Once-in-a-generation. Such is the epithet Bodleian Libraries in Oxford use to describe their current exhibition, running from 1 June until 28 October 2018 (after which it moves to New York to be open between 25 January and 12 May 2019), which features materials not only from their own Tolkien Archive, but also from the Tolkien Collection of Marquette University in the USA, and from the private collections of his descendants. Its advertised uniqueness consists in the show of some of the fantasy author’s writings as well as paintings (which are the main lure of the exhibition!) that have never before been published. So, upon its announcement, I, like many other Tolkien fans and people academically interested in his work from all over the world, was strongly tempted to go, even though the distance was dissuading. But who knows when such an opportunity may come again?
The Tolkien Society announced on their website that the last time all these materials were brought together was during Tolkien’s lifetime, and he has inhabited the Halls of Mandos for 45 years already. So, if the next similar chance did not come for the same number of years, I might not even live to see it. That settled it. I just could not have missed out on this one.
Now, after having seen it, I definitely don’t regret travelling half way across Europe. It surpassed all my expectations.
Surprisingly, the rather small ST Lee Gallery in Weston Library was able to hold over 200 items that once belonged to, or were created by, the Oxford don. So, it is nothing unusual for his devoted fans and thorough visitors to take about two hours to inspect them all. But if, like me, you are a tourist with a 6kg pack on your back, coming here before checking in at your accommodation, then shuffling in front of the showcases, reading the exhibited items’ descriptions, or deciphering Tolkien’s handwriting can be really tough on your legs and spine. Probably, the only negative of the exhibition was that there were too few resting places for the number of visitors. Since the ticket authorizes you to only one entry, you can’t slip off for a little break and refreshment at the library café and then return and take up your viewing at the point which you left it. So, Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth could have benefitted from a bigger space with more than one bench to sit on to ease your tired legs, and immerse yourself in a relaxed, if a bit distanced admiration of the exhibit.
Even this does not deter fans from distant countries from coming, however. Listening to the visiting crowd, one can identify languages from all the parts of the world that have been reached by Tolkien’s fame: Germanic, Romanian, Slavic, but also more exotic Asian and African dialects. Likely from as many countries as there have been translations of his books, as exemplified in two full showcases at the gallery. I was even able to spot the Slovak version of The Hobbit among them. The worldwide impact of his writing, is evidenced also by the section of yet-unpublished fan letters and the writer’s answers to them, including mail from some prominent persons and fellow writers, such as Terry Pratchett.
This exhibition appeals to everyone across all ages: from pre-school children, who enjoy the interactive maps and quizzes, to aged scholars; and across fandom levels: from those who knew nearly nothing about Tolkien prior to coming here as mere escort (As was the case with my colleague), through Jackson’s-films-first fans, and ripe Tokienologists.
For the Tolkien-lore newbies of the first two groups, the exhibition represents a compact, yet complex, overview of his private and academic life, from his not-so-happy parentless childhood and youth, to his at-first-forbidden but eventually fairy-tale-like-ended love to Edith Bratt. Through both World Wars’ years, academic career, and friendship with C. S. Lewis, up to his unexpected success as a fantasy writer. During those two hours, newbies can learn so much information, which they would otherwise have had to read through several biographical and critical works in order to discover.
The displayed manuscripts reveal his process of writing and seemingly never-ending editing, giving the visitors an opportunity to see the development of chosen passages of his major works – The Hobbit, The Lord of the Rings, and The Silmarillion – at different writing stages, and to compare the changes in plot, character naming and their racial identity. The spirit of the writer, as well as his age, is made present via his personal belongings, such as his writing desk, chair, painting tools, books, hat, or pipe, arranged in such a way that it seems as if he left the place just a moment before.
His army paraphernalia and photos from King Edward’s School album, which highlights Tolkien’s schoolmates who died in WWI, make the visitors view his work in a wider social context, and allows them to marvel at how one man, such as he, was able to manage this all in his lifetime, especially considering the struggles he went through.
A partial answer to this question is his multi-talented nature. Materials documenting the development of his three major books make up hardly a quarter of the exhibition’s content. The rest is occupied by papers that can appeal to the advanced fans who already knew the writer’s life well. Here, belong his Middle-earth map drafts (complemented with two illustrated maps by Pauline Baynes), linguistic notes, or excerpts from the poetical versions of some of his greatest legendarium stories, such as the lay of Eärendil or Túrin Turambar, which in their earliest forms amounted to over 2000 lines. These are unfinished, and therefore have never been published, except in prosaic rewriting.
In addition, language-keen visitors can learn the basics of Elvish, listen to Tolkien’s recording of his own reciting of a number of Elvish poems, or test their knowledge at a special stand with headphones.
Despite the title, the exhibition is not centred solely on Tolkien’s Middle-earth stories. There is also a section dedicated to his other tales, such as Father Christmas Letters, Mr. Bliss, Roverandom, Farmer Giles of Ham, and more; which may be new information to some of the lore newbies. Excerpts from these books, together with a number of family photographs, emphasize the writer’s strong orientation to family and love for his children.
Nonetheless, the biggest attraction, besides the interactive 3D map of Middle-earth, designed by artistic studio Factum Arte from Madrid, which occupies a place at the heart of the gallery, are Tolkien’s paintings. Some may know that the first editions of The Hobbit included Tolkien’s own illustrations, either coloured or not. But many even advanced fans, may be surprised to find out that painting various scenes and locations from his stories was a regular part of his writing process, and were not made just at the publisher’s demand. In fact, there exist many more of Tolkien’s paintings than ever made it into his books in print; and some of those are displayed here for the first time. Actually, this exhibition section provides the greatest selection of yet-unpublished works, including Tolkien’s newspaper doodles, that grew into intricate Elvish designs, or pieces from the draft-book from his teenage years, The Book of Ishness. These pieces attack your visual perception with fantastical, otherworldly concepts and colour combinations, leaving viewers simply overwhelmed.
The exhibition is accompanied by a massive shop event, where you can buy various items with prints of Tolkien’s paintings, from pens and magnets through cups and up to posters and a book of the same name as the exhibition, which includes 6 essays by prominent Tolkien scholars and more than 300 pictures of his manuscripts, letters, and paintings in high quality, the exhibited items among them.
In summary, Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth, is an exhibition that, on the space of several square meters and in a very home-like and peaceful atmosphere, complemented by the projection on parts of Tolkien’s painting and quotes above the show-cases, provides a complex overview of the writer’s life and work, and which nobody leaves unawed. For the fans it is a must-see, for such an opportunity comes only once in a generation, and even non-fans can gain a new perspective on him. So, I strongly recommend it to everyone.