Tolkien's Pictorial Code Letters

Post by **truehobbit** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 1:41 am

Excellent, Sassy!

(Didn't know people knew I'm in Cologne, actually

- *feels famous*

)

Ok, have at the cake, then, everybody!

Post by **Roccondil** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 8:41 am

A fast reply from the Bodleian - but that's because we have been referred elsewhere.. (unless they have any latitude in their actions).

Thank you for your e-mail of yesterday which has been
forwarded to this section as we administer modern
manuscript collections, including our Tolkien collection.
Please accept this as a holding reply as the Curator of our
modern Literary manuscripts is not
due back to work until next Tuesday, 10 January.

In the meantime I can tell you that we cannot accept any
orders for copies of Tolkien material without the written
permission of the Tolkien Trust. The person to contact is

Manches (Solicitors)
9400 Garsington Road
Oxford Business Park
Oxford
OX4 2HN

Should you be fortunate enough to get permission, then we
decide what type of order we are prepared to accept, that
is, photocopy or photograph. If the latter, then please
expect a supply time of about 1-2 months. I should add that
the original drawings are only issued on authority of the Curator and it may be that your request would be better
served if you were able to become a reader to consult the
item in person. The Curator will have to decide.

EDIT: just removed some of their personal details from the email

Post by **Alatar** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 10:49 am

Nice work Hobby, I actually figured out most of that one by myself. I think once you're in the mindset it gets easier.

About Jnyusa, I assumed it was a phoenetic spelling

Jay +Ten -T + USA

J + EN + USA

Jnyusa pronounces her name Jenyoosa I believe, so it's half phoenetic and half spelled out.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

Alatar

Post by **truehobbit** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 2:01 pm

Roccondil - wow, thanks! Hmmh - we don't really need a photocopy, do we? I mean, it would be nice, but very unlikely that the estate lets us have it -

it may be that your request would be better
served if you were able to become a reader to consult the
item in person

- sounds hopeful, I'd say.
Let's hear what the curator will have to say!

Alatar, thanks - yes, I think once you get in the right mode of thinking it becomes easier.

Jnyusa pronounces her name Jenyoosa I believe, so it's half phoenetic and half spelled out.

Oh, that's possible!

Post by **Roccondil** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 2:28 pm

truehobbit wrote: Didn't know people knew I'm in Cologne, actually

Lovely city - My main memory is staggering to the top of the cathedral a couple of years ago. Great view once I got my breath back though!

truehobbit wrote:sounds hopeful, I'd say.
Let's hear what the curator will have to say!

Actually, it does sound a little more hopeful than I thought it might do. Let's hope the curator had a great Christmas!

Post by **truehobbit** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 2:40 pm

Lovely city - My main memory is staggering to the top of the cathedral a couple of years ago. Great view once I got my breath back though!

Thank you!

Looks like you've travelled a lot! Hehe, yep, 500 steps.

Actually, it does sound a little more hopeful than I thought it might do. Let's hope the curator had a great Christmas!

Indeed!

Post by **Roccondil** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 3:32 pm

truehobbit wrote: Looks like you've travelled a lot!

Not especially, it just happens I have been to Cologne and Philadelphia (also a city and area with lovely buildings and fascinating history)

Post by **Frelga** » Fri Jan 06, 2006 6:06 pm

Sassafras wrote:: = colon = Cologne (Köln)

D'oh! Not only did I miss the colon, I didn't realize until now that Cologne and Köln were the same city.

Sassy takes the cake!

Post by **Jnyusa** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 7:11 am

I tried to get back to this thread while you guys were still decoding but my flu hit exactly when you were all going great guns!

Hobby, I got the Dear Jny right away

and was flattered that you did a message in response to mine!

Alatar, yes I actually forgot the Y in Jnyusa ... but when I thought how to add it, I realized that it looked prettier without and was sufficiently understandable. Sometimes U is pronounced Yoo rather than oo, as in USA. Possibly U-SA would have been better.

Rocco, that's heartening news but they seem more proprietary than libaries usually are ... from my small experience with private collections. They must be very concerned with misuse where Tolkien material is concerned. It might actually help if you inform them that the first page of the letter has already been printed on a postcard offered for sale to the public in .... wherever Hobby got it ... and that it is only the second page you are interested in. Sometimes when part of a document has been released it is easier to get access to the rest of it.

Jn

Post by **Alatar** » Sun Jan 08, 2006 6:03 pm

That said, it would be nice to have access to anything you can get your hands on

Post by **Roccondil** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 4:45 pm

Just a quick note here to say that I have had a letter from the Bodleian - a very friendly response with some extra information, but referring us to the solicitor. I intend to telephone the Bodleian with a couple of queries about this process, but the person I need to speak to is probably unavailable till Friday.

Over the weekend I would then expect to make a longer post about this and the letter.

Post by **truehobbit** » Wed Jan 18, 2006 6:11 pm

*is all bouncy with excitement*

Post by **Roccondil** » Fri Jan 20, 2006 12:44 pm

The curator is away till next week, so we'll have to wait a bit longer for that call. However, this is what I have been told so far;

The letter is one leaf, folded into two, making four sides. The pictorial code covers a total of 2 and a bit pages, followed by a limerick and some other notes to Fr Francis under the picture code sign-off. The fourth page is blank apart from a draft sketch of the sign-off.

Let's hope we can get to see it.

Post by **Jnyusa** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 5:11 am

Tres Cool!

Jn

Post by **truehobbit** » Sat Jan 21, 2006 5:44 pm

You sure know how to raise the tension, Roccondil - have you thought of going into screenwriting?

Which is just to say thanks for keeping us updated!

Post by **Roccondil** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 11:15 am

Well, I've not been doing updating because tension and stress is a major problem in modern day society and I haven't wanted to add to it....

Actually, I found it impossible to get hold of the curator, who I believe has been away a lot.

I wrote to the solicitors for the Tolkien Estate making what I hoped was a good case and demonstrating our skills by enclosing the translations we have done so far.

Result: letter arrived this morning - permission granted, subject to separately satisfying the Bodleian's own access criteria.

There will be conditions attached, but the first hurdle seems to be over.

Post by **truehobbit** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 3:07 pm

*faints*

WOW, this sounds cool!

Thanks for keeping working on it! I had been wondering what had become of the curator.

Post by **Jnyusa** » Tue Feb 21, 2006 6:02 pm

Rocco, thou hast worked a miracle!

Jn

Post by **Rowanberry** » Sat Mar 04, 2006 7:38 pm

That's good news!

Sat Mar 04, 2006 10:32 pm