Tolkien portraits - The Barrow-Downs Discussion Forum

garm · 07-10-2009, 03:24 PM

The picture was taken in Branksome Chine, not far from the Tolkiens' bungalow in Lakeside Road, Bournemouth, on 25th May 1971. It was for an article on Tolkien's 80th birthday, and was published in the Sunday Times magazine on 2 January 1972.
(Scull & Hammond; The JRR Tolkien Companion and Guide Vol.I)

The article, written by William Cater, is called 'The Lord of the Hobbits'. This is where the phrase used on the dust-jackets of later editions of LotR comes from: '(For) the English speaking world is divided into those who have read his books _The Hobbit_ and _The Lord of the Rings_ and those who are going to read them'.

Snowdon took some more pictures that day, including the one with Tolkien on the sea shore which is used on the front cover of the paperback ed. of _The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays_ in 1997.

As for the branksome Chine portrait - I first came across this picture as a poster in my LP of music inspired by LotR, by Bo Hanson (1972).

garm · 07-10-2009, 05:21 PM

Looking at the link which the OP gives to the National Gallery, I see they've dated the colour picture of Tolkien as September 1961. I think that's a mistake on their part. Chandler visited the Tolkiens twice: in 1961 and again in 1966, when she took photos of Ronald and Edith on the occassion of their 50th wedding anniversary.

One of the 1961 pictures - that is, the black and white one shown on the National gallery website - was used as a frontispiece to the 1962 festschrift _English and Medieval Studies Presented to JRR Tolkien on the Occasion of his Seventieth Birthday_, ed. by Norman Davis and C.L. Wrenn. This book is further distinguished in that it has a facsimile signature of Tolkien's, under the photograph, leading some to believe that it's a 'real, signed copy'.

There's a set of these photographs available; five colour, all of 1966, and three from 1961; these are black & white. They all have the year of copyright printed on the reverse. They make a very nice set.

There was a display of prints of these photos at last year's Oxonmoot (the annual weekend conference of the Tolkien Society). It was possible to order high quality prints, in various sizes. The largest of these was very large indeed; the type you'd most likely see framed on the wall of a museum or such like. I didn't order any; I'm quite happy with my set of post card sized pictures.

The Might · 07-12-2009, 05:50 PM

Thanks for the awesome link Mithalwen!
I must admit my reaction to the Snowdon photo was similar to that of Estelyn, it was somehow unsettling to look at it and I quickly clicked it away... it's as if The Professor is Treebeard, small and alone in the forest, with noone left around him... made me sad to see it.

Mithalwen · 07-13-2009, 10:48 AM

Many thanks to Garm for providing the confirmation on the location and the other information - I thought it could be Branksome Chine but my visits there have been on gloriously sunny days which are rather at odds with the picture! I have some picture of it still in the camera - I will try and scan them in when I have got them developed or borrow a digital.

I didn't go to Oxonmoot last year and so missed it (though the art room isn't my usual haunt) .

garm · 07-13-2009, 03:47 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

Many thanks to Garm for providing the confirmation on the location and the other information -

You're welcome. By the way - I don't think that's such a sad picture of the Professor - though it's by no means a favourite of mine. I mentioned earlier that Snowdon took several photos that day; one was used for a book cover.

Look here:

http://www.tolkienbooks.net/php/deta...eference=65670

- Much better!

Lalwendë · 09-01-2009, 04:04 PM

The photo by Snowdon in the woods is one I'm well used to because it's on the cover of (or at least...was) Paul H Kocher's Master of Middle-earth - a great book, though a bit out of date now because it came out before the Sil was published.

I never found it disturbing, but maybe that's me - it instead just reminds me of some woods we used to play in as kids.

garm · 09-03-2009, 12:32 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

The photo by Snowdon in the woods is one I'm well used to because it's on the cover of (or at least...was) Paul H Kocher's Master of Middle-earth - a great book, though a bit out of date now because it came out before the Sil was published...

Actually, there's quite a bit in Kocher's book that's still relevant. His views on Sauron and the Nature of Evil have never been bettered, in my opinion. Same goes for the part about Aragorn.

