THE LORD OF THE RINGS - FIRST EDITION SET - FOR POSSIBLE REBINDING

This is a set of all 3 Volumes of this trilogy all in first edition first printing state published by George Allen & Unwin, in variable condition without dustwrappers and very suitable for rebinding by a craft bookbinder. The set comprises: 

The Fellowship of The Ring. 1954. First impression, first state printed by Jarrolds. The original red cloth covered boards are in poor condition, with a 2x2cm. piece missing from the lower fore corner and the cloth at the spine split from the rear board. There is minimal (correctable) dog earing of a few lower page corners under the defect in the board. Otherwise the book is internally very clean, tight and unfoxed. Text block edges including the red stained top edge are all clean. Tipped in map in fine state. Definitely a copy for rebinding and extremely suitable thus as internally nice. (See images 1 - 6) 

The Two Towers. 1954. First impression. In the original red cloth covered boards which are moderately stained. The red stained top edge is faded and the red stain has bled very slightly (only a mm. or two) on to a few pages but hardly noticeable. There is no evidence otherwise of damp internally and the pages are clean and unfoxed apart from 4 small spot stains along the lower blank margins of pages 64 and 65. (see image). The fore and lower edges of the text block are a little soiled. The book is tight apart from some early separation of the hinge, again at pages 64 and 65. Tipped in map in fine state. Again a suitable rebinding copy. (See images 7 - 15)          

The Return of The King. 1955. First impression. The very scarce first state without the signature mark '4' and the sagging type on page 49. (Wayne Hammond, The Tolkien Collector, No.11). This is a very good unflawed copy in the original red cloth. There is a small bookseller's label at the lower edge of the front pastedown and the book is internally tight. clean, unmarked and unfoxed. Tipped in map in fine state. A collectable copy without dw.

In summary: Vol. 3 is a collectable copy. Vol.'s  1 & 2 are in need of rebinding. All 3 volumes are internally clean and without inscriptions or foxing with the few small flaws mentioned above. Would make an excellent finely bound set.