Lot 564

3 vols., to consist of The Fellowship of the Ring, first edition, 8th. issue, original cloth, folding map at rear, slightly worn, dust-jacket, worn with some loss, tape residue to creases, presentation inscription to front endpaper, 1960; The Two Towers, first edition, 2nd issue, original cloth, folding map at rear, slightly worn, front joint cracked, original dust-jacket, portion of spine missing, worn and chipped, ownership name to front endpaper, 1955; The Return of the King, 1st edition, folding map at end, original red cloth, slightly bumped, damp stain to front cover, 2nd state dust jacket (with reviews to rear flap), spine a little rubbed and creased, ownership name to front endpaper, 3rd state text with signature '4' at foot of p.9, 1955, 8vo. (3)

Estimate £600-£800

https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/auc ... utm_content=lot-view-link

As it is October 16th somewhere in the world already, and someone decided that is World Dictionary Day, I thought it would be good to re-recommend the book The Ring of Words: Tolkien and the Oxford English Dictionary

Dictionary Day is October 16th and it celebrates the birthday of Noah Webster.

Blackwell's (affiliate)

The Ring of Words

Peter Gilliver, Jeremy Marshall, E. S. C. Weiner

9780199568369

(paperback)

$24.26

Availability: Unknown

Check at Blackwell's

Amazon.com (affiliate)

The Ring of Words: Tolkien and the Oxford English Dictionary

Gilliver, Peter

9780199568369

(Kindle Edition)

$10.49

Availability: Now

Check at Amazon.com

Amazon.co.uk (affiliate)

The Ring Of Words: Tolkien and the Oxford English Dictionary

Gilliver, Peter

9780199568369

(Paperback)

£13.20

Availability: Now

Check at Amazon.co.uk

J. R. R. Tolkien Autograph Letter Signed

Letters by J.R.R. Tolkien #203

Description
Marvelous, content-rich handwritten letter from Tolkien, refuting the presence of symbolism or allegory in Middle-earth: "To ask if the Orcs ‘are’ Communists is to me as sensible as asking if Communists are Orcs"

Magnificent ALS from J. R. R. Tolkien, one page both sides, 6.75 x 8.5, personal 76 Sandfield Road, Headington, Oxford letterhead, November 17, 1957. Handwritten letter to Herbert Schiro of the School of Medicine at the University of California, in full: "I was delighted with your letter, which I shall certainly keep. There is nothing much really to say (beyond recording the pleasure that your enjoyment and sympathy give me), as you understand the matter so well. There is no ‘symbolism’ or conscious allegory in my story. Allegory of the sort ‘five wizards = five senses’ is wholly foreign to my way of thinking. There were five wizards and that is just a unique part of history. To ask if the Orcs ‘are’ Communists is to me as sensible as asking if Communists are Orcs.

That there is no ‘allegory’ does not, of course, say there is no applicability. There always is. And since I have not made the struggle wholly unequivocal: sloth and stupidity among hobbits, pride and escapism among Elvs, grudge and greed in Dwarf-heart, and folly and wickedness among the ‘Kings of Men,’ and treachery and power-lust even among the ‘Wizards,’ there is I suppose applicability in my story to present times. But I should say, if asked, that it is not really about Power and Domination: that only gets the wheel going; it is about Death and the desire for deathlessness. Which is hardly more than to say it is a tale written by a Man!

Thank you again! I may possibly be coming to the States next spring (I have never managed to come before), and in all that vastness it is conceivable that we might contrive a meeting? I have a dear friend: one Meredith Thompson (a Canadian), who lives in Los Angeles, and whom, if time allowed, I shd try to visit. (He is a professor in the University of S. California).” Matted and framed with Tolkien's original hand-addressed mailing envelope to an overall size of 12 x 19.75; the frame's glass backing allows viewing for the second page. In fine condition.

This letter is referenced in the book The Letters of J. R. R. Tolkien by Humphrey Carpenter, page 262, item 203, and was previously offered for sale to Marquette University's John P. Raynor, S. J. Library Tolkien Collection. Archivist William Fliss, interim curator for the Tolkien Collection, graciously declined purchase due to 'lack of funds,' but stated: 'This letter is certainly worthy of our collection and would be a great addition, especially because it centers on 'The Lord of the Rings,' for which we own the original manuscript.' A distinctly exceptional and unusually insightful letter from one of fiction's most influential scribes.

Estimate $20,000+
Current bidding at $10,292

https://www.rrauction.com/auctions/lot ... raph-letter-signed/?cat=0

"Heart shall be bolder, harder be purpose, more proud the spirit as our power lessens!"

Theme: determination and perseverance. Artists: Soni Alcorn-Hender, Emily Austin, Chapu, Anke Eissmann, Ergo, Donato Giancola, Octo Kwan, Ruth Lacon, Wenjin Lu, Nancy Martsch, Ted Nasmith, Gordon Palmer. Calendar Editor: Jeremy Edmonds.

The calendar is 11 x 8½", opening up to 11 x 17", with art above, calendar below. It has real-world and Middle-earth holidays.
Inquires: Contact Nancy Martsch, beyondbree@yahoo.com
Price: $20 + shipping, $2 USA, $5 outside USA.

Discount available for large orders.

To pay by PayPal: send payment (in US $) to beyondbree@yahoo.com (this is a name, not a link). Add $1 for the PayPal fee.

To pay by mail: send check or money order (in US $, drawn on a US bank) payable to Nancy Martsch, PO Box 55372, Sherman Oaks, CA 91413, USA. I can also accept US currency: use a sturdy envelope, send at own risk.

Todd Jensen: After receiving the "Beyond Bree" calendar for 2021 and enjoying it, I've decided to regularly order it for each year from now on.

Maurice Boehm: I am looking forward to the calendar and additional issues of "Beyond Bree". I’ve been reading Tolkien's letters and was interested to learn that Tolkien was as surprised as Frodo by the man sitting in the shadows in the Bree Inn and the fact that Gandalf wasn’t there.

Michael Taaffe has a passion for the works of J.R.R. Tolkien, and early medieval Insular art. He combines both of his passions to create new and original artworks. Michael has generously offered to auction his art piece “Day Shall Come Again!” on 31st of October at 12:00AM with all proceeds going to SOSAD Ireland (https://sosadireland.ie/).



Art Piece Description - "Day Shall Come Again!"

'After his lord and companions had fallen, Húrin remained fighting, killing with his axe any Orc that approached him. With every strike he cried: "Aurë entuluva! Day shall come again!". He cried it seventy times before Orcs took him.' (Tolkien, The Silmarillion)
Ink & Acrylics
300 gsm paper
22cm x 32cm

Make a bid on this fantastic art here: https://sosadireland.rallyup.com/day-shall-come-again

*Important Note*
The auction winner will be responsible for the postage and packaging cost.

About SOSAD Ireland

Since 2007, SOSAD has worked to raise awareness and help prevent suicide in Ireland. We have worked tirelessly in our communities to help those in need feel supported and know they are not alone on their journey. SOSAD offers support and services for people who are going through bereavement, struggling with a loss of a loved one, suffering with mental health issues, suffering with stress and anxiety, struggling with isolation, or if you simply need someone to talk to.