J.R.R. Tolkien was a man obsessed. And the Morgan Library & Museum’s “Tolkien: Maker of Middle-earth,†the most extensive public display of original Tolkien material in decades, demonstrates the astonishing care with which he imagined his fantastical creations and their intricate world. Among the most fascinating objects: this map of Middle-earth that he used while writing The Lord of the Rings, which covers a larger area than the one included in the writings themselves.
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Tolkien: Maker of Middle-Earth, at the Morgan Library & Museum through May 12.
*This article appears in the January 21, 2019, issue of New York Magazine. Subscribe Now!