[Maps of Middle Earth]

Two foundational maps of Middle-earth designed by J.R.R. Tolkien’s son.

The land of Middle Earth reigns as one of the most comprehensive fantasy worlds of all time, and has been well represented in written and visual arts. The creator, J.R.R. Tolkien, is famous for giving life to memorable characters and vivid scenery, but it was his son, Christopher, who would forever memorialize the world by creating its first official cartographic canon.

The first sheet, untitled but later reproduced as A Map of Middle Earth, was drawn by Christopher to accompany the first edition of the Lord of the Rings in 1953. The map gives readers a tangible connection to places within the book and adds a compelling visual element to the rich mythology through the inclusion of geographic features, topography, roads, and battle sites.

In all of Christopher’s maps locations like Rohan, Gondor and Mordor are given a physical presence, and in the second sheet the intersection of these three kingdoms is explained in great detail. First drawn and issued in 1955 to accompany The Return of the King, this map features the contours of the various mountain ranges in the region (Ash, White and Shadow). Numerous locations that played a prominent role within the book are shown; including Minas Tirith, the Dark Tower and a prominent Mt. Doom.

Both maps here were issued in 1978 Houghton Mifflin reprints of the second edition of the Lord of the Rings trilogy, but reflect Tolkien’s original designs. A few defects would be corrected in later versions of the map, published during the 1980’s.