Remarkable signed collection of J. R. R. Tolkien's four most famous works, including The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy: The Fellowship of the Ring, The Two Towers, and The Return of the King. All are housed in handsome custom-made quarter-leather clamshell cases, gilt-lettered on the spines. It is difficult to find even a single signed volume of one of Tolkien's classics up for auction; to have these four iconic works available in a single lot is truly remarkable. The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings trilogy revolutionized the fantasy genre, establishing a rich, immersive world that continues to inspire writers and creators to this day. Their themes of friendship, courage, and the battle between good and evil resonate across cultures and generations, cementing Tolkien's place as a literary icon. These works have not only shaped modern fantasy but also fostered a vast, global fanbase through adaptations in film, art, gaming, and other media.
Includes:
- Signed book: The Hobbit by J. R. R. Tolkien. Third edition, first impression (sixteenth impression overall). London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1966. Hardcover bound in the publisher's original green cloth boards (lettered and decorated in blue), with original pictorial dust jacket, 5.25 x 7.5, 317 pages, featuring pictorial map endpapers, color frontispiece depicting Hobbiton, plus three other color plates ('Rivendell'; 'Bilbo comes to the Huts of the Raft-elves'; 'Conversation with Smaug'). Beautifully signed and inscribed on the title page in fountain pen, "For Mr. I. Chambers, J. R. R. Tolkien." The personal bookplate of noteworthy bookseller Ivan Chambers, O.B.E., is affixed opposite the half-title. Autographic condition: very fine. Book condition: VG+/VG, with mottled foxing on the top edge of the textblock, minor fading to the book's spine, and the jacket's spine toned.
The recipient, Ivan Chambers, began his bookselling career at W.J. Bryce's bookshop in Holborn, London; the shop soon moved to Museum Street, in a building belonging to Tolkien's publisher, Stanley Unwin, and Chambers stayed there until his retirement as the store's managing director in 1971. Active in the book trade, Chambers served as an executive on the National Book Council and as chairman of the London branch of the Booksellers Association. The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography notes: 'The success of Tolkien's writing, as well as his subsequent fanatical worldwide readership, was due in no small part to the author–publisher relationship that existed between Tolkien, Stanley Unwin, and later [Stanley's son] Rayner Unwin.' Considering Chambers' proximity to the Unwin and his long-term activity in the book trade, he certainly played a part in the enduring success of Tolkien's novels.
- Signed book: The Fellowship of the Ring by J. R. R. Tolkien. First edition, second impression (December 1954). London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1954. Hardcover bound in the publisher's original red cloth, 5.75 x 8.75, 423 pages. Signed on the first free end page in fountain pen, "J. R. R. Tolkien." Autographic condition: very good to fine, with light foxing to signed page. Book condition: VG-/None, with foxing to endpapers, sunning to spine, and rubbing to boards; the folded map plate in the rear remains intact and fine.
- Signed book: The Two Towers by J. R. R. Tolkien. First edition, second impression. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1955. Hardcover bound in the publisher's original red cloth, 5.75 x 9, 352 pages. Signed on the first free end page in fountain pen, "J. R. R. Tolkien." Autographic condition: very good, with overall mottled toning to the signed page. Book condition: VG-/None, with toning and some foxing to endpapers, sunning and a bit of staining to spine, and rubbing to boards; the folded map plate in the rear remains intact and fine.
- Signed book: The Return of the King by J. R. R. Tolkien. First edition, first impression. London: George Allen & Unwin Ltd, 1955. Hardcover bound in the publisher's original red cloth, 6 x 9, 416 pages. Signed on the first free end page in fountain pen, "J. R. R. Tolkien." Autographic condition: very good to fine, with light overall foxing to the signed page. Book condition: VG-/None, with light foxing to endpapers, sunning and staining to spine, and some rubbing and light staining to boards; the folded map plate in the rear remains intact and fine.
