J.R.R. Tolkien: The Art of the Manuscript

19 August – 12 December 2022

Haggerty Museum of Art, Marquette University

Marquette University’s Raynor Memorial Libraries and the Haggerty Museum of Art are pleased to announce an upcoming exhibition of manuscripts from the celebrated author and artist J. R. R. Tolkien (1892-1973), best known for his literary classics The Hobbit and The Lord of the Rings.

The exhibition considers Tolkien’s work through the lens of manuscripts, in terms of both the materials that he studied as a medieval philologist and the manuscripts that he created while developing his legendarium. Professor Tolkien was deeply immersed in the complexities of manuscripts, and this exhibition will illustrate how different aspects of the manuscript tradition found expression within Tolkien’s scholarly life and in his creative writing.

The foundation for this exhibition is Marquette University’s extensive collection of Tolkien manuscripts housed within the library’s Department of Special Collections and University Archives. It will also include items borrowed from other repositories, including a significant number of Tolkien manuscripts and artwork from the Bodleian Libraries at the University of Oxford.

The exhibition will include over 100 items, many that have not previously been exhibited or published.

J.R.R. Tolkien: The Art of the Manuscript is presented through generous support from Premier Sponsor Wintrust.

Additional support is provided by Contributing Sponsors the Wisconsin Department of Tourism, The Gladys Krieble Delmas Foundation, and Dr. Mary Anne Siderits.

Additional details are available in a brief FAQ. More information will be available as the exhibition’s opening approaches!

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)

 

^{image credit: Marquette MS. Tolkien 3/4/12/1a. ©The Tolkien Estate Limited}