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Tolkien About A Lot Of Money
Bonhams Sells First Edition of "The Hobbit" For World Record Breaking £60,000
A very rare 1937 first issue of the first edition of J R R Tolkien's much-loved
classic The Hobbit was sold today (18 March) by international fine art auctioneers Bonhams
in London for a staggering £60,000 – twice its pre-sale estimate and a new world
record price at auction for an inscribed copy of the book.
The first edition, which was inscribed by the author to his friend Elaine Griffiths
was bought on the telephone by a bidder who wishes to remain anonymous.
The Hobbit is Tolkien's most successful book. It established his name as an author
and is a prequel to the longer novel "The Lord of the Rings". It was
written for Tolkien's children but his friend Elain thought so highly of the typescript
that she suggested it be read by Susan Dagnall at George Allen and Unwin, who
then published the book for the first time. It is illustrated with many black
and white drawings penned by Tolkien himself.
The story follows the hobbit Bilbo Baggins in his perilous quest to reclaim the
treasures taken from him by the dragon Smaug. From the moment of publication the
book was an instant success; the mere 1,500 copies of the first edition selling
out within a couple of months. It has since sold over 100 million copies and has
been voted the most significant children's book of the century by the Library
Association. There are also reports that a film of The Hobbit will be released
in 2010.
Also included in the sale was the first foreign language edition of The Hobbit,
translated into Swedish in 1947, which fetched £1,560. It had been expected to
sell for £400-800. Again, this book was inscribed by Tolkien to Elaine Griffiths.
The Hobbit has since been translated into nearly 50 different languages.
Another exceptional and poignant item in the sale was the last known photograph
of Tolkien, taken by his grandson Michael on August 9th 1973. The photograph,
expected to fetch £400-600 sold for £864. It shows the author in the Oxford Botanical
Gardens leaning against his favourite tree, the Black Pine he named Laocoon. It
was a gift to Elaine Griffiths from Tolkien's daughter Priscilla, who wrote on
the back "For Elaine with love from Priscilla".
For further information and images, please contact Josephine Olley on +44 (0)207
468 8229 or email: press@bonhams.com
NOTES FOR EDITORS
Bonhams, founded in 1793, is one of the world's oldest and largest auctioneers
of fine art and antiques. The present company was formed by the merger in November
2001 of Bonhams & Brooks and Phillips Son and Neale UK. In August 2002, the company
acquired Butterfields, the principal firm of auctioneers on the West Coast of
America and in August 2003, Goodmans, a leading Australian fine art and antiques
auctioneer with salerooms in Sydney, joined the Bonhams Group of Companies. Today,
Bonhams offers more sales than any of its rivals, through two major salerooms
in London: New Bond Street, and Knightsbridge, and a further seven throughout
the UK. Sales are also held in San Francisco, Los Angeles, New York and Boston
in the USA; and Switzerland, France, Monaco, Australia, Hong Kong and Dubai. Bonhams
has a worldwide network of offices and regional representatives in 25 countries
offering sales advice and valuation services in 57 specialist areas.
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