The Hobbit by TOLKIEN, J. R. R - 1937: or There and Back Again.

London: George Allen and Unwin, 1937. With two Tolkienesque onlaid designs in colour First edition, first impression, of the work that first introduced Tolkien's enduringly popular fantasy world to the reading public. The first edition has no colour illustrations; this superb pictorial binding takes its onlaid cover designs from the earliest colour-illustrated editions, giving this copy a most attractive appearance.
The front cover design is based on Tolkien's frontispiece, which was not printed in colour until the second impression. The rear cover shows the illustration "Bilbo comes to the Huts of the Raft-elves", first printed in colour in the second impression. Tolkien's colour illustrations for The Hobbit had been commissioned for the first American edition and were with the American publisher when Allen and Unwin decided to use them. As noted by Hammond & Anderson, "the original art was called back for reproduction in Britain, then returned across the Atlantic".
At the start of 1936, The Hobbit existed only as an incomplete typescript, with the story breaking off at the death of Smaug, until a friend of one of Tolkien's pupils, who worked for Allen & Unwin, read it. She suggested that Tolkien complete the story and submit it to be considered for publication. Tolkien set to work and had nearly finished the story by August 1936, sending the typescript to Allen and Unwin on 3 October. Tolkien prepared over 100 of his own illustrations for the book, although soon realised that this number would have to be reduced for publication. The first edition was published on 21 September 1937 and the first impression of 1,500 copies was sold out by December. Octavo. Finely bound by the Chelsea Bindery in green morocco, spine lettered and decorated in gilt, raised bands, single rule to boards gilt, burgundy endpapers, retaining original map endpapers, twin rule to turn-ins gilt, elaborate onlay designs to both boards, gilt edges. Housed in a green cloth flat-back box by the Chelsea Bindery. Frontispiece and 9 plates by the author, all printed in black. A fine copy. Hammond & Anderson A3a.