The Return of the King — First Edition, First Impression, 1955

First UK Edition, First Impression — 1955

Published by George Allen & Unwin, London, on 20 October 1955, this is the first edition, first impression of The Return of the King, the third and concluding volume of The Lord of the Rings. The title page is dated 1955 and the copyright page states “First published in 1955”, with no later impression listed.

The volume completes the story and contains the extensive Appendices: histories and genealogies, the chronology of the Third Age, calendars, writing systems, and notes on the languages and peoples of Middle-earth. Preparing the Appendices delayed publication after the first two volumes.

Printing and Production

Printed by Jarrold & Sons Ltd, Norwich, in 11 on 12 point Imprint type. The first-impression printing order was for 12,000 sets of sheets, including 5,000 for Houghton Mifflin’s American issue. The publishing records list 7,160 Allen & Unwin copies bound by Jarrold in October 1955, reflecting the printer’s normal allowance for overproduction beyond the nominal 7,000 UK copies.

Binding, Map and Facsimile Jacket

In the publisher’s original red cloth, with gilt spine lettering and Ring device, and a red top edge. Runic borders frame the title-page opening. Christopher Tolkien’s folding map of Gondor, Rohan and Mordor, printed in red and black, is retained at the rear.

The original dust jacket is not present. A later facsimile of the Ring-and-Eye jacket is supplied for protection and presentation, fitted with a clear protective sleeve. This is a reproduction, not an original 1955 jacket; it is shown in the final two gallery photographs.

Condition

The red cloth retains a strong colour, with visible gilt spine lettering. There is rubbing to the spine ends, joints, edges and corners, with small pale marks and streaks on the boards. The page edges are toned, with conspicuous irregular brown staining on the fore-edge.

The front endpapers have pronounced foxing and browning, a previous owner’s handwritten name, an irregular brown mark on the free endpaper, and small red marks at the upper inner edges. The rear endpapers are also browned and spotted. The photographed text openings are more lightly toned, with some marginal marks; the staining is particularly visible along the fore-edge of the leaves. The rear folding map is present and shown folded.

A first-impression Return of the King retaining its original cloth binding and folding map, accompanied by a clearly identified protective facsimile jacket.

Bibliographical reference: Wayne G. Hammond and Douglas A. Anderson, J.R.R. Tolkien: A Descriptive Bibliography, pp. 85–99.

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