The team is in sunny-then-rainy north Wales at the lushly beautiful, National Trust-owned Bodnant Garden, where experts examine an eclectic treasure trove of finds.

A gentleman brings along a treasured and delightful letter from JRR Tolkien, written to him after, as a 14-year-old, he’d sent the Lord of the Rings author fan mail. It’s “precious” in more ways than one.

Elsewhere, there is a pipe inscribed by its owner during a spell as a prisoner of war in Italy and Germany after he was captured at Tobruk. And there is what an expert describes as a “silent witness” to history, a soup ladle found after a dive to a wrecked steam clipper.

For those in the UK you can watch it at 7pm tonight or on the BBC iPlayer at 55 minutes into the programme. The letter was valued at £10,000.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000vlsp

Lot 208
Tolkien (J.R.R.) The Fellowship of the Ring, first edition, 1954.
Estimate: £150 - £200
Hammer Price: £1,100



Tolkien (J.R.R.)The Fellowship of the Ring, first edition, folding map with small tear at fold, marginal yellow stain to a few pages in the middle, upper hinge starting to crack, original cloth, lower joint splitting and wear to head, fading and staining, wear to corners and extremities rubbed, 8vo, 1954.

I'm not sure why they have not stated the impression as it could be a 1st or 2nd Impression.

https://www.forumauctions.co.uk/index. ... w=lot_detail&lot_id=78659

Lot 209
Tolkien (J.R.R.) The Lord of the Rings, 3 vol., 1962.
Estimate: £300 - £400
Hammer Price: £460



Tolkien (J.R.R.)The Lord of the Rings, 3 vol., comprising The Fellowship of the Ring, twelfth impression,1962; The Two Towers, ninth impression, 1962; The Return of the King, ninth impression, 1962, first editions, folding maps, original cloth, light discolouration to spines, dust-jackets, some light foxing, heavier to spines, light creasing to head and foot, but otherwise a bright and excellent set, 8vo.

https://www.forumauctions.co.uk/index. ... w=lot_detail&lot_id=78658

Bill Fliss is the curator of the Tolkien archive at Marquette University, and a friend of mine and of many of us here. One of his projects is the Tolkien Fandom Oral History Collection, where fans record a few minutes of audio answering a few questions about their personal relationship with Tolkien's works. Recently one of those fans, Lukas Heinen, turned the tables and interviewed Bill as well. The interview is published in English.

https://www.teilzeithelden.de/2021/04/ ... pte-und-fan-interviews/2/

New England Book Auctions have two Tolkien lots in their April 27 Auction titled 'CATALOGUE 494 GRAPHICS, EPHEMERA & LITERATURE, INCLUDING SELECTIONS FROM MADELEINE L'ENGLE'S LIBRARY". The Hobbit lot is from the library of Madeleine L'Engle and has her ownership signature and inscription in it.

Lot 205

Tolkien, J. R. R. Beowulf. The Monsters and the Critics. 53 pages. Tall 8vo, printed wrappers (chipped at margins; lacking paper spine, pencil annotations by Henry Bosley Woolf. London, [1937] [150/250] FIRST EDITION. ONE OF 500 COPIES. Hammond & Anderson A2.

Woolf once wrote to Tolkien, and received a response in 1951.

Sold for high bid of $180

206

The Hobbit. Illustrated. 8vo, publisher's cloth, dust jacket (chipped with loss); moderate wear. Boston, (1930s) [250/350] Eighth Impression. Hugh & Madeleine Franklin's (L'Engle) copies with her inscription on the front decorated endpaper and ink address stamp on the front free blank endpaper.

Sold for high bid of $2750