And, Kocher also deals with Tolkien's shorter works - very useful.

07-10-2009, 03:24 PM	#1
garm Pile O'Bones Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 22	Tolkien portraits The picture was taken in Branksome Chine, not far from the Tolkiens' bungalow in Lakeside Road, Bournemouth, on 25th May 1971. It was for an article on Tolkien's 80th birthday, and was published in the Sunday Times magazine on 2 January 1972. (Scull & Hammond; The JRR Tolkien Companion and Guide Vol.I) The article, written by William Cater, is called 'The Lord of the Hobbits'. This is where the phrase used on the dust-jackets of later editions of LotR comes from: '(For) the English speaking world is divided into those who have read his books _The Hobbit_ and _The Lord of the Rings_ and those who are going to read them'. Snowdon took some more pictures that day, including the one with Tolkien on the sea shore which is used on the front cover of the paperback ed. of _The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays_ in 1997. As for the branksome Chine portrait - I first came across this picture as a poster in my LP of music inspired by LotR, by Bo Hanson (1972).

07-10-2009, 05:21 PM	#2
garm Pile O'Bones Join Date: Jul 2009 Posts: 22	Tolkien portraits Looking at the link which the OP gives to the National Gallery, I see they've dated the colour picture of Tolkien as September 1961. I think that's a mistake on their part. Chandler visited the Tolkiens twice: in 1961 and again in 1966, when she took photos of Ronald and Edith on the occassion of their 50th wedding anniversary. One of the 1961 pictures - that is, the black and white one shown on the National gallery website - was used as a frontispiece to the 1962 festschrift _English and Medieval Studies Presented to JRR Tolkien on the Occasion of his Seventieth Birthday_, ed. by Norman Davis and C.L. Wrenn. This book is further distinguished in that it has a facsimile signature of Tolkien's, under the photograph, leading some to believe that it's a 'real, signed copy'. There's a set of these photographs available; five colour, all of 1966, and three from 1961; these are black & white. They all have the year of copyright printed on the reverse. They make a very nice set. There was a display of prints of these photos at last year's Oxonmoot (the annual weekend conference of the Tolkien Society). It was possible to order high quality prints, in various sizes. The largest of these was very large indeed; the type you'd most likely see framed on the wall of a museum or such like. I didn't order any; I'm quite happy with my set of post card sized pictures. Last edited by garm; 07-10-2009 at 05:24 PM. Reason: corrected typo

07-12-2009, 05:50 PM	#3
The Might Guard of the Citadel Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: Oxon Posts: 2,205	Thanks for the awesome link Mithalwen! I must admit my reaction to the Snowdon photo was similar to that of Estelyn, it was somehow unsettling to look at it and I quickly clicked it away... it's as if The Professor is Treebeard, small and alone in the forest, with noone left around him... made me sad to see it. __________________ “The invisible and the non-existent look very much alike.” Delos B. McKown

07-13-2009, 10:48 AM	#4
Mithalwen Pilgrim Soul Join Date: May 2004 Location: watching the wonga-wonga birds circle... Posts: 9,461	Many thanks to Garm for providing the confirmation on the location and the other information - I thought it could be Branksome Chine but my visits there have been on gloriously sunny days which are rather at odds with the picture! I have some picture of it still in the camera - I will try and scan them in when I have got them developed or borrow a digital. I didn't go to Oxonmoot last year and so missed it (though the art room isn't my usual haunt) . __________________ “But Finrod walks with Finarfin his father beneath the trees in Eldamar.” Christopher Tolkien, Requiescat in pace

09-01-2009, 04:04 PM	#6
Lalwendë A Mere Boggart Join Date: Mar 2004 Location: under the bed Posts: 4,737	The photo by Snowdon in the woods is one I'm well used to because it's on the cover of (or at least...was) Paul H Kocher's Master of Middle-earth - a great book, though a bit out of date now because it came out before the Sil was published. I never found it disturbing, but maybe that's me - it instead just reminds me of some woods we used to play in as kids. __________________ Gordon's alive!

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