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Poems from the Hobbit

16 Feb, 2016
2016-2-16 11:59:13 PM UTC

Hello all, so I received this description of the copyright page for this book, but I don't have my own to check against. If anyone has a spare minute, can you possibly check and let me know if this is describing the first impression? Many thanks in advance!
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This collection copyright HarperCollins Publishers 1993
Poems taken from The Hobbit
Copyright 1937 by George Allen & Unwin Ltd
Copyright 1966 by J.R.R. Tolkien
Copyright renewed 1994 by Christopher R. Tolkien, John F.R. Tolkien, and Priscilla M.A.R. Tolkien
Copyright restored 1996 by The Estate of J.R.R. Tolkien, assigned 1997 to The J.R.R. Tolkien Trust

Illustrations from pictures by J.R.R. Tolkien
copyright George Allen & Unwin (Publishers) Ltd 1979
Individual pictures copyright as indicated in that volume
The copyright page continues without any additional dates.
17 Feb, 2016
2016-2-17 10:39:53 PM UTC
Given that the collection is copyright 1993, but it also mentions 1994, 1996 and 1997 I would guess not a first impression.

The copyright dates don't sound right for HC editions of The Hobbit.
19 Feb, 2016
2016-2-19 8:14:19 PM UTC
Thank you Deagol. I was able to coax some blurry pictures out of the seller. Maybe this will help?

4451_56c7777dcae54.jpg 640X459 px

4451_56c777917447b.jpg 640X396 px
20 Feb, 2016
2016-2-20 12:13:46 AM UTC
The pictures match the Houghton Mifflin edition that I have - the 1199 code on the front flap is the date of publication (nov 1999) and the 6-97117 code on the rear flap (printed just above that is "Houghton Mifflin" but your seller photo only shows the 'g' descender in the right place). I am certain this is the US edition. The British edition came out a month earlier in October. I don't have a British copy to compare with to know if it is at all different, but that's a 100% match to my US edition.

I weakly believe that there is no printing information in the book, and I am not even sure that they made multiple impressions.

Hope this helps...

[EDIT] The ISBN is blurry but legible if you know what it should be. The US ISBN is 0618009345 which matches your image. The British edition (I would consider that the first edition) should be 026110389X.
20 Feb, 2016
2016-2-20 12:20:14 AM UTC
One other note. I have absolutely no idea why the collection has 1993 as the copyright date, as that is clearly not possible given the later dates noted by Deagol. I wonder if that was just a misprint for 1999. Was a different edition of this book released in 1993 and the mini book released in 1999 with the same initial copyright date? Findegil?
20 Feb, 2016
2016-2-20 1:21:04 AM UTC
Thank you Jeremy, very helpful!

There was a previous edition of this book in a slightly different format (which is what the 1993 refers to I believe): Tolkien Books
20 Feb, 2016 (edited)
2016-2-20 2:14:24 PM UTC

Berelach wrote:
Thank you Jeremy, very helpful!

There was a previous edition of this book in a slightly different format (which is what the 1993 refers to I believe): Tolkien Books

This is not "Poems from the Hobbit", as the book is called "Poems by J.R.R Tolkien", so don't think it is what the 1993 refers to.
20 Feb, 2016
2016-2-20 6:38:06 PM UTC
Oh, my mistake then. I just thought since all the poems in "Poems from the Hobbit" were included in "Poems by J.R.R. Tolkien" that that might have been what the 1993 date was referring to.
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