The Third Exhibit

So, the third of three great Tolkien exhibits is now open, in Paris at the Bibliotheque  Nationale, and it sounds spectacular.*

While many items are shared by all three exhibits, following the example set by the two previous exhibitions (the first in Oxford at the Bodleian and the second in New York at the Morgan) the organizers of this third display have customized the presentation, adding items from their own collections to provide a contest for Tolkien's medievalism.

Just as with the other two events, the list of speakers here is impressive: Adam Tolkien opens the weekly series on November 14th, followed by Leo Carruthers on Tolkien: Father and Sons (Nov 21st), Damien Bador on invented languages (Nov 28th), Isabelle Pantin placing Tolkien within his milieu (Dec 5th), and wrapping up with Alan Lee on illustrating Tolkien (Dec 12th). this will be followed by a colloquium on "Tolkien and the War"**

The exhibit runs until February 16th, and it sounds like anyone interested in Tolkien who can make it wd be spending their time wisely.

Speaking of spending money, it sounds as if this exhibit, like the one in Oxford, has not one but two catalogues: a great big one that serves as the main catalogue and a slim volume presenting a good array of highlights. Better yet, the full catalogue is available on amazon.co.uk, for those who do their travelling in books.


--John R.
--current reading: just finished on book and not yet gotten into the next yet (deciding whether to resume a book I'd set aside or start a new one, while also weighing between what I want to read and what I shd be reading.


*thanks to Mattias G for posting the following link:
https://www.bnf.fr/en/agenda/tolkien-journey-middle-earth

the press release towards the end of this piece gives a good idea of the scope of the displays (over a thousand square meters)


**which makes sense, since this is a French exhibition and The War is the one time in his life when Tolkien spent a significant time in France ---albeit under distressing conditions.