Tolkien portraits

[Mithalwen]

I went up to London the other week forgetting how much a difference a sea breeze makes and surfacing in Trafalgar Square to a heat that took the air from my lungs (yes it is possible in England though not a frequent occurence) air conditioned art galleries seemed like the most attractive option. As a result I went to the National Portrait Gallery for the first time in many years and certainly since it went interactive, and was inclined to linger.

The last time I went I had picked up a postcard of the Betty Swanwick cartoon of Tolkien and one of my motivations for going was to get more (sadly they were not on sale this time) but I did discover a little mezzanine with terminals where you could view the entire collection and found that there were three other Tolkien portraits (as well as a silhouette of a K Tolkien from the '20s who surely must have been a cousin). I really found them quite fascinating and thought others might be interested.

I give the link to them here, unfortunately you don't get the zoom facility available onsite with which I was able to examine the book titles and the list of tasks and deadlines (weeks past if the date of the picture is of when taken rather than published).

The earlier Chandler portraits are what you might expect - one an unremarkable formal b&w study that you might find on any dustjacket the other less formal , in what might be regarded as his natural habitat a room full of books but otherwise fairly spartan. He is more dapper than the sterotypical academic but of course he is of an older age and knew he was to have his picture taken. He looks more genial than might be expected from reading the contemporary letters which express resentment at the intrusion, and as if he is just about to expound on an interesting point.

The final portrait by Lord Snowdon is quite haunting. Stark, almost bleak. A huge contrast to both the earlier portraits - and to the famous last picture taken shortly after, next to the Pinus Nigra (on tolkienwiki).

Maybe it is the skill of the illustrious photograper that reaches deeper than the pose for a snapshot taken by friend or family - or maybe for them Tolkien could maintain the social smile, impossible in a longer shoot.

Snowdon chose an uncomfortable setting for an old man (however much he might love trees), he seems out of place even while blending into the environment. I find it fascinating and almost upsetting. There is such sadness in it - maybe it is the knowledge that the intervening decade included widowhood, failure to complete the work he hoped to at the start of his retirement and perhaps the realisation that failing health would deny him the extreme longevity of his kin.

I am no artist and though I am a good photographer of landscapes and architecture I am rubbish at people so this is very much a layman's perception. I would be interested to know what others think .

[Estelyn Telcontar]

Thank you very much for that link, Mithalwen! I had never heard of, much less seen the Snowdon portrait, and it does have something disturbing about it. I think the angle, taken upwards, has something to do with that - he looks like he is desperately holding on to keep from falling. That could well be metaphoric for his emotions at that time of his life. I am reminded of the feeling he describes in Smith of Wootton Major, the loss of the key to Faërie, written only a few years earlier.

The other impression I get from the portrait is a Treebeard-y feeling, only hopeless and desolate. A very moving photograph indeed!

[Mithalwen]

Yes, those are not friendly trees. Those roots have a hint of old man willow for all that it is a conifer. Also although it is a portrait the sitter is a very small part of the shot.

I seem to remember that this picture was to mark his 80th birthday whereas the others were to illustrate an article - I think in the Daily Telegraph.

[Pitchwife]

The Snowdon portrait was the first picture of Tolkien I ever saw (in a promotion leaflet from the German publishers of the Silmarillion, way back in the late 70s, which also contained, as a teaser, the first chapter of the Sil I ever read - Of the Darkening of Valinor, IIRC). At the time, he seemed to belong with those trees - to my younger eyes, he looked as old as the earth, as weird, ancient and otherworldly as the world of his tales. I didn't notice the look of old age and loss, but now you mention it, it's obvious.
(By the way, the trees strongly remind me of those on Tolkien's own painting of Taur-nu-Fuin/Mirkwood.)

[Mithalwen]

Thank you Pitchwife - that is interesting that it was used for that purpose ... certainly more intriguing than the classic author photograph.

I agree about Mirkwood... though there is some light it just serves to make the darkness..darker - and there is something a bit fey about it...and the way he seems almost to emerge from the roots.

