Never-before-seen photos and works of the legendary Lord of the Rings author have been released by The Tolkien Estate today.
English author JRR Tolkien, who was known to frequent The Eagle and Child in Oxford, found fame through his 1937 book, the Hobbit, and of course, his famous trilogy (1954-55) that details a hobbit, Frodo’s, journey through the fantastical land of Middle Earth.
The twice Professor of Anglo-Saxon (Old English) at the University of Oxford was regularly condemned by literary critics, but loved by millions of readers worldwide, with his famous works translated into 36 languages.
Today marks a special day, February 26, significant in Tolkien lore as the date in the Third Age, year 3019, when the Fellowship of the Ring was broken, and Frodo and his partner had to set off on their journey to Mordor.
The Tolkien Estate have uploaded 12 unseen works and photographs to their updated website to mark the occasion, and to provide further insights into Tolkien’s life and times.
Included in these unseen works is a draft manuscript of ‘The homecoming of Beorhtnoth, Beorhthelm’s Son’, c.1953.
There are also six paintings, of both imaginary and real settings, and five photographs, with unseen shots of Tolkien and his family.
The website includes sections on Tolkien’s writing, painting and calligraphy, his scholarship, his letters, and a timeline of his life, together with numerous family photographs.
It also features an audio-visual section containing audio recordings and video clips featuring both JRR and Christopher Tolkien, JRR’s son.
The Tolkien Estate, which manages the publishing interests of JRR Tolkien, is a charitable trust which makes grants to a wide range of educational, social, and environmental causes.
All the unseen works can be found on: www.tolkienestate.com.
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