Someone Discovered a Map of Middle Earth Annotated By J.R.R. Tolkien
In Blackwell's Rare Books in Oxford, England, someone discovered an old map of Middle Earth in a copy of The Lord of the Rings that was annotated by J.R.R. Tolkien himself. The book once belonged to illustrator Pauline Baynes, who worked closely with Tolkien to create the well-known map of the fictional area, and this annotated copy — which Blackwell's is calling "perhaps the finest piece of Tolkien ephemera to emerge in the last 20 years" — provides some insight into the author's collaborative process.
Here are a couple of pictures of the map, which looks to be an early version of the Baynes' 1970 map at the top of this article:
Tolkien's notes (written in green ink) reveal that Hobbiton resides on the same latitudinal line as Oxford, and that the city of Ravenna, Italy was the inspiration for Minas Tirith. Other cities listed include Jerusalem, Belgrade, and Cyprus. The map is on sale at Blackwell's for £60,000 ($92,118).
Source: The Guardian