J.R.R. Tolkien : Maker of Middle-earth
The Doors of Durin and elvish writing welcome the visitor at the entrance of ‘Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth’, the recently opened exhibition at the Lee Gallery of the Bodleian library, setting from the start the mood for the rest of the exhibition.
The dark walls of the galleries and indirect light provide a sense of mystery while subtly enhancing the items on display.
And although in technological terms the exhibition does not add much (no video screens, audio tours, interactive screens, etc.), the sole chance to see the original manuscripts penned by J.R.R. Tolkien and his original illustrations is a delight all on its own.
Much more when we realise how exceptional this opportunity is, which is why it's being touted as a ‘once-in-a-generation’ exhibition.
Since 1979, The Bodleian Library holds the largest collection of Tolkien’s manuscripts and illustrations in the world, and this is the most extensive exhibition dedicated to Tolkien since the 1950's.
Part of the reason for the rarity of displaying these items is due to their fragility: most of them require special conditions of temperature, humidity and light to be preserved, thus making them too delicate for permanent public display or even for long periods of time.
And yet, Oxford is the perfect setting for this exhibition, being the alma mater of J.R.R.Tolkien and the place where he spent most of his adult life as a professor and scholar.
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in South Africa in 1892. After the death of his father in 1895, his mother established the family with her husband’s relatives in England.
Video:
Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth
(exploring the creation of Tolkien’s world) 6:52"
Since 1979, The Bodleian Library holds the largest collection of Tolkien’s manuscripts and illustrations in the world, and this is the most extensive exhibition dedicated to Tolkien since the 1950's.
Part of the reason for the rarity of displaying these items is due to their fragility: most of them require special conditions of temperature, humidity and light to be preserved, thus making them too delicate for permanent public display or even for long periods of time.
And yet, Oxford is the perfect setting for this exhibition, being the alma mater of J.R.R.Tolkien and the place where he spent most of his adult life as a professor and scholar.
J.R.R. Tolkien during his student days at Oxford, 1911.
John Ronald Reuel Tolkien was born in South Africa in 1892. After the death of his father in 1895, his mother established the family with her husband’s relatives in England.
In 1911, at the age of 18, Tolkien entered Exeter College in Oxford University, to study Classics, but later changed to English Language and Literature.
He graduated in 1915 and that same year he enlisted in the British Army, marrying his College sweetheart, Edith Bratt, in 1916, shortly before he was sent along his battalion to fight in the Battle of the Somme.
Upon his return to England, Tolkien worked briefly at Leeds University and giving classes to private students. During this time, he translated the Anglo-Saxon poem ‘Beowulf’, which not only earned him scholastic notoriety but also became a source of inspiration for his future stories.
Upon his return to England, Tolkien worked briefly at Leeds University and giving classes to private students. During this time, he translated the Anglo-Saxon poem ‘Beowulf’, which not only earned him scholastic notoriety but also became a source of inspiration for his future stories.
From 1925 to 1945, Tolkien worked as a professor at Pembroke College, and in Merton College from 1945 until his retirement in 1959.
Tolkien began the story ‘The Hobbit’ as a tale to entertain his children, but in 1936 it captured the attention of publishers George Allen & Ulwin, who published it a year later.
Tolkien began the story ‘The Hobbit’ as a tale to entertain his children, but in 1936 it captured the attention of publishers George Allen & Ulwin, who published it a year later.
Following its immediate success, the publishers requested Tolkien for more Hobbit stories, but their wait would be long: it took Tolkien ten years to thread and complete the story for ‘The Lord of the Rings’, one that began as a children’s story but became darker over time, probably as a result of the troubled times during which it was written.
The first book of the trilogy, ‘The Fellowship of the Ring’, was finally published in 1954.
All of these and more is comprised, albeit briefly, in this exhibit, displaying over 200 items covering Tolkien’s life and his creation of Middle-earth.
Drawing from the Boldeian’s own extensive archive, and with the collaboration of Marquette’s University Tolkien collection and other private collections in the UK, US, and France, the library presents one of the most complete exhibitions of its kind, comprising many before-unseen items, as well as the library’s latest Tolkien acquisition from 2016: a map of Middle-earth annotated by Tolkien himself.
Among the items included in this exhibition are draft manuscripts of ‘The Hobbit’, some of the drawings, maps, watercolors, jacket designs created by Tolkien for its publication, original manuscripts of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Silmarillion’ (Tolkien’s first work on the legends of the elves), photos and letters from his childhood and student days at Oxford, his watercolour paints, coloured pencils, his pipe and briefcase, and part of his personal library.
Perhaps one of the most entertaining items exhibited is located at the very heart of the exhibition: a 3D map of Middle-earth detailing the routes followed by all the different characters that populate ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy. Even if you’ve only seen the films, you may have a nice time checking it out and retrace the steps of each character.
Yet the range of the artifacts and material presented throughout this exhibition is not only entertaining for the Tolkien fan - they also provide us with a deeper insight into the inner life of this scholar, translator, philologist, poet, medievalist and writer: his background, his sources of inspiration, his creative fuels and his struggles to continue the creation he had discreetly started during his college years.
One of the subjects explored in the exhibition is Tolkien’s environmentalism, at a time when the term did not even exist.
All of these and more is comprised, albeit briefly, in this exhibit, displaying over 200 items covering Tolkien’s life and his creation of Middle-earth.
Map of Middle-earth annotated by Tolkien.
