Wonderful news for Tolkien collectors, Marquette is auctioning off some of the materials from their exhibition last year in order to raise funds for the archives. There are some one-of-a-kind materials available here and I am sure they will draw a lot of interest from around the world. Good luck to everyone interested!

https://e.givesmart.com/events/yeL/

Mae govannen! The collectibles in this auction come from Marquette University's celebrated exhibition, J.R.R. Tolkien: The Art of the Manuscript, held at the Haggerty Museum of Art, August 19 - December 23, 2022. Proceeds benefit the Tolkien Archive Fund and will be used to preserve the precious Tolkien manuscript collection for generations to come.

The auction opens on September 22, 2023 and closes at 11:59 p.m. on September 29, 2023.

These items are protected by copyright and are offered for the bidder's personal use. These items may not be reproduced.

Lyon & Turnbull 21 Sep 2023 10:00 BST

Lot 253 Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit

Tolkien, J. R. R. The Hobbit

First edition, first impression, one of 1500 copies, 8vo, original green cloth, titles and decoration to spine and covers in blue, top edge dyed green, map endpapers printed in red and black, frontispiece ('The Hill: Hobbiton across the Water'), plate ('Mirkwood'), spine rolled, small area of cockling to head of front board, corners very slightly bumped, lower fore corner of rear board with cloth worn away, a few light finger-marks to margins [Hammond A3a]

Note:

Provenance: With the ownership inscription 'Betty Jean Orton, Xmas 1937' to the initial blank: this is the daughter of Harold Orton (1898-1975), English dialectologist and lexicographer remembered for his monumental Survey of English Dialects (1962-72).

Estimate 3,000 GBP - 5,000 GBP

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Lot 254 Tolkien, J. R. R. The Lord of the Rings

Tolkien, J. R. R. The Lord of the Rings
London: George Allen and Unwin Ltd, 1969. First india-paper edition, 8vo, original black cloth decorated in silver and gilt, 2 folding maps, full-page map in text, spine very slightly sunned, slipcase rubbed [Hammond A5h];


Stevenson, Robert Louis. Island Nights' Entertainments. Consisting of the Beach of Falesa. The Bottle Imp. The Isle of Voices. London: Cassell & Company Limited, 1893. First edition, 8vo, original blue pictorial cloth gilt, frontispiece, colour map, 26 plates (counted in pagination), price on list of publications facing half-title amended in manuscript;
Keats, John. Endymion: A Poetic Romance. London: Taylor and Hessey, 1818 [c.1900]. Facsimile edition, 8vo, original cloth, paper spine-label, largely unopened;
Henley, W. E. (editor). Certain Tragical Discourses of Bandello. Translated into English by Geffraie Fenton anno 1567. With an Introduction by Robert Langton Douglas. London: David Nutt, 1898. One of 18 copies on Japanese paper, this copy 'marked 'File copy' on limitation page, 2 volumes, 4to, original white glazed paper boards, unopened, wear to spine-ends and joints, covers slightly soiled;
Burton, Richard F (translator). The Carmina of Caius Valerius Catullus. Now first completely Englished into Verse and Prose. London: printed for the translators ... for private subscribers only, 1894. One of 1,000 copies on hand-made paper, 8vo, original quarter japon, spine discoloured, wear to tips;
Baillie-Grohman, William A. & F (editors). The Master of Game by Edward, Second Duke of York. London: Chatto & Windus, 1909. 8vo, original vellum gilt, 24 plates, occasional spotting to text;
and 4 others including D. H. Lawrence, Lady Chatterley's Lover, [Paris]: privately printed, 1929, author's unabridged popular edition, contemporary cloth, retaining original wrappers

Estimate 300 GBP - 500 GBP

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Forum Auctions - Fine Books, Manuscripts and Works on paper
28 September 2023 11:00 BST

Lot 406 TOLKIEN (J.R.R.).- THE FAME OF BLESSED THOMAS MORE... WITH AN INTRODUCTORY ESSAY BY PROFESSOR R.

Tolkien (J.R.R.).- The Fame of Blessed Thomas More... With an Introductory Essay by Professor R. W. Chambers, first edition, signed presentation inscription from Chambers to J.R.R. Tolkien dated "Dec. 31, 1929" with a 9-line quotation of Thomas More to front free endpaper, original cloth, toning to spine and covers, 8vo, 1929.

⁂ An excellent association, inscribed to Tolkien by an important early friend and mentor. Chambers (1874-1942) was, like Tolkien, a Catholic as well as a scholar of Old English and influential writer on Beowulf. Tolkien and Chambers remained close friends and correspondents with each sending the other copies of their newly-printed works.

