1965 First Edition Barbara Remington Map of Tolkien's Middle Earth (Lord of the Rings)

An example of one of the rarest and most iconic J. R. R. Tolkien 'Middle Earth' maps - the 1965 first edition poster-map issued to promote Ballentine's first American issue of the Lord of the Rings, featuring the illustrations of Barbara Remington.

An Unknown Land

When Ballentine commissioned Barbara Remington to produce cover illustrations for the American issue of Tolkien's Lord of the Rings, they were uncannily reluctant to supply pre-release copies of the novels - so Barbara had to complete the illustrations with only a tenuous knowledge of the trilogy. Upon seeing her illustrations, Tolkien was justly confused by the lions and 'pumpkins in trees'. Remington's cover work nonetheless was popular and became synonymous with Tolkien's novels - so popular in fact Ballentine hired Barbara again to incorporate Tolkien's map of Middle Earth into this large promotional poster utilizing some of her most memorable illustrations.

Publication History and Census

This poster was drawn by Barbara Remington and issued in 1965 by Ballentine Press in New York. Like all of Remington's work it is signed 'Brem'. The poster followed shortly on the release of the first American edition of the Lord of the Rings. We note two states. The first edition, as here, bears the Ballentine Copyright and is priced $1.49. Other examples are priced at $3.00, generally dating to 1969, suggesting that the popularity of the poster led to a fast price increase. Earlier examples also tend to be on slightly glossier paper, as here. All examples are scarce both in institutional collections and on the market.