The Lord of the Rings by J.R.R. Tolkien - First Edition Set (1954-1955) with Dust Jackets and Original Maps.

Rare first edition set of J.R.R. Tolkien’s The Lord of the Rings, including The Fellowship of the Ring (4th Impression, 1955), The Two Towers (1st Impression, 1954), and The Return of the King (1st Impression, 1955). Complete with original dust jackets and fold-out maps, in very good condition. Ideal for Tolkien collectors and literary enthusiasts.

The Lord of the Rings
J.R.R. Tolkien
First Edition (1954-1955)
Published by George Allen & Unwin, London
Includes fold-out maps

The Lord of the Rings, George Allen & Unwin, published in 1955, 1954, and 1955, the 1st UK Edition, 4th, 1st, 1st impressions.

The Fellowship of the Ring (4th impression, November 1955):

The jacket is present and shows noticeable fading, particularly on the spine, where the red color has considerably faded to brown. The front and back panels have minor discoloration and wear along the edges, with some mild scuffing and small tears.
There is no price clipping on the jacket.
The red cloth boards are in good condition, though there is some minor fading along the edges. The gilt lettering on the spine is still bright, but there is noticeable rubbing to the spine tips.
There is no foxing present on the pages, and the text block is clean and well-preserved.
An ownership name and date (“Marjorie Graham, October 1965”) is written on the front free endpaper.
The original fold-out map at the rear is present and in excellent condition, with no tears or marks.

The Two Towers (1st impression, November 11, 1954):

The original dust jacket is present and in better condition than The Fellowship of the Ring’s jacket, though there is significant fading on the spine, turning it to a brownish hue. The front cover has retained more of its original color, but the edges show mild wear, particularly at the spine tips.
The rear flap mentions blurbs from The Fellowship of the Ring, and the price on the jacket is still present.
The red cloth boards show some light fading, especially around the edges. The spine is slightly rubbed, but the gilt lettering remains legible and clear.
Ownership name and date (“Marjorie Graham, October 1965”) is present on the front free endpaper, consistent with the other volumes in the set.
There is no foxing visible on the pages, and the text block is clean and tight.
The fold-out map is in excellent condition, complete and intact with no visible damage or wear.

The Return of the King (1st impression, October 20, 1955, later state):

The jacket is in good condition, though it shows significant fading on the spine and some wear to the front and back panels. The spine’s once-red tone has faded to a brownish shade, similar to the other volumes, with noticeable wear and scuffing along the spine tips and edges.
There is no price clipping on the jacket.
The red cloth boards are in very good condition, with minimal wear, but there is some light fading at the spine edges. The gilt lettering on the spine remains bright with only slight rubbing to the spine ends.
Ownership name and date (“Marjorie Graham, October 1965”) is inscribed on the front free endpaper.
Internally, the book is very clean with no foxing present, and the text block is well-preserved.
The fold-out map at the back is present and in very good condition with no visible wear or damage.


All three books retain their original dust jackets, which show significant fading, particularly on the spines, where the once-vibrant red color has turned to brown. The front and back panels have minor edge wear, scuffing, and small tears, but they are otherwise intact with no price clipping.

The red cloth boards of all three volumes are in good to very good condition, with minimal wear and some slight fading, primarily on the edges. The gilt lettering on the spines remains bright and legible across all volumes, though there is some minor rubbing, particularly on the spine tips.
The ownership signature and date of “Marjorie Graham, October 1965” is consistently found on the front free endpaper of each volume.
There is no foxing present in any of the books, and the pages are clean, with the text blocks remaining tight and well-preserved.
Each volume retains its original fold-out map, which is in excellent condition, with no visible tears, marks, or creasing. These maps are a key feature for collectors and are well-preserved in this set.

This is a highly collectible set of The Lord of the Rings, comprising a 4th impression of The Fellowship of the Ring, and 1st impressions of The Two Towers and The Return of the King. The presence of the original dust jackets (albeit faded and worn) and the intact fold-out maps adds significant value to this set. Despite the fading on the dust jackets and some minor wear to the boards, the books are internally clean and in very good condition, with no foxing and tight bindings. The consistent ownership inscriptions across all three volumes further add to their provenance and history.

This set would be a valuable addition to any Tolkien collection, particularly for those seeking early impressions with original features like the dust jackets and maps.

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Interested: Please send email to info@tolkienlibrary.com.