Estimate GBP 500 - 700

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Lot 407 TOLKIEN (J.R.R.).- YOUNGER (WILLIAM AND ELIZABETH) BLUE MOON IN PORTUGAL, FIRST EDITION, INITIALED

Tolkien (J.R.R.).- Younger (William and Elizabeth) Blue Moon in Portugal, first edition, initialed presentation inscription from J.R.R. Tolkien to his wife "E.M.T. with love from J.R.R.T 1956" in Tolkien's fine calligraphic hand to endpaper, photographic plates and illustrations, hand-drawn colourful bookmark loosely inserted, bill from the Hotel Miramar, Bournemouth, made out to "Miss E. Jennings" with a few ink notes to verso, folded and loosely inserted, spotting to endpapers, original cloth, light rubbing to extremities, 8vo, 1956.

⁂ A charming inscribed gift from Tolkien to his wife Edith. The Hotel Miramar was a favourite of the Tolkiens' and the bill is most likely made out to the poet Elizabeth Jennings (1926 - 2001), a lifelong friend of the Tolkien family.

Estimate GBP 1,500 - 2,000

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Lot 408 TOLKIEN (J.R.R.).- SAYERS (DOROTHY L., EDITOR) GREAT SHORT STORIES OF DETECTION, MYSTERY

Tolkien (J.R.R.).- Sayers (Dorothy L., editor) Great Short Stories of Detection, Mystery and Horror, seventeenth impression, J.R.R. Tolkien's copy with his ink ownership inscription to endpaper, light marginal browning, original cloth, light browning to spine, light sunning to covers, 8vo, 1960.

⁂ Tolkien's copy of one of Sayers' celebrated anthologies. Tolkien's love of detective and mystery novels is well-documented, the present collection includes works by E.C. Bentley, Austin Freeman, Arthur Conan Doyle, Edgar Allen Poe and J. Storer Clouston.

Estimate GBP 1,500 - 2,000

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Lot 409 TOLKIEN (J.R.R).- KIAER (EIGIL) BLANDFORD GARDEN FLOWERS IN COLOUR, THIRD IMPRESSION, INITIALED

Tolkien (J.R.R).- Kiaer (Eigil) Blandford Garden Flowers in Colour, third impression, initialed presentation inscription from J.R.R. Tolkien to his wife "E ✱ from R. Nov. 1964" to endpaper, colour illustrations by Verner Hancke, neat ink correction to p.196, original boards, slight toning to spine, dust-jacket, light browning to spine and panel margins, spine ends a little chipped, some pealing to laminate, 8vo, 1963.

⁂ A charming Tolkien-associative item indicative of the couple's shared love of gardening.

Estimate GBP 1,500 - 2,000

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Lot 410 TOKIEN(sic) (J.R.R.).- CHRISTIE (AGATHA) A BERTRAM'S HOTEL, FIRST EDITION, J.R.R. TOLKIEN'S COPY

Tokien(sic) (J.R.R.).- Christie (Agatha) A Bertram's Hotel, first edition, J.R.R. Tolkien's copy with his ink ownership inscription to endpaper alongside neat pencil note in his hand "✱ from E" to endpaper, original boards, light vertical crease to spine, dust-jacket, light browning to spine, minor chipping to spine tips and corners, light marking and surface soiling to lower panel, 8vo, 1965.

⁂ Tolkien's copy of a classic Miss Marple mystery, gifted to him by his wife Edith. Tolkien was an avid reader of detective fiction and was particularly keen on the works of Christie, Dorothy L. Sayers and G.K. Chesterton.

Estimate GBP 1,500 - 2,000

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Lot 411 TOLKIEN (J.R.R.) THE HOBBIT, FIRST EDITION, FIRST IMPRESSION, 1937

Tolkien (J.R.R.) The Hobbit, first edition, first impression, frontispiece, one plate and 8 illustrations, including 7 full-page, map endpapers printed in red & black, all by the author, 2" tear to lower edge endpapers, 2pp. advertisements, occasional light pen mark or finger-soiling mark to pages, small marginal hole to pp.223/4, pen colouring and writing to fore-edge, original pictorial cloth, light shelf-lean, spine darkened, chipping and fraying to spine ends and corners, light soiling, 8vo, 1937.

Estimate GBP 4,000-6,000

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RR Auctions ends on September 24, 2023

Lot #6039 J. R. R. Tolkien Autograph Letter Signed to Publisher on Lord of the Rings

Description
Tolkien prepares the final volume of Lord of the Rings: "Would you call it a happy ending? Auden on the whole approves of Vol. III"

Remarkable ALS signed three times with his initials, “JRRT,” five pages on three sheets, 5 x 6.75, personal letterhead, May 12, 1955. Lengthy, detailed handwritten letter to his publisher Rayner Unwin, commenting on his difficulties in finishing the third and final volume of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, The Return of the King. He focuses on corrections to proofs and revisions to the comprehensive appendices included in the work, which detail the history, cultures, genealogies, and languages that Tolkien imagined for the peoples of Middle-earth.

In full: "Silence has meant unremitting labour, I am glad you approved the Map. It cost me many days labour, plotting it on squared paper, and researching into the text. But the draughtsman put my draught into form very quickly—as usual with Christopher at a sitting without going to bed until 6 a.m. I hope you will give him a v. suitable fee, as he really had to make an heroic effort in face of many troubles.

