Olorin wrote: Mon May 02, 2022 11:32 am
OK, I just took a look and came up with nothing (which doesn't mean I couldn't have overlooked it).
I'm surprised that you, as someone who'll spend the extra bucks to get the UK edition of Tolkien books, hasn't acquired his art books. They are all very worth having, as they really enrich our picture of the man's talent, not to mention getting a glimpse of how he envisioned his creations. If you want to track them down (and some may be out of print but there are a number of ways to find out of print books), they are:
Pictures by JRR Tolkien
JRR Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator
The Art of the Lord of the Rings
The Art of the Hobbit
Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth
The last is not exclusively his artwork but also includes photos of him and family members. And obviously the 3rd and 4th books in my list are not to be confused with the movie tie-in concept art books.
I was a little surprised when I started looking for these books just now that there were five of them. Due to their varying sizes and the configuration of my library, I have them in several different places (and the shelf of the coffee table REALLY needs dusting).
I'm a rather late arrival to Middle Earth. The first Tolkien book I read was
The Hobbit sometime in the 1990's I think.
I did not read LOTR until Oct 2001, before the Fellowship was released at the the theatres.
And the only reason I did it right then and not at some later date, was that I wasn't going to see the movie unless I knew the story first, and in detail.
I had been aware of JRRT and the ME lore for decades, just never read his work, or even anything about him.
In my freshman year of HS (ca. early 70s) some of the lit. classes read
The Hobbit, but mine wasn't one of them.
Also the animated LOTR came out around then. I had no interest in any of it, tho' I liked SF a lot and maybe a little fantasy.
I recall the years of the calendars showcasing his art.
In retrospect I'm very glad I had no contact at all with any JRRT stories or lore (or calendars) at that time.
High school was, shall we say, a less than pleasant experience for me, as were my teen years in general.
Had I read any JRRT stories I do not think I would now go anywhere near them as reading them would dredge up memories better left buried.
So it is providential that I only came to ME as an adult in my 40s.
I do not have any of those books you listed, altho' I have many books about Tolkien and ME, including Shippey's T
he Road to Middle Earth, Karen Fonstad's
Atlas (well thumbed by me), Scull and Hammond's
Companion, also his
Letters, the collection of essays
"The Monsters and the Critics and other Essays" (ed by CRRT), some other books about him, some literary journals containing articles about him (e.g.,
The Chesterton Review).
I've only lately taken an interest in his artwork because it is a topic in not a few of his letters; his discussions with publishers often touch on whether he will be including any art----his own or others'--- in the MS.
There is a seller in the UK listing
JRR Tolkien: Artist and Illustrator in hardback (pub. HarperCollins) for about $150 (condition: very good, shipping is about $5).
After I look at the one from library I will decide if I want to have my own copy.
And I'll have to see about requesting those others from the library.