13 Apr, 2021
2021-4-13 9:22:35 PM UTC
I've been doing some research and found this old newspaper advertisement for The Return of the King. I think most of us here would probably agree with Auden. :)
14 Apr, 2021
2021-4-14 4:32:57 AM UTC
14 Apr, 2021
2021-4-14 5:43:49 AM UTC
Very true. I've seen this flag in several advertisements with different text--I think I might have even come across that one from Tolkienbooks.net if I remember correctly.
14 Apr, 2021
2021-4-14 3:36:36 PM UTC
It is a cool flag!
Tolkienbooks.net makes a definitive statement that the flag was drawn by Pauline Baynes. Is this corroborated somewhere else? I'm also curious to know if Tolkien ever saw it/made a comment on it.
14 Apr, 2021
2021-4-14 5:49:14 PM UTC
There is a series of letters dating from October 1955 regarding the illustration in the A&U correspondence archive.
Three versions were created; the other two probably weren't used as they were corrected from five stars to seven. Another version with a crown above seven stars above a tree was discussed but not submitted - because it did not work.
The production quality on the version here is very poor, but I think both adverts started from the same original drawing.
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