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Item 10B

The Lord of the Rings Trilogy

1953, 1954, 1955
Galley Proofs
Corrected by the Author

These volumes form an extraordinary record of the creation of one of the greatest fantasy epics of the 20th century, The Lord of the Rings. You are looking at galley proofs, the first printed versions of the novels. Each volume contains written annotations by Tolkien’s editors, along with some corrections made by Tolkien himself. He is wrangling with making real on the printed page the complex world he has created—questions about representing runes, questions about how to describe creatures that do not exist. Some of Tolkien’s changes resulted in creating phrases that resonate as iconic today, such as the first lines of The Fellowship of the Ring, changing “…and in the shadows bind them” to “and in the darkness bind them.”


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Visit the Folger to see this object on exhibit

Imprints in Time

Imprints in Time

This special exhibition at the Folger features rare books from the collection of Stuart and Mimi Rose that present literary, cultural, and historical high points.
Through Sun, Jan 5, 2025
Rose Exhibition Hall