Tolkien Collector's Guide
Sign In
Tolkien Collector's Guide
Important links:

Guide to Tolkien's Letters
-
Winner of the 2019 Tolkien Society award for Best Website

Discerning which edition of The Hobbit

13 Jun, 2018
2018-6-13 12:54:07 PM UTC

It has been almost a year now, but someone came to me looking for this particular edition of The Hobbit, and partly because I have had many other requests and partly because I'm unsure which edition this, I have not yet fulfilled this wish.

In addition to the picture, I was given the following information:
1. It is a small black hardcover
2. It had full page illustrations, but not in color

Any information you can share would be much appreciated!

4775_5b2113d49f7e3.png 1080X1440 px
13 Jun, 2018
2018-6-13 1:26:45 PM UTC
I think it is this box-set, http://tolkienbooks.net/php/details2.php?id=1222

Book picture here, http://tolkienbooks.net/php/details2.php?id=207

The picture that you posted is not from this edition, but the other information matches.
13 Jun, 2018 (edited)
2018-6-13 2:01:02 PM UTC
One of the members of the site posted on this, and the post appears to have been lost, please post your response again and sorry that this happened.

Thanks, Onónion for reposting your reply
13 Jun, 2018
2018-6-13 2:11:50 PM UTC
Perhaps a custom rebound copy of a first impression copy? B/w illustrations, font looks like a bold look-a-like of the original, the title and the dragon-motif appear to be gold-stamped onto the boards (although it's hard to tell from this picture)...

Although still different from the book shown, this clamshell case comes to mind as an example:


(Trotter: sorry about the mess-up, working with very slow internet and accidentally deleted my post instead of editing it...)
13 Jun, 2018
2018-6-13 6:56:26 PM UTC
Thanks to you both for your replies. I am trying to determine if that photo was of the actual book or just a similar photo found online. I found out that the book I am looking to replace was from a library, so it's unlikely that it was a nice clamshell case.

I was thinking that it could be a hardcover book that was missing its dust jacket, but I have yet to come across one like the photo.

It might be that the book that Trotter linked to will suffice, in which case, my quest will soon be at an end!
13 Jun, 2018
2018-6-13 7:06:27 PM UTC
It does look to me like a library rebind of a 1960s-1970s standard hardcover of The Hobbit, given all the information shared so far.

I thought it might be this book (from the collector's set) as a small black hardcover, but clearly the front board looks different.

http://tolkienbooks.net/php/details2.php?id=207
13 Jun, 2018
2018-6-13 7:19:10 PM UTC
Thanks Urulöké! That's the same one that Trotter suggested, and I've just heard back that it would be perfect as a replacement. Now to keep my eyes peeled for a good deal...
Jump to Last
All original content ©2024 by the submitting authors. Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | Contact Us