The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, published by Houghton Mifflin in 1938 in the USA.
This is the 1st Edition, 1st Impression, 2nd State, with the flautist on the title page.

The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, by J.R.R. Tolkien. Published by Houghton Mifflin in 1938.

This book is one of the 3,000 probably to have been printed and the rarest of the 1st US edition. This book shows the features of a second-state Hobbit, including the flautist device on the title page. The Wilderland map is at the front and the Lonely Mountain map at the back, the reverse of the description in the text, and Chapter VII (Out of the Frying-Pan into the Fire) is incorrectly identified as 'Chapter VI'. The margins are ample and the typesetting is well crafted for readability. The tan cloth cover is printed in blue for lettering and red for the bowing hobbit emblem on the front and the dwarf's hood emblem on the spine.

Embellished with 4 colour plates and black and white illustrations throughout by the author. All of which are present and in extremely clean and bright condition. This is also the first edition to feature the 'Bilbo Wakes Up' plate. Hammond & Anderson [A3b]. The text block and maps are also very clean and bright, with only the lightest foxing on a few pages. The only difference with the 1st state is the flautist emblem on the title page, replacing the bowing hobbit in the 1st state.

The book has several flaws consistent with its age. The boards have several stains to the front, spine and back and overall wear. The head of the spine shows damage to the cloth, with some bumping at the foot.
The text block is generally clean, with occasional small stains or marks. The Wilderland map at the front has traces of a removed sticker and a small area of surface loss. A faint pencil notation is visible on a preliminary page. Clearly the book has been read before: a nice early book with a history.

I have provided a one-piece facsimile of the very rare first-state dust jacket to help protect and show off this lovely classic of modern fiction.

Read more about the first American edition of the Hobbit here.

Digital photos available, enquire if interested.

Other Tolkien books available, include both the UK and US editions, original cloth bindings, custom fine bindings, and Signed/Numbered/Limited Editions.

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