First edition, first printing of Tolkien's best-known work.<ul><li>J.R.R. Tolkien (English).</li><li>The Hobbit or There and Back Again.</li><li>London: George Allen &amp; Unwin Ltd, 1937.</li><li>Frontispiece and 8 black &amp; white plates and one vignette by Tolkien, advertisement leaf at end, top edge of text block tinted green.</li><li>Bound in the publisher's original stamped green cloth, map pastedowns and endpapers.</li></ul> Betty Jean Orton is the daughter of Harold Orton (1898–1975), English dialectologist and lexicographer remembered for his monumental Survey of English Dialects (1962–72).Tolkien began writing The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, as a professor of English language and literature at Oxford University. Tolkien's creative perspective was born from a childhood spent briefly in South Africa and then rural England, a short but wretched tour during World War I, and an avid fascination with German philology. Although it was originally billed as a children's book, The Hobbit attracted a varied audience and has been wildly popular since its initial publication. Tolkien built upon the tradition of fantasy literature developed by George MacDonald, Lewis Carroll and the folk tales of Arabian Nights by inventing a new language—Elvish—and making it accessible for modern-day readers. Such creativity brought rave reviews for The Hobbit. 1,500 copies were published on Sept. 21, 1937 and were sold out by December, less than three months after publication.

The Hobbit (First Edition, First Printing)

First edition second impression and the first with color plates of The Hobbit, Tolkien's best-known work.<ul><li>J.R.R. Tolkien (English).</li><li>The Hobbit or There and Back Again.</li><li>London: George Allen &amp; Unwin Ltd, 1937.</li><li>Five plates (4 color), 8 illustrations by the author, advertisement leaf at end.</li><li>Bound in full dark green morocco, ribbed gilt decorated spine, covers ruled in gilt, Smaug the dragon gilt to lower right corner of the front cover, gilt dentelles, all edges gilt, marbled pastedowns and endpapers, original cloth covers and spine bound in rear, original front and rear map pastedowns and endpapers bound in, by Bayntun.</li></ul> Tolkien began writing The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, as a professor of English Language and Literature at Oxford University. Tolkien's creative perspective was born from a childhood spent briefly in South Africa and then rural England, a short but wretched tour during World War I, and an avid fascination with German philology. Although it was originally billed as a children's book, The Hobbit attracted a varied audience and has been wildly popular since its initial publication. Tolkien built upon the tradition of fantasy literature developed by George MacDonald, Lewis Carroll and the folk tales of Arabian Nights by inventing a new language—Elvish—and making it accessible for modern-day readers. Such creativity brought rave reviews for The Hobbit, which sold out of its original print run of 1,500 copies three months after publication.

The Hobbit

A <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/luxury/books-&amp;-manuscripts/book/first-edition?locale=en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">first edition</a>, first impression of <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/search?query=The%20Hobbit&amp;tab=objects&amp;sortBy=bsp_dotcom_prod_en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">The Hobbit</a>.<ul><li>J.R.R. Tolkien (English).</li><li>England: George Allen &amp; Unwin, 1937.</li><li>Octavo.</li><li>Bound in the publisher's original green cloth, presented in a facsimile dust jacket.</li></ul> Published on September 21, 1937, the first printing of the Hobbit constituted only 1500 copies and completely sold out by December 15th.

The Hobbit | First Edition, First Impression

A <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/buy/luxury/books-&amp;-manuscripts/book?locale=en&amp;Book%20Subject=Letters&amp;Book%20Subject=Manuscripts%252C%2520Letters%252C%2520Documents&amp;Book%20Subject=Manuscripts%252C%2520Letters%252C%2520Documents%252C%2520Ephemera" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">letter</a> from <a href="https://www.sothebys.com/en/search?locale=en&amp;Book%20Subject=Letters&amp;Book%20Subject=Manuscripts%252C%2520Letters%252C%2520Documents&amp;Book%20Subject=Manuscripts%252C%2520Letters%252C%2520Documents%252C%2520Ephemera&amp;query=J.R.R.%20Tolkien&amp;tab=objects&amp;sortBy=bsp_dotcom_prod_en" rel="noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">J.R.R. Tolkien</a> to Ken Jackson concerning a production of The Hobbit.<ul><li>J.R.R. Tolkien (English).</li><li>Dated January 4th, 1968.</li><li>Handwritten and signed.</li><li>1 ½ pages.</li><li>Signed by JRR Tolkien with the characteristic 3 dots and underscore.</li><li>Written on blind stamped headed paper: 76 Sandfield Road, Headington, Oxford.</li></ul> A fine original Tolkien letter, handwritten and signed to Ken Jackson, technical director of Humphrey Carpenter's musical adaptation of The Hobbit. An adaptation of The Hobbit, dramatized and produced by Humphrey Carpenter, was staged by New College Choir School in the late 1960s. Tolkien provided autographs for the actors but neglected the technical crew. Tolkien offers to send some 'stick-in autographs" to Mr. Jackson, technical director of Humphrey Carpenter's musical adaptation of The Hobbit at the end of 1967, who was "left out" of an autographing session Tolkien. The author then apologizes to "the back-room boys of the drama" noting their "necessary, indeed very important, functions". He explains that his eldest son, John Tolkien Jr, “used to perform the same functions at his school". Tolkien also signed copies of the program for the performance for Mr. Jackson and the children.

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