BIRMINGHAM -- An early taste of "Hobbit" fever has arrived in Birmingham as Samford University has opened an exhibit honoring "Lord of the Rings" author J.R.R. Tolkien leading up to the 40th anniversary of his death.
The collection celebrating Tokien's fantasy world Middle Earth is on display at the Samford Library through Jan. 2, 2013. Tolkien died on Sept. 2, 1973.
The collection includes first editions of Tolkien books in hardback and paperback and movie posters from the film adaptations.
The exhibit is timed as a sneak preview to the upcoming movie, "The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey," on Dec. 14.
More than 50 items are on display courtesy of Samford graduate student Rebecca Poe Hays and her father, Union University professor of theology and Christian apologetics Hal Poe. The two have studied and written extensively on Tolkien.
Hays, a student at Samford's Beeson Divinity School, is especially fond of two items in the exhibit. "The History of Middle Earth series, edited by Christopher Tolkien (J.R.R.'s son), is important for understanding that Tolkien did not just write four novels. He created an entire world with its own history, mythology, ethnicities and languages," said Hays, who spent an undergraduate term at Oxford University, where she attended meetings of the Tolkien Society.
She also appreciates the exhibit's paperback editions. One set, a pirated edition released without Tolkien's permission, ultimately prompted the writer to agree to the release of an "authorized" paperback edition, revised and complete with a special author's note.
Hays, a Tolkien fan since childhood, has been collecting Tolkien memorabilia since her father began giving her first and rare editions for birthdays and Christmas when she was in high school.
Her father, she explains, has long been interested in the ways the church can share the gospel message with the larger culture, which Lewis did in his Chronicles of Narnia series. "Tolkien did this in a much more latent way with the values and themes that run throughout The Lord of the Rings," said Hays, whose bachelor's degree is in English literature. "This intersection of faith and literature is also of great interest to me."
The exhibit also includes a photo slideshow, courtesy of Allen and Susan Hammack of Tolkien fan site TheOneRing.net., who visited "The Shire," just prior to the filming of The Hobbit, at the Matamata, New Zealand, location in 2011. The film's cast includes Martin Freeman as Bilbo Baggins, Elijah Wood as Frodo, Cate Blanchett as Galadriel and Ian McKellen as Gandalf.
Tolkien began his Middle Earth writings with "The Silmarillion" during World War I, although it was not finished nor published until after his death. "The Hobbit" was published in 1937. A sequel, The Lord of the Rings, was finished in 1949 and published in 1954-55 in three separate volumes: "The Fellowship of the Ring," "The Two Towers" and "Return of the King."
The Samford exhibit includes hardback copies of the first American edition of the three volumes of "The Lord of the Rings."
The exhibit has been a hit with students after being set up on either side of the grand staircase in the library. "I've already seen lots of students stop and smile when they see it," Samford user engagement librarian Marliese Thomas said.