TRUE FIRST EDITION, FIRST IMPRESSION THE HOBBIT. Tolkien, John Ronald Reuel. 1937 The Hobbit or There and Back Again. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd, Museum Street. First edition, first impression; one of 1,500 printed, with statement First Published in 1937 verso of title page; map endpapers in red & black of Thror's Map and Wilderland, single leaf publisher's advertisements bound to rear. Lacking dust wrapper. Illustrated with ten black and white illustrations by the author in black and white. Publisher's original green cloth with Smaug illustration to board, spine just a touch cocked, occ. very light spot & mark to boards, spine lightly discoloured, front hinge just a trifle strained, small spot of adhesive residue to margins of front pastedown & ffep, pencil ownership inscription Cullen to front blank, occ. minor handling sign to leaves, else bright; rear hinge strained & binding exposed, resulting in some edgewear to rear endpaper, which protrudes from textblock, else an exceptional example. First published on the 21st September 1937, the popularity of The Hobbit saw a second impression by mid December; the second impression saw the addition of colour plates. Tolkien was encouraged by George Allen & Unwin to undertake a sequel, which he commenced within months; it took him until 1949 to complete The Lord of the Rings trilogy, which was then published in three volumes between 1954 & 1955. Today, The Hobbit remains one of the best-selling works of all time and holds an enormous legacy including adaptations of both trilogies to multi-billion pound blockbusters by Peter Jackson. A truly splendid example of this monumental fantasy work, and a scarce chance to acquire a copy never seen to market before.
8vo. (1)
From the family library of botanist Joseph Hubert Priestley (1883-1944), brother of Antarctic explorer & geologist Sir Raymond Edward Priestley (1886-1974). Similarly to Tolkien, Raymond Priestley had strong connections to the University of Oxford, both having correspondences with C. S. Lewis; it is likely that this connection explains Priestley's acquisition of the work. J. H. Priestley's daughter Phyllis Mary married John Carlisle Cullen in 1946, thence by descent.
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