Intimate photographs and letters providing a rare glimpse into J.R.R Tolkien’s secretive world have been sold for almost £40,000.
Pamela Chandler was a society photographer and took the images of the Lord of the Rings author, Edith, in their garden and study. This image archive includes photos of Edith and her husband.
The entire collection contains an image of Tolkien sitting in his study, accompanied by his map of Middle Earth which he had drawn himself. It is where The Hobbit was and The Lord of the Rings Trilogy were created.
The archive also includes notebooks that Ms Chandler kept, in which she describes the Tolkiens and said they were the “most adorable people anyone could ever care to meet”
One of the many intimate photographs that were sold was one of J.R.R Tolkien seated in his study while he drew a map of Middle Earth from which The Hobbit was written.
Pamela Chandler took the candid picture that provides a rare peek into J.R.R Tolkien’s world. She was a society photographer and received photographic commissions from famous people, royalty, as well as major literary publishers in the 1960s.
The collection included a group of 64 colour and black and white negatives for the original two shoots of the writer which fetched £18,000
Ms. Chandler had to produce professional portrait photographs for the famedly camera-shy writer in 1961.
He was quickly won over by her and she became close friends with Tolkien’s wife.
1966 saw her invited back to Oxfordshire by the couple to photograph candid moments.
One of her prints that sold for £760 shows Tolkien in his study with his own hand-drawn map of Middle Earth.
Meanwhile a group of 64 colour and black and white negatives for the original two shoots fetched for £18,000.
These negatives were purchased with copyright. The successful buyer will get a regular income every time the publication is published.
Ms. Chandler Her archive of negatives, prints and correspondence was passed to her sister in 1993 when she died. Reeman Dansie Auctioneers, Colchester, Essex has the following items up for sale
She kept correspondence from Tolkien’s wife, Ms. Chandler.
One of the letters from the author giving his feedback on the photos for the shoot in his study in 1961 sold for £4,400.
This archive of photos shows the Lord of the Rings author, Edith (left), and his garden (right).
Ms Chandler was tasked with producing professional portrait photos for the famously camera-shy writer in 1961 and was soon able to win him over
Among the images, which have now sold for £40,000, was one showing the famous writer, standing in his garden in 1966
Letters written by Pamela Chandler, Lord of the Rings author, are also part of the archive
After Ms. Chandler’s death in 1993, her archives of photographs, negatives and other correspondence were given to her sister. They were then sold by Reeman Dansie Auctioneers, Colchester, Essex.
It is believed that the letter contained a delightful Tolkienism, where he told the photographer he hopes she was ‘catching up to arrows’.
A second later, dated 1967, which demonstrates his desire for privacy sold for £2,800. He clearly expresses his anger at the newspaper article and tells Ms Chandler that he couldn’t stand any more.
Reeman Dansie Auctioneers said, “Pamela Chandler set a standard in professional photography back when it was male-dominated.”
“The entire archive spans her career. But the Tolkien material is most fascinating because it is private and he didn’t enjoy publicity.
“She was a friend of him and his wife, and she became his preferred photographer.
These letters, called “Tolkien Letters”, are very rare and highly desirable.
Pamela kept a notebook in her archive that described the Tolkiens, calling them the “most adorable people anyone could wish to meet” and “most charming people I could care about”.
Tolkien was an author who owned a vacation home in Poole (Dorset) in 1973. Edith passed away in 1971 at age 82.