On September 21, 1937, a fantasy book was published in the UK, authored by an Oxford professor named J.R.R. Tolkien. It was titled The Hobbit, or There and Back Again, and it would spark a revolutionary and critically-acclaimed series of adventurous tales of hobbits and elves, dwarves and wizards that introduced millions to the rich and magical history of Middle-earth. Going beyond literature, Tolkien’s Middle-earth is a world complete with its own languages and histories and…yes, maps!
Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth is an upcoming exhibition (January 25-May 12, 2019) at The Morgan Library & Museum which is planned to be the most extensive public display of original Tolkien material that has been seen for several generations. Drawn from the collections of the Tolkien Archive at the Bodleian Library (Oxford), Marquette University Libraries (Milwaukee), the Morgan, and private lenders, the exhibition will include family photographs and memorabilia, Tolkien’s original illustrations, maps, draft manuscripts, and designs related to The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion. An exhibition organized by the Bodleian Libraries, University of Oxford in collaboration with the Morgan Library & Museum, New York with the support of The Tolkien Trust. (Source: The Morgan Library & Museum)