'Tremendously proud': Canadian regiment serving as King's Life Guard
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CTV News
19 hours ago
- CTV News
Rare ‘Hobbit' first edition sold for US$57,000
FILE- Joy Asfar, of the auction house Bonhams examines a copy of the 1937 first issue of the first edition of 'The Hobbit' by author J.R.R. Tolkien on display at the auction house in London, in this March 17, 2008 file photo. LONDON — A rare first edition of J.R.R. Tolkien's 'The Hobbit' sold for 43,000 pounds (US$57,000) at auction on Wednesday, after it was found during a house clearance in southwest England. Purchased by a private collector in the United Kingdom, the book is one of 1,500 original copies of the British author's seminal fantasy novel that were published in 1937. Of those, only 'a few hundred are believed to still remain', according to the auction house Auctioneum, which discovered the book on an bookcase at a home in Bristol. Bidders from around the world drove the price up by more than four times what the auction house expected for the manuscript. 'It's a wonderful result, for a very special book,' said Auctioneum rare books specialist Caitlin Riley. 'The surviving books from the initial print run are now considered some of the most sought-after books in modern literature,' Auctioneum said in a statement. Auctioneum unearthed the book during a routine house clearance after its owner passed away. 'Nobody knew it was there,' Riley said. 'It was just a run-of-the-mill bookcase.' 'It was clearly an early Hobbit at first glance, so I just pulled it out and began to flick through it, never expecting it to be a true first edition,' she said. 'I couldn't believe my eyes,' she added, calling it an 'unimaginably rare find'. The copy is bound in light green cloth and features rare black-and-white illustrations by Tolkien, who created his beloved Middle Earth universe while he was a professor at the University of Oxford. The book was passed down in the family library of Hubert Priestley, a botanist connected to the university. 'It is likely that both men knew each other,' according to Auctioneum, which said Priestley and Tolkien shared mutual correspondence with author C.S. Lewis, who was also at Oxford. 'The Hobbit', which was followed by the epic series 'The Lord of the Rings', has sold more than 100 million copies worldwide. The sagas were turned into a hit movie franchise in the 2000s. A first edition of 'The Hobbit' with a handwritten note in Elvish by the author sold for £137,000 at Sotheby's in June 2015.
CTV News
20 hours ago
- CTV News
A bit of the Jamaican vibe hits London this weekend
London's Covent Garden Market is again hosting weekend events on the square. (Gerry Dewan/CTV News London) The 3rd annual Jerk Festival London takes over the Covent Garden Market Square this weekend. With about 25 vendors on hand, jerk chicken, Jamaican patties and fried bread will be fused with reggae music and artisan crafts this Saturday and Sunday. 'The whole vibe is to bring a piece of Jamaica that you can experience while in London,' says Demond Allen one of the organizers of Jerk Festival London. The music is a big part of the two day event. 'We have London's top Reggae DJ who will be there, as well as one of Toronto's best DJ's who will be performing on Sunday,' says Allen. Admission to the festival is free and things get underway on Saturday afternoon. Allen urges people to get into the vibe saying, 'Jamaica's culture is all over the world and we want to bring that to the community here.'
CTV News
a day ago
- CTV News
Darth Vader's lightsaber could cost you an arm and a leg
Darth Vader's primary duelling lightsaber, used in Star Wars films "The Empire Strikes Back" (1980), and "Return of the Jedi" (1983), on display at a pre-auction viewing in London, Wednesday, Aug. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Joanna Chan) LONDON, U.K. -- Darth Vader's lightsaber, used to chop off Luke Skywalker's hand in Star Wars classic 'The Empire Strikes Back', went on display in London on Wednesday, ahead of its U.S. sale next month. The prop has been described as the 'Holy Grail' for Star Wars fans, with millions prepared to end up like Skywalker and give their right arm to own the iconic weapon. Reflecting that passion, it is predicted to fetch up to US$3 million went it goes on sale in Los Angeles next month. 'It's just an amazing piece of film history,' Brandon Alinger, chief operating officer of the Propstore auction house selling the item, told AFP at a London preview of the sale's most important lots. 'Is there any villain as significant, as memorable as Darth Vader? I don't think so, and this is his weapon,' he added. Darth Vader wielded the 'energy sword' during legendary fight scenes in both 'The Empire Strikes Back' (1980) and 'Return of the Jedi' (1983). David Prowse, the actor behind Vader's mask, and stuntman Bob Anderson actually used two of the devices. One without a blade was clipped to the villain's belt while the other, which had a wooden blade attached, was used for the fight scenes. It is the battle-scarred item, albeit without the blade, that is up for sale, having been in the hands of a US individual for 40 years. 'Somebody, literally, who Googled 'sell Star Wars film prop' came to us and said, 'I've got this thing to sell', and we were just floored,' explained Propstore founder Stephen Lane. 'There was no understanding that this thing even still existed -- it's a brand new discovery, which is incredibly exciting for Star Wars collectors.' He compared its significance to the ruby slippers worn by Judy Garland in 1939 classic 'The Wizard of Oz'. Experts verified its authenticity by matching its dents and scratches to those seen on film. 'Look at the big dent on the back, that's probably from (Luke Skywalker actor) Mark Hamill's lightsaber blade,' Alinger explained while showing the device to AFP. While now likely worth millions, the item is actually an old camera-flash attachment with spare parts, such as the bubbles from behind a calculator pad, stuck on. Other items to be sold during the three-day auction, taking place September 4-6, include the bullwhip, belt and holster used by Harrison Ford in 1989's 'Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade'. One collector will also get their hands on a neuralyzer used by Agents J (Will Smith) and K (Tommy Lee Jones) