1970 Baynes Map Map of Middle Earth for Tolkien's 'Lord of the Rings'

This is the iconic 1970 rare poster map of J. R. R. Tolkien's Middle Earth drawn by Pauline Diana Baynes to promote the George Allen and Unwin release of the Lord of the Rings. Tolkien heaped praise upon Baynes' work, saying 'They are more than illustrations, they are a collateral theme. I showed them to my friends whose polite comment was that they reduced my text to a commentary on the drawings.'

The Making of the Map

This map corresponds to the famous map drawn by J. R. R. Tolkien's son, Christopher J. R. Tolkien (1924 - 2020) for issue with The Fellowship of the Ring. With the help of cartographers from the Bordon military camp in Hampshire, Baynes expanded upon the map to create the present production. The header features the heroes of The Fellowship of the Ring marching together towards a dark forest. In the footer, the forces of darkness mount a pursuit - the Nine Nazgûl or Ringwraiths lead, followed on either side by Gollum, orc and human warriors, and the giant spider Shelob. Key locations from the novels appear in vignette form around the map, including Hobbiton and Mount Doom.

Baynes worked closely with Tolkien to complete the map, visiting and corresponding with him extensively - at one point she described him as 'not very helpful.' Later, he was apparently pleased with the map, as Baynes wrote regarding the map's release event, 'He in great form - first names and kissing all round - and pleased with the map'.

Publication History and Census

The map was drawn by Pauline Baynes in 1969 and published in 1970 by George Allen and Unwin. The posters were initially given out with the first 200 copies of the boxed Lord of the Rings trilogy. They proved popular and were subsequently sold. While widely reproduced, originals with the publisher's imprint at the bottom center, as here, are scarce.