Richard Caton sent along the following information on upcoming Tolkien related books for the sale on Thursday July 16th, 2009.

Bibliophile Sale, including Modern First Editions
Thursday 16 July 2009


at 10.00am (lots 1-331) and 1.30pm (lots 332-751) precisely

Viewing beforehand on
Tuesday 14th July from 9.30am to 5.30pm
Wednesday 15th July from 9.30am to 8.00pm
Thursday 16th July from 9.30am to 10.00am


503. Tolkien (J.R.R.).- Mapes (Walter) The Latin Poems…, 2 vol., edited by Thomas Wright, Tolkien’s copy, each with his name dated 1923 on front fly-leaf, some damp-staining to first vol., original blind-tooled cloth, 8vo, 1841-50.

£400 - £600

During Tolkien’s time as Reader in English language at the University of Leeds.


504. Tolkien (J.R.R.).- Labriolle (Pierre de) Histoire de la Littérature latine chretienne, Tolkien’s copy, with his name in pencil on front fly-leaf, contemporary buckram, 8vo, 1920.

£250 - £350


505. Tolkien (J.R.R.) Ancrene Wisse and Hali Meidhad, pp.104-126 in Essays and Studies. By Members of the English Association, vol.XIV, original cloth, a fine copy, Oxford, 1929.

£100 - £150

Tolkien’s study on the 13th century monastic guide and sermon on “holy maidenhood” for anchoresses.


506. Tolkien (J.R.R.) The Hobbit, or, There and Back Again, first edition, second impression, 1 plain & 4 colour plates, plain illustrations and map endpapers, by Tolkien, 2pp. advertisements, bookseller’s small sticker to foot of front pastedown, original decorative cloth, slight darkening to extreme top edge, otherwise a very good copy, dust-jacket, price-clipped, chipped at corners and head of spine with loss, minor spotting visible on upper panel, otherwise very good, 8vo, 1937.

£3000 - £3500

The second impression is the first to have the colour plates, and had a print run of 2,300, of which 423 perished in a fire in 1940.


507. Tolkien (J.R.R.) The Hobbit, or, There and Back Again, first edition, first impression, frontispiece, plate, illustrations and map endpapers by the author, 2pp. advertisements, some marginal water-staining, map endpapers browned, minor damage to lower fore-corner of advertisement f., small ink price on half-title, front endpapers badly split with hinge pulled, original cloth, worn at spine ends and corners, some light damp-soiling, 8vo, 1937; sold not subject to return.

£400 - £600


508. Tolkien (J.R.R.) [The Lord of the Rings], 3 vol., comprising The Fellowship of the Ring, fourth impression, light damp spotting to covers, facsimile dust-jacket, 1955; The Two Towers, second impression, facsimile dust-jacket, 1955; The Return of the King, first impression, third state with sagging text and ‘4’ on p.49, some running from red dye on top edge, original dust-jacket, some browning and marking, 1955, first editions, maps, original cloth, 8vo

£200 - £300


509. Tolkien (J.R.R.) The History of Middle-Earth, 7 vol. only, comprising 1. The Book of Lost Tales, light scratched to lower panel; 2. The Book of Lost Tales Part II; 7. The Treason of Isengard, small tear to 2 jacket corners; 8. The War of the Ring; 9. Sauron Defeated; 10. Morgoth’s Ring, 2 corners of jacket rubbed; 11. The War of the Jewels, first editions, first impressions, some plates, original boards, dust-jackets, near fine copies, 8vo, 1983-94. [7]

£500 - £700

View the whole sale online at http://www.bloomsburyauctions.com/auction/689