Tolkien Library Store - Original cloth bindings - The Silmarillion

#cb0050 - The Silmarillion — 1977 First American Printing in Custom Slipcase - € 275

First American edition, first printing, in original green cloth and an unclipped $10.95 dust jacket, with the folding map of Beleriand and a later gilt-decorated black custom slipcase.

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The Silmarillion — 1977 First American Printing in Custom Slipcase

First American Edition, First Printing — 1977

Published by Houghton Mifflin Company, Boston, this is the first printing of the first American edition of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Silmarillion, edited by Christopher Tolkien. The copyright page explicitly states “First Printing” and “First American Edition”, with the complete number line W 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 and ISBN 0-395-25730-1. Printed in the United States of America.

The American edition was published on 15 September 1977. Its first printing of 325,000 copies was produced in August, before publication. This copy retains the priced trade-edition dust jacket, with the original $10.95 on the front flap and the ISBN on the rear panel.

Text, Maps and Original Binding

The volume brings together the creation narrative Ainulindalë, the account of the Valar, the Quenta Silmarillion and its tales of the First Age, Akallabêth and Of the Rings of Power and the Third Age. Genealogical tables, an index of names and an appendix on elements in Quenya and Sindarin names accompany the text.

The map of The Realms of the Noldor and the Sindar faces page 121, while Christopher Tolkien’s folding map of Beleriand and the Lands to the North is attached at the rear. The folding map is retained in this copy and is photographed folded.

In the publisher’s original green cloth, with a gilt heraldic device to the front board, silver spine lettering, metallic heraldic ornaments and a red top edge. The illustrated dust jacket reproduces Tolkien’s drawing, coloured by H.E. Riddett, with jacket design credited to Louise Noble. Roger Hill’s photograph of Tolkien appears on the rear panel.

Custom Slipcase

A later black custom slipcase, decorated in gilt with Tolkien’s monogram on one face and a heraldic emblem on the other, accompanies the volume. This is an added protective case, separate from the publisher’s original binding and jacket.

Condition

A very good copy. The green cloth and metallic decoration remain attractive, with light surface rubbing and minor handling wear at the extremities. The red top edge remains strong. The other page edges are lightly toned, with scattered small brown spots, particularly along the fore-edge. The photographed endpapers and text openings are generally clean, with light paper toning.

The original dust jacket is unclipped at $10.95 and protected by a clear sleeve. It shows light edge wear and creasing, with some toning and scattered small marks to the pale areas. The custom slipcase has light surface scuffing and rubbing, with its gilt decoration retained.

Bibliographical reference: Wayne G. Hammond and Douglas A. Anderson, J.R.R. Tolkien: A Descriptive Bibliography, pp. 221–223.

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Pictures (click to enlarge):

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The Silmarillion — 1977 First American Printing in Custom Slipcase, photograph 17

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