Drawing from the Boldeian’s own extensive archive, and with the collaboration of Marquette’s University Tolkien collection and other private collections in the UK, US, and France, the library presents one of the most complete exhibitions of its kind, comprising many before-unseen items, as well as the library’s latest Tolkien acquisition from 2016: a map of Middle-earth annotated by Tolkien himself.
Among the items included in this exhibition are draft manuscripts of ‘The Hobbit’, some of the drawings, maps, watercolors, jacket designs created by Tolkien for its publication, original manuscripts of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ and ‘The Silmarillion’ (Tolkien’s first work on the legends of the elves), photos and letters from his childhood and student days at Oxford, his watercolour paints, coloured pencils, his pipe and briefcase, and part of his personal library.
Book jacket designed by Tolkien for the first edition of 'The Hobbit'.
Perhaps one of the most entertaining items exhibited is located at the very heart of the exhibition: a 3D map of Middle-earth detailing the routes followed by all the different characters that populate ‘The Hobbit’ and ‘The Lord of the Rings’ trilogy. Even if you’ve only seen the films, you may have a nice time checking it out and retrace the steps of each character.
Yet the range of the artifacts and material presented throughout this exhibition is not only entertaining for the Tolkien fan - they also provide us with a deeper insight into the inner life of this scholar, translator, philologist, poet, medievalist and writer: his background, his sources of inspiration, his creative fuels and his struggles to continue the creation he had discreetly started during his college years.
One of the subjects explored in the exhibition is Tolkien’s environmentalism, at a time when the term did not even exist.
His concern for nature and the human responsibility for its extinction is clearly manifest in his characters of Treebeard and the Ents in ‘The Lord of the Rings’, but also in his letters, drawings, watercolours, and his extracurricular activities at the University.
The fan mail displayed - including some letters by W. H. Auden and C.S. Lewis, among many others - sheds light on the impact that Tolkien’s work had on readers from the start, as well as on the author’s character : modest, loving family man and fond of his group of literary friends, the ‘Inklings’.
Another interesting item on display is the ‘Tree of Tongues’, created by Tolkien while still a student of Classics at Oxford, which not only speaks of his enduring passion for linguistics, but also shows the budding seed for his creation of the elvish tongue.
But if seeing Tolkien’s early works and manuscripts is astounding, witnessing the finesse of his watercolor illustrators is truly eye-opening.
J.R.R. Tolkien at the Botanical Gardens, Oxford, 1973.
The fan mail displayed - including some letters by W. H. Auden and C.S. Lewis, among many others - sheds light on the impact that Tolkien’s work had on readers from the start, as well as on the author’s character : modest, loving family man and fond of his group of literary friends, the ‘Inklings’.
Another interesting item on display is the ‘Tree of Tongues’, created by Tolkien while still a student of Classics at Oxford, which not only speaks of his enduring passion for linguistics, but also shows the budding seed for his creation of the elvish tongue.
Elvish fire writing, calligraphed by Tolkien.
But if seeing Tolkien’s early works and manuscripts is astounding, witnessing the finesse of his watercolor illustrators is truly eye-opening.
While some of these watercolors will seem nave in terms of technique and composition to experienced eyes, each one reflects the vast and intense imagination of the author. Tolkien not only wrote about a place he imagined - he saw it and knew it almost as clear as real life.
Fans of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ will probably make the most of this exhibition, but even those unfamiliar with J.R.R. Tolkien’s works will find it intriguing and enriching, since its focus is not merely on his Middle-earth creation but on the man behind it, his time and his inner world.
Accompanying the exhibition there will be a series of lectures and talks which will deepen into Tolkien’s work and legacy. And while it is possible to come to the library and entry ticket for this exhibition, these are limited and booking - online or by phone - is strongly encouraged. For more information, check the link provided below.
After the exhibition wraps in Oxford in October, it will travel to the Morgan Library in New York (Jan 25th to May 12th, 2019), and then to the Bibliothque Nationale de France in Paris, marking thus the largest Tolkien exhibition ever held in France.
The effort will provide a unique and rare opportunity for all Tolkien fans to admire his work and legacy first hand.
Fans of ‘The Lord of the Rings’ will probably make the most of this exhibition, but even those unfamiliar with J.R.R. Tolkien’s works will find it intriguing and enriching, since its focus is not merely on his Middle-earth creation but on the man behind it, his time and his inner world.
"Bilbo Comes to the Huts of the Raft-elves",
watercolour illustration for ‘The Hobbit’, 1937.
Accompanying the exhibition there will be a series of lectures and talks which will deepen into Tolkien’s work and legacy. And while it is possible to come to the library and entry ticket for this exhibition, these are limited and booking - online or by phone - is strongly encouraged. For more information, check the link provided below.
After the exhibition wraps in Oxford in October, it will travel to the Morgan Library in New York (Jan 25th to May 12th, 2019), and then to the Bibliothque Nationale de France in Paris, marking thus the largest Tolkien exhibition ever held in France.
The effort will provide a unique and rare opportunity for all Tolkien fans to admire his work and legacy first hand.
Tolkien Illustration for 'The Hobbit', 1937.
Event: Exhibition ‘Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth’
Venue: ST Lee Gallery, Weston Library, Bodleian Library, Broad Street, Oxford OX1 3BG
Dates: June 1st - October 28th , 2018.
Hours: Monday to Saturday 10am-5pm - Sunday 11am-5pm
Cost: Free with ticket.
More info: https://tolkien.bodleian.ox.ac.uk/
All pictures © The Tolkien Estate Ltd. and The Tolkien Trust.
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