The Lord of the rings | 1954-55, a truly excellent first edition, first impression set, together since they were first published

This is one of the finest first edition, first impression sets of The Lord of the Rings I have encountered in my career. An incredibly rare find, it’s a privilege to offer this set for sale. Each dust jacket has retained the original soft grey-green hue, often mistaken for white due to the fading seen in many surviving copies over the years.

What makes this set particularly remarkable is its provenance. It was previously owned by Margaret Bennet-Clark (later Carey), who worked in a senior role at the British Museum—a short walk from the offices of the publisher, Allen & Unwin. Each volume bears her neatly inscribed name alongside the month and year of its publication, with The Two Towers also dated "22.11.1954," just under two weeks after its release. This consistency strongly suggests that Bennet-Clark purchased each book upon publication and inscribed them at the time. It would be highly unusual to later inscribe a name and publication date to match the original release months. This provenance supports the extraordinary likelihood that this set has remained together since day one—a nearly unparalleled rarity among Tolkien first editions.

First edition, first impression sets of The Lord of the Rings are famously scarce. The trilogy was published over a 15-month period, with no more than 3,000 complete sets available once The Return of the King was released. Over the decades, most sets have been "assembled" by collectors swapping in individual volumes to create the best possible condition. Truly original sets, like this one, are vanishingly rare—arguably as rare as Tolkien’s One Ring itself.

Given the proximity of Allen & Unwin’s office and bookshop at 40 Museum Street to the British Museum, it is highly likely that Bennet-Clark purchased each volume directly from the publisher. This connection adds further intrigue and historical value to an already exceptional set.

This set stands out not only for its provenance but also for its remarkable state of preservation. Each dust jacket retains its original soft grey-green colour, a feature lost in many other examples due to fading. Combined with the pristine condition of the books themselves, this is truly an investment-grade set of Tolkien firsts.

Description and condition:

First editions, first impressions. 3 vols, 8vo. An excellent, fine set – a breakdown of each follows:

The Fellowship of the Ring: Original publishers red cloth in excellent, almost new condition. Seriously the best binding I have encountered on Fellowship. The red top stain is the most vibrant I have ever seen. The binding and book at this stage looks new. Internally it is absolutely beautiful, bar some discoloration and darkening to both endpapers. To the front endpaper we find the previously mentioned ownership inscription with the date May 1954. The map at the back of the book is in fine condition. This is a fine book. The dustjacket is beautiful and retains the slight grey/green from when first published. One of the best Fellowships one could hope for. 

The Two Towers: Condition is almost the same as above, in that it is excellent. Ownership inscription to the front endpaper with date 22.11.1954. The map is fine. The dustjacket again retains the off grey/green and is an excellent example. Signature mark ‘4’ present on page 49.

The Return of the King: Same as the previous. An excellent example.