (1 VOL.)
8vo, FIRST EDITION, 10 illustrations by the author, 2pp. of publisher's advertisements at end, recent full green calf with design of a forest in green morocco onlays on both upper and lower covers, morocco doublures, top edge gilt, original endpapers in red and black preserved, morocco slipcase, some minor colouring to frontispiece and front endpaper, some very minor scratches to spine
Estimate £8,000 — 10,000

Sold for £11,875, not sure if this includes buyer's premium


Lot 624
TOLKIEN, LORD OF THE RINGS, 1954-1955, FIRST EDITION, FIRST IMPRESSION (3 VOL.)
8vo, 3 volumes, FIRST EDITIONS, first impressions (volume 3 in first state of first impression, p. 49 with signature mark '4' present and lines of type sagging in middle), illustrations, folding maps at end of each volume, sections of original DUST-JACKETS preserved at end of each volume, later full Morocco with design of The Company of the Ring blocked in blind, black morocco endpapers, all edges gilt, collector's black morocco slipcase, minor soiling and abrasions to slipcaseEstimate £2,500 — 4,000

Sold for £6,895, not sure if this includes buyer's premium

July 10
London
The Library of an English Bibliophile Part VIII


Lot 223
TOLKIEN, THE HOBBIT, DELUXE EDITION, BOXED, 1976 (1 VOL.)
8vo (221 x 140mm.), first deluxe edition, 2 double-page maps, colour frontispiece with 12 colour plates, original black cloth with gilt and silver design, original presentation box, boards with minor soiling, box worn with browning to label and minor abrasions to bottom
Estimate £100 — 150

Sold for £238, not sure if this includes buyer's premium