The Hobbit
J.R.R. Tolken. London, George Allen and Unwin Ltd., 1937.

First edition, first impression of Tolkien’s first fantasy novel, a classic in children’s literature. The original printing of this first impression numbered a mere 1,500 copies and sold out by December due to enthusiastic reviews. Only very few copies of this pre-WWII book with an unrestored dust jacket are left.

Original decorated dark blue-stamped green cloth, wove endpapers with maps of Thror and Wilderland in red and black, top edge painted in green, original unrestored first issue dust jacket on wove paper with coloured illustration of the Lonely Mountain and neighbouring mountains and forest in black, green and blue, back flap with the misspelled name of the publisher (Dodgeson instead of Dodgson) corrected in ink. Cover and dust jacket designed by Tolkien. Preserved in matching green half morocco drop-back box (CHELSEA BINDERY). With full page half-tone plate of Mirkwood facing page 146 and 9 black and white illustrations in text, all designed by Tolkien. 310, [2] pp. (pp. [1-2] blank).