Edited by Trotter on 2023-12-1 3:55:48 PM UTC Edited by Trotter on 2023-12-1 3:58:07 PM UTC Edited by Trotter on 2023-12-15 6:55:33 AM UTC
2023-12-1 3:47:49 PM UTC
14th Dec, 2023 10:00
Lot 810 Tolkien (J. R. R.) Reports of the Society of Antiquaries, Appendix I, 1932
Witchking, Sauron, Denethor
Tolkien (J. R. R.) Reports of the Research Committee of the Society of Antiquaries of London. No. IX. Report on the Excavation of the Prehistoric, Roman, and Post-Roman Site in Lydney Park, Gloucestershire by R. E. M. Wheeler, D. Lit., F. S. A., and T. V. Wheeler, F. S. A., Appendix I. The Name 'Nodens' by Professor J. R. R. Tolkien, Oxford: University Press, 1932, pp. 132-137, folding plates and illustrations (one detached), manuscript list of contents at front, previous owner signature, contemporary buckram, a little rubbed and toned, 8vo
(Quantity: 1)
Lydney Camp in the Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire was an Iron Age hill fort and later Romano-Celtic temple dedicated to the Celtic deity Nodens, and the site was excavated from 1928-29 by Tessa and Mortimer Wheeler. In his capacity as a philologist at Pembroke College, Oxford, Tolkien wrote the Appendix on Nodens in 1932, 'Linguistic considerations unaided by other data can do little, usually, to recall forgotten gods from their twilight. The form of this name, however is favourable. The ending -ont (-ent) is a well-known one in Indo-European languages... But in ON, naut-r means any piece of valuable personal property, a sword, a ring, and we must probably compare the sense-development of 'cattle' and 'chattel', both derived from the late Latin capitale, principal property.'
Lot 811 Tolkien (J. R. R.) The Hobbit, 2nd impression, 1937
Noble RK expansion
Tolkien (J. R. R.) The Hobbit or There and Back Again, 1st edition, 2nd impression, London: George Allen & Unwin, 1937, colour frontispiece, 12 colour and monochrome illustrations by the author, advertisement leaf at rear, The Elvenking's Gate illustration at p. 177 with juvenile colouring-in in brown and green crayon, occasional minor spotting, map endpapers (slight toning), Blackwell ticket to foot of front pastedown, original green pictorial cloth, some fading and light spotting to spine, small closed tears at spine tips, 8vo
(Quantity: 1)
Published in the same year as the first impression, and the first with colour plates.
Lot 812 Tolkien (J. R. R.). The Hobbit, 1st edition, 3rd impression, 1942
Arwen, Bilbo, Faramir, Aragorn, Gandalf, Éomer
Tolkien (J. R. R.). The Hobbit, 1st edition, 3rd impression, London: George Allen & Unwin, 1942, colour frontispiece, black and white illustrations, cartographic endpapers, neat ownership inscription in ink to verso of front free endpaper and recto of adjacent front blank, original pictorial green cloth, rubbed, lacking backstrip, 8vo
Lot 813 Tolkien (J. R. R.). The Hobbit, or there and back again, 1st edition, 4th impression, 1946
Arwen, Bilbo, Faramir, Aragorn, Gandalf, Éomer
Tolkien (J. R. R.). The Hobbit, or there and back again, 1st edition, 4th impression, London: George Allen & Unwin, 1946, colour frontispiece, further black and white illustrations (many full-page), cartographic endpapers, contemporary ownership inscription of 'Eleni Nowell' to head of front blank, preliminary and rear leaves lightly spotted, a few water spots to text, original pictorial green cloth, extremities rubbed, 8vo
(Quantity: 1)
A scarce reprint of the first edition. We can only trace four copies of the fourth impression appearing at auction.
Lot 814 Tolkien (J. R. R.). The Lord of the Rings, 1st one volume edition, signed, 1968
Arwen, Bilbo, Faramir, Aragorn, Gandalf, Éomer
Tolkien (J. R. R.). The Lord of the Rings, 1st one volume edition, London: George Allen and Unwin, 1968, signed by the author to title, full-page black and white map, edges lightly spotted, original green pictorial paper wrappers, extremities lightly creased, 8vo
(Quantity: 1)
Signed by Tolkien as part of a promotion for bookshops, in which if 500 copies were ordered a signed copy would be included.
Lot 815 Tolkien (J. R. R.). The Return of the King, 1st edition, 1st impression, 1955
Arwen, Bilbo, Faramir, Aragorn, Gandalf, Éomer
Tolkien (J. R. R.). The Return of the King, 1st edition, 1st impression, London: George Allen & Unwin, 1955, folding map at rear, book label to front free endpaper, endpapers spotted, original red cloth gilt, dust jacket, spine faded to brown with a few light marks, 8vo
I noticed that the number of copies required is not listed in the Chronology, but I have a copy of a letter from GA&U confirming that it was any pre-order over 100 copies that was eligible.
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