I did not understand your remark about proofs for Vol. III. It did not mean surely that they have lost my corrected copy sent in—for there were some vital corrections in the set. Though I think I have kept a note of them. I hope no other corrections sent in 'posthumously' (due to research into times and distances for the Map) have been incorporated.

I have not received any further set of proofs for Vol. III. But that does not matter now—esp. not if I could see a copy incorporating all corrections. I have now sent to Beard all appendices complete: Copy for missing parts; corrections of Galleys for parts of A and B; corrections of Family Trees; and corrections of revisions for Appendix F.

Your call, of course, look at it all, incl. my notes on it to Beard. I am not v. happy about it! But I have been influenced in my choice of material (and discarding) by letters, and by comments and requests of more influential authors such as Auden (who came to see me recently) and P.H. Newby. But I still think it is at once too much and too little. However, it contains plenty of 'lore' which Hugh Brogan (son of D.B.), far the most critical and eagle eyed of all critics, says is a main attraction.

I have, I expect, in the end, kept too much. If anything has to be rejected, please don’t let it be the Runes and the Table I have painfully arranged (to fit the space I hope and avoid the sad fate of the Feanorian Letters which now look very scrappy). The last two Family Trees Bolger and Boffin, I should be glad to jettison. I should also prefer to jettison FII 'On Translation' rather than anything else. I have my doubts about it. Is it really a good thing to exhibit one's working—and is not the simple assumption that Western = English best left alone. What do you think. Does this section contain anything it would be sad to lose?

I am still very sorry that the 'facsimiles' of the Book of Mazarbul are not in. And of course the name list which would have given me a chance of providing some Elvish vocabulary.

I should be very glad to hear what you really think of all this Appendix matter! I was myself a bit cheered by the Galleys to hand. In point it proved more readable than I had thought. I have not got—and I do not think I ever had—a copy of The Hobbit incorporating the revisions. Could I have one? The info on the Hobbit in the Appendix will all need a second reference added after page 90 when the manuscript is altered. I have not been able to give A.V. references!

Is there any hope of getting copies of the American Edition of the Fellowship? I have had some of the Two Towers. Whatever use beholds I will despatch all proofs all that come my way with speed. I hope you can read some of the last v. best wishes to you." Tolkien goes on to add two postscripts, both also initialed, "JRRT," in full: "My last 'fan' letter was from the V.C. of Cambridge. But among the so-called intelligentsia it is odd that most who bother to write are non-literary and largely scientists. Professor Medawar the physiologist is bullying me—but he says he is afraid there is going to be a 'happy ending.' Would you call it a happy ending? Auden on the whole approves of Vol. III (seen in galleys), but thinks including (I am relieved to find) the Eowyn-Faramir business; but he thinks Aragorn-Arwen unnecessary & perfunctory. I hope the fragment of the 'saga' will cure him. I still find it poignant: an allegory of naked hope. I hope you do…P.P.S. Please thank your father for so kindly sending me Wilson of Bompus’s extract from a reader's comment. Wonder who it was!…I have not had time myself to consider the accounts of Vols. I and II sent to me. But they seem satisfactory in general. Also Hobbits seem to be going up again." In fine condition, with rusty paperclip marks to the margins.

This letter offers exceptional insight into Tolkien's working practice, showcasing his attention to detail in building the world known as Middle-earth and in completing the final volume of his masterpiece. His correspondent, Rayner Unwin, had, at ten years old, recommended that his father publish The Hobbit; working for the George Allen & Unwin firm as an adult in 1951, Rayner also undertook the publication of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Tolkien clearly respected Rayner's literary opinion, asking if any sections of the appendix should be 'jettisoned'—and noting that his friend, the legendary poet W. H. Auden, felt that the romantic 'Tale of Aragorn and Arwen' should be discarded from Appendix A. Tolkien deemed Aragorn-Arwen episode 'really essential to the story' and, ultimately, decided to leave it in; the other sections in question, 'Writing and Spelling' (describing dwarves' runes) and 'On Translation,' also remained in the appendices.

When previously sold in 2014, the description noted: 'This letter was sent to the previous owner's husband on 26th February 1956 on behalf of Rayner Unwin, and is not published, or extracted, by Humphrey Carpenter, The Letters of J.R.R. Tolkien; presumably no copy was kept and the text was never made available to him.'

Estimate USD 15,000+

https://www.rrauction.com/auctions/lot ... sher-on-lord-of-the-rings

You should always exercise good judgement and perform appropriate due-diligence when acquiring signed items to ensure that you are satisfied with the provenance and integrity of any item you bid on.

Letter link: Letter #201 (J.R.R. Tolkien to Rayner Unwin • 12 May 1955)

Jordan Rannells has created a 60+ hour soundscape (music, ambiance and more) to play alongside your audiobook or personal reading of Tolkien's The Lord of the Rings. Join us for a lively discussion (including some samples we share and enjoy) about this awesome project and what's next from Jordan.