The Hobbit – SECOND IMPRESSION IN DUST WRAPPER – 1937 – J.R.R Tolkien

Description

Hardcover. Condition: Very Good. Dust Jacket Condition: Very Good. 1st Edition. HARDBACK – A very good book bound in the publisher’s green cloth boards with black lettering to the spine. The boards are very clean indeed with no fading or colour loss to the spine. There is mild pushing to the spine tips with light bumping to the top corner of the front board. Internally, the pages are clean with light foxing to the page blocks, but with no signs of foxing to the inner text. There is a small owner name in blue ink to the top corner of the front end-paper with a small christmas 1939 present to the bottom corner of the front paste down. The green top-stain is still present but has faded somewhat. There are a couple of faint stains to the base of the page block that do not encroach into the inner text. The dust wrapper is the correct second impression, and is also in very good condition with mild toning to the spine. There are small chips to the tip and tail of the spine, also with small chips to the corners of the front and rear flap folds. The dust wrapper’s has some foxing with light soiling to the verso of the wrapper that do not show through to most of the wrapper, but foxing can be seen to the white portion of the upper front panel. Overall, a clean dust wrapper considering its age, with the publisher’s printed price of 7s.6d.net. present to the front flap. The second impression is dated 1937, but was actually published in January 1938, saw the first appearance of four additional colour illustrations by Tolkien. Some 2300 copies were originally printed, although 423 copies were destroyed at the binders during the London Blitz in 1940. Scarce thus.