Vintage The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Books for JRR Tolkien’s Birthday

On this day in 1892, John Ronald Reuel Tolkien (more widely known by his pen name, J.R.R. Tolkien) was born. In honor of the anniversary of his birthday here are quick glimpses of vintage copies of The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings Books.

Library copy of “The Hobbit or There and Back Again (Revised Edition)” made by Ballentine Books of New York authorized by Houghton Mifflin Company. This has a hard cover with the sealed protector used by libraries. This is from the “Twenty-six Printing: August, 1970” in the United States. ISBN: 345-01532-095. It even has the library card and stamped sheet in the front cover of the book for Pathfinder School.

“The Lord of the Rings Part One: The Fellowship of the Ring” is a mass market paperback printed by Ballentine Book of New York in arrangement with Houghton Mifflin Company from the “Sixty-seventh Printing: November 1978”. On the copyright page it says “The cover painting, The Hills: Hobbiton-across-the-Water is by J.R.R. Tolkien © George Allen & Unwin, Ltd 1937, 1951, 1966.” It also says “Portrait photograph on the back cover by Billett Potter ©George Allen & Unwin, Ltd. 1973.” This included an introduction by Peter Beagle (The Last Unicorn). ISBN: 0-345-27258-7

“The Lord of the Rings Part Two: The Two Towers” is a mass market paperback with a green cover printed by Ballentine Books, a division of Random House, Inc, New York in arrangement with Houghton Mifflin Company. This book is from the “Sixty-ninth Printing: April 1981”. The copyright page says; “Maps of Middle-earth copyright ©George Allen & Unwin Publishers Ltd. 1980” as well as “Cover art by Darrell K. Sweet from the 1982 J.R.R. Tolkien Calendar. Copyright © 1981 by Random House, Inc.” It also included an introduction by Peter Beagle. ISBN: 0-345-29606-0. The back cover says this is a “Special Silver Jubilee Edition”.

“The Lord of the Rings Rings Part Three: The Return of the King” is a mass mark paperback by Ballentine Books, a division of Random House, Inc, New York in arrangement with Houghton Mifflin Company. This book is from the “Sixty-first Printing: November 1978”. The copyright page says: “The cover painting Barad-Dûr is by J.R.R. Tolkien ©George Allen & Unwin Ltd., 1954, 1955, 1966.” as well as “Portrait photograph on back cover by Billett Potter, © George Allen & Unwin, Ltd., 1973.” There is an introduction by Peter Beagle. ISBN: 0-345-27260-9.

The story of these is a wee bit sad. Unfortunately someone traded my great-uncle’s FIRST EDITION copies of Lord of the Rings in my Grandma’s library for these. So they are old, but they’re not as old. However, these were the ones Grandma eventually gave to me.

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