A Map of Middle-Earth.

1970 Baynes Map Map of Middle Earth for Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings'

Verlag: Erscheinungsdatum: 1970

Very good. Pinholes in corners with slight loss, reinstated. Otherwise a vivid example with rich color retention. Size 35.5 x 24 Inches. This is the iconic 1970 rare poster map of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle Earth drawn by Pauline Diana Baynes to promote the George Allen and Unwin release of the Lord of the Rings . Tolkien heaped praise upon Baynes' work, saying, 'They are more than illustrations, they are a collateral theme. I showed them to my friends whose polite comment was that they reduced my text to a commentary on the drawings.' The Making of the Map This map corresponds to the famous map drawn by J. R. R. Tolkien's son, Christopher J. R. Tolkien (1924 - 2020), for issue with The Fellowship of the Ring . With the help of cartographers from the Bordon military camp in Hampshire, Baynes expanded upon the map to create the present production. The header features the heroes of The Fellowship of the Ring marching together towards a dark forest. In the footer, the forces of darkness mount a pursuit - the Nine Nazgûl or Ringwraiths lead, followed on either side by Gollum, orc and human warriors, and the giant spider Shelob. Key locations from the novels appear in vignette form around the map, including Hobbiton and Mount Doom. Baynes worked closely with Tolkien to complete the map, visiting and corresponding with him extensively - at one point she described him as 'not very helpful.' Later, he was apparently pleased with the map, as Baynes wrote regarding the map's release event, 'He is in great form - first names and kissing all round - and pleased with the map.' Publication History and Census The map was drawn by Pauline Baynes in 1969 and published in 1970 by George Allen and Unwin. The posters were initially given out with the first 200 copies of the boxed Lord of the Rings trilogy. They proved popular and were subsequently sold. We note a major state difference between those printed in the United Kingdom and those printed in the United States. U.S. printings are slightly larger with more margin at the bottom - the present example is one of these, and includes the note 'First Trade Printing 1970. Printed in the U.S.A.' U.K. Ballentine editions, prepared for the release of the first paperback edition, are about 10% smaller with less margin on the bottom. These also typically bear the Ballentine imprint. While widely reproduced, originals with the publisher's imprint at the bottom center, as here, are scarce. References: OCLC 34318827. Bestandsnummer des Verkäufers MiddleEarth-baynes-1970-5

Bibliografische Details

Titel: A Map of Middle-Earth.
Erscheinungsdatum: 1970
Einband: Softcover
Auflage: 1. Auflage