On a side note, some people have been kind enough to tell me privately they like this but feel they have nothing to add. I had hoped that by putting it on N&N that it might encourage posting since I thought it was something that could be responded to by anyone who looked regardless of whether they were completely au fait with every detail of Tolkien's life and work. So I hope we might get a few more responses even if they are just an impression.

[Lalaith]

It seems to me to be of a man who has grown more tree-ish.

[Bêthberry]

Like Esty, I have not seen this before, so I certainly thank Mithalwen for posting it here.

It certainly an interesting and original portrait and rather surprising given that Snowdon reportedly hated reading. He must have done his homework on his subjects.

It's interesting that only the tiniest part of Tolkien's head meets the sky. As others have said before, altogether tree-ish.

Did Tolkien himself ever publicly comment on the portrait? It would be fascinating to know what he thought of it.

[Mithalwen]

http://www.stumbleupon.com/s/#85XCS4...ic:Photography

http://checkpoint.ansible.co.uk/cp014.html I am still researching but won't have much time now until after the weekend.

Since the portrait was taken in Bournemouth I imagine that it was in the vicinity of the Miramar (since Tolkien had returned to Oxford by then) - however it could be Branksome where he used to live and where he returned to visit the Tolhursts. I may go and take a look.

[garm]

The picture was taken in Branksome Chine, not far from the Tolkiens' bungalow in Lakeside Road, Bournemouth, on 25th May 1971. It was for an article on Tolkien's 80th birthday, and was published in the Sunday Times magazine on 2 January 1972.
(Scull & Hammond; The JRR Tolkien Companion and Guide Vol.I)

The article, written by William Cater, is called 'The Lord of the Hobbits'. This is where the phrase used on the dust-jackets of later editions of LotR comes from: '(For) the English speaking world is divided into those who have read his books _The Hobbit_ and _The Lord of the Rings_ and those who are going to read them'.

Snowdon took some more pictures that day, including the one with Tolkien on the sea shore which is used on the front cover of the paperback ed. of _The Monsters and the Critics and Other Essays_ in 1997.

As for the branksome Chine portrait - I first came across this picture as a poster in my LP of music inspired by LotR, by Bo Hanson (1972).

[garm]

Looking at the link which the OP gives to the National Gallery, I see they've dated the colour picture of Tolkien as September 1961. I think that's a mistake on their part. Chandler visited the Tolkiens twice: in 1961 and again in 1966, when she took photos of Ronald and Edith on the occassion of their 50th wedding anniversary.

One of the 1961 pictures - that is, the black and white one shown on the National gallery website - was used as a frontispiece to the 1962 festschrift _English and Medieval Studies Presented to JRR Tolkien on the Occasion of his Seventieth Birthday_, ed. by Norman Davis and C.L. Wrenn. This book is further distinguished in that it has a facsimile signature of Tolkien's, under the photograph, leading some to believe that it's a 'real, signed copy'.

There's a set of these photographs available; five colour, all of 1966, and three from 1961; these are black & white. They all have the year of copyright printed on the reverse. They make a very nice set.

There was a display of prints of these photos at last year's Oxonmoot (the annual weekend conference of the Tolkien Society). It was possible to order high quality prints, in various sizes. The largest of these was very large indeed; the type you'd most likely see framed on the wall of a museum or such like. I didn't order any; I'm quite happy with my set of post card sized pictures.

[The Might]

Thanks for the awesome link Mithalwen!
I must admit my reaction to the Snowdon photo was similar to that of Estelyn, it was somehow unsettling to look at it and I quickly clicked it away... it's as if The Professor is Treebeard, small and alone in the forest, with noone left around him... made me sad to see it.

[Mithalwen]

Many thanks to Garm for providing the confirmation on the location and the other information - I thought it could be Branksome Chine but my visits there have been on gloriously sunny days which are rather at odds with the picture! I have some picture of it still in the camera - I will try and scan them in when I have got them developed or borrow a digital.

I didn't go to Oxonmoot last year and so missed it (though the art room isn't my usual haunt) .

