The Lord of the Rings – J.R.R. Tolkien – 1969 Deluxe India-Paper Edition, First Impression

The very first printing of the celebrated India-paper deluxe edition of The Lord of the Rings, published by George Allen & Unwin in 1969, here in remarkably well-preserved condition and complete with its original slipcase.

This is the true first impression of the 1969 deluxe India-paper edition, the earliest of all deluxe one-volume printings of Tolkien’s masterwork. Published by George Allen & Unwin shortly after the author’s retirement from Oxford, this edition quickly became the benchmark of luxury Tolkien publishing, combining elegance, durability and fine materials in a way that few later editions ever matched.

Bound in black cloth with Tolkien’s heraldic device blocked in bright gilt and silver, the volume features the characteristic marbled endpapers, rune borders printed in black, and the famously thin India paper that allows the entire text to be contained in a single, beautifully handled volume. The edges are sprinkled green, exactly as issued for the first state. Typesetting is crisp and clean throughout, and the volume retains its original feel and proportions without any warping or compression of the text block.

Bibliographical details:
– Author: J.R.R. Tolkien
– Title: The Lord of the Rings (The Fellowship of the Ring / The Two Towers / The Return of the King)
– Publisher: George Allen & Unwin Ltd., London
– Edition: Deluxe India-paper Edition, First Impression
– Year: 1969
– Format: Black cloth binding with gilt & silver heraldic device; green speckled edges; marbled endpapers; original publisher’s slipcase
– Pagination: 1199 pp.

Condition report:
A particularly sharp and attractive example. The black cloth binding is clean and unfaded, showing only minimal handling marks. Gilt and silver blocking on the upper board remains bright and without significant loss. The spine is square, tight and entirely unfaded. The green-sprinkled edges retain excellent colour. The India-paper text block is exceptionally crisp, with no tears, creases or dog-earing. Marbled endpapers are clean, fresh and without cracking at the hinges.

The title-page, copyright-page and sectional headings are all clean and bright. No inscriptions, no bookplates, and no internal markings. The original slipcase is present and complete; it shows the usual rubbing to edges and corners, but remains fully intact and structurally sound—far better preserved than is typical for this edition.

Summary:
A desirable and increasingly scarce first impression of the 1969 deluxe India-paper edition of The Lord of the Rings, presented here in a condition far superior to most surviving examples. A cornerstone item for collectors of Tolkien’s deluxe editions and an elegant, historically important issue of the book that has shaped generations of readers.

A superb copy—clean, complete, and ready for the finest Tolkien collection.

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