Linguaphone Coversational Course English Complete incl. 3 booklets see christina Scull and Wayne Hammond's J.R.R. TOLKIEN Companion and Guide: Reader's Guide on page 882. The oldest recording of Tolkien, made in June 1930 Prof. J.R.R.Tolkien speaks at the Twentieth Lesson - "At the Tobacconist's" and the Thirtieth Lesson - "Wireless".
Here is a rare and absolutely special plywood box covered with blue cloth, it measures 27,5 x 27.5 x 6.8 cm and consists of sixteen 78 rpm LP's.
The 3 booklets:
booklet 1: The manual with a translation in French of the Preface, Contents, and Introduction. And has the text of all recordings, with pictures.
Booklet 2: is a "Vocabulaire Anglais-Francais", a dictionary,arranged by lesson
Booklet 3: is a grammar book
The fifteen Records are in brown paper jackets on which advertisements for other Linguaphone courses are printed. The printings alternate black and red.
On the records we can read:
English Lesson 20 AT THE TOBACCONIST'S / Prof. J.R.R.Tolkien Prof.A. Lloyd James
English Lesson 30 WIRELESS / Prof. A.Lloyd James Prof. J.R.R.Tolkien
Tolkien received an invitation,which no doubts he gladly accepted, for he could use the money. He reads the introduction to lesson 20 "At the Tobacconist" and plays the shopowner in de following dialogue with Lloys James as the customer. In Lesson 30 "Wireless" Tolkien plays the part of the proud owner of a radio set who explains to a visitor (Lloyd James again) how great this invention is (somewhat untypical Tolkien...)
Antiquarian: records are in fine condition, the box is rubbed and top of the lid is loose.*