[garm]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

Many thanks to Garm for providing the confirmation on the location and the other information -

You're welcome. By the way - I don't think that's such a sad picture of the Professor - though it's by no means a favourite of mine. I mentioned earlier that Snowdon took several photos that day; one was used for a book cover.

Look here:

http://www.tolkienbooks.net/php/deta...eference=65670

- Much better!

[Lalwendë]

The photo by Snowdon in the woods is one I'm well used to because it's on the cover of (or at least...was) Paul H Kocher's Master of Middle-earth - a great book, though a bit out of date now because it came out before the Sil was published.

I never found it disturbing, but maybe that's me - it instead just reminds me of some woods we used to play in as kids.

[garm]

Originally Posted by Lalwendë

The photo by Snowdon in the woods is one I'm well used to because it's on the cover of (or at least...was) Paul H Kocher's Master of Middle-earth - a great book, though a bit out of date now because it came out before the Sil was published...

Actually, there's quite a bit in Kocher's book that's still relevant. His views on Sauron and the Nature of Evil have never been bettered, in my opinion. Same goes for the part about Aragorn.

And, Kocher also deals with Tolkien's shorter works - very useful.

[Lalwendë]

Originally Posted by garm

Actually, there's quite a bit in Kocher's book that's still relevant. His views on Sauron and the Nature of Evil have never been bettered, in my opinion. Same goes for the part about Aragorn.

And, Kocher also deals with Tolkien's shorter works - very useful.

Yes, it's well worth reading for his analysis of Aragorn which is superb. I might crack this one open again soon, this thread has reminded me of it!

It's also relatively easy to get hold of a nice old copy - I even found a 1st on a market stall!

[Mithalwen]

I am fairly sure I have that book but I think it must have a different cover .. I am fairly sure I never saw the Snowdon before the NPG.

[Mithalwen]

Not sure it is good form to "Heren Istarion" one's own thread but there was a fascinating interview with Lord Snowdon on Radio 4's Front Row this week (straight after "The Archers " else I would probably havie missed it ) which I was going to transcribe but this interview in yesterday's Telegraph covers the most interesting point in relation to the Tolkien portraits about the "edge" he sought and more explicitly than on the radio of the cruelty of photography (though personally I am more liable to inflict cruelty on anyone attempting to take my picture...)

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/p...ing-to-do.html

[Bêthberry]

Originally Posted by Mithalwen

(though personally I am more liable to inflict cruelty on anyone attempting to take my picture...)

Nonsense. Neither lens nor I was cracked. It must have been a very good day, eh?

I very much admire Snowdon's photos of Tolkien. I have in fact bought paperbacks of the editions with his photos of Tolkien on them in large part because of the photos (rather than other editions). But the bit about the silence is fascinating. Tolkien of course loved the sounds of language. I wonder how much of the photos belongs to his response to the silence.

[Guinevere]

At the Tolkien Seminar in Jena I saw a new Tolkien Biography in German. I wasn't so much interested in the book (nothing new as far as I could see) but I love the portrait on the cover which shows Tolkien younger than on most wellknown photographs. I wonder when this was taken?

I've seen very few pictures of him as a younger man - in fact, only the one in the Carpenter biography which shows him 1916 in uniform with a moustache.

[Rumil]

Hi all, must have missed this thread earlier,

Mith, nice links to the Snowdon and Chamberlain pics. In Snowdon's the Prof seems very uncomfortable, as if just in the process of either sitting down or standing up, or perhaps he was sat on a particularly knobbly tree-root, such as Frodo complained about in 'Three Is Company'.

This photo is a sad one for me because I associate it with the TV news clips when Tolkien died. I think these either used the same still photo or were filmed in a similar wood in black and white. That was a while ago now, anyone remember?

The colour photo where Tolkien is looking sraight into the camera just says 'Bilbo at Rivendell' to me - great!

Guinevere - excellent find on the photo of Tolkien as a young man, interesting photo, it brings out some sadness in Tolkien's expression. Does this date from the 1920s? His eyes remind me of other photos of First World War survivors.