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170 TOLKIEN, J. R. R. Collection of six unpublished autograph letters signed. 1966 A LASTING TESTAMENT TO TOLKIEN IN OXFORD: HIS LIKENESS IS CAST AT THE ILLUSTRIOUS ART BRONZE FOUNDRY A small collection of unpublished letters from Tolkien to the Art Bronze Foundry, arranging to cast the bronze bust that is today on display at the Oxford English Faculty, a testament to his academic legacy at Oxford. Autograph letters appear only sporadically on the market; most of Tolkien’s archive is split between the Marquette University special collections and the Bodleian. The bust was originally commissioned by the Oxford English Faculty as a retirement gift to Tolkien in 1959, and was undertaken by Tolkien’s daughter- in-law, Faith, who sculpted it in plaster. Concerned that the plaster was liable to damage, in 1966 Tolkien had it cast in bronze and presented it back to the faculty, together with the original plaster. For the casting Tolkien employed the services of the highly regarded Chelsea-based foundry of Charles Gaskin, established in 1922 and still in business as the Art Bronze Factory, which had executed work for Henry Moore, Elizabeth Frink, and Barbara Hepworth. These letters, sent from Tolkien to the Foundry between 14 June and 19 August 1966, pertain to his
167 TARTT, Donna. The Secret History. New York: Alfred A. Knopf, 1992
Octavo (184 × 123 mm). Contemporary orange morocco by W. H. Smith under the direction of Douglas Cockerell, spine lettered in gilt, compartments with twin gilt rules and tooled cornerpieces, sides with gilt-tooled floral cornerpieces and overlapping gilt frames, turn-ins decorated with a gilt floral roll, marbled endpapers, edges gilt. Portrait frontispiece of the author. Contemporary ink gift inscription to first blank dated Christmas 1911. Sunning to spine, slight bowing to front cover, a few faint marks to sides, foxing to blanks, contents clean. A very good copy. ¶ Maggs Bros, Bookbinding in the British Isles , Part I, 1996. £650 [154294] 169 TESTINO, Mario. Kate Moss. Cologne: Taschen, 2010 AN HOMAGE TO HIS GREATEST MUSE First edition, one of 1,500 copies numbered and signed by the photographer. This photographic ode catalogues the journey of one of fashion’s most creative collaborations, and contains many photographs from Testino’s private archive, published here for the first time. Folio. Original silver boards, lettering taken from a photo of Kate Moss. Housed in the publisher’s acrylic box. With the original packaging box. A fine copy. £1,500 [154044]
“IT’S A VERY GREEK IDEA, AND A VERY PROFOUND ONE. BEAUTY IS TERROR”
First edition, inscribed by the author on the half- title, “To Luke – warm regards, Donna Tartt”. The Secret History was Tartt’s debut novel, which proved an immediate success, quickly establishing the author’s reputation. Octavo. Original pictorial boards, white printed paper label to spine. With printed glassine jacket. Very light soiling and bumping to spine, else a fine copy in near-fine jacket with slight rubbing, without wear. £1,500 [155128] 168 TENNYSON, Alfred, Lord. Poems. London: Henry Frowde, 1907 The poetry of Lord Tennyson, presented here in a handsome binding crafted under the direction of Douglas Cockerell, the highly influential bookbinder who taught the founders of Sangorski & Sutcliffe and who managed the W. H. Smith & Son Bindery from 1905 to 1914. This copy includes the “WHS” blindstamp on the rear pastedown, indicating a binding “specially designed” by Cockerell (Maggs Bros, p. 202).
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