George Allen & Unwin, London, 1942
First Edition, Third Impression, 1942 A very clean copy with unrestored bright clean boards.
The first printing of The Hobbit was issued on 21st September 1937 with a print run of only 1500 copies. The book was an immediate success and sold out within months. The second impression was printed in December the same year in an edition of 2300 copies (423 of which were destroyed at the warehouse of the binder Key and Whiting in the bombing of London on November 7th 1940) and was the first printing to include the author’s one color plate, initially commissioned for and later published in the American edition. [Hammond A3a. ] In late 1942, Allen & Unwin printed 1,500 copies of a third impression. Arguably more scarce than a 1st/1st, with few having survived due to a warehouse fire during the war, and the fact that they were printed on the standard cheap wartime paper. To this end we have only spotted two other third printings, one with an original jacket, listed for $56,000.00; and one other inferior 3rd printing copy without the jacket listed for $12,500.
This unrestored book is in near fine/very good plus condition for the Third Impression. The boards are clean and bright with strong vibrant unfaded deep blue details. Slight toning and rubbing to the cloth with a few areas with very small discolorations. Square, but slightly rounded corners. The original end papers are present and clean and bright with no owner names, no bookplates and no bookstore stamps. The internal pages are remarkably clean and bright, with no handling marks, no stains, no foxing, and no bent pages. Lacking the dust jacket. Please see all the images.
A superb very early printing in very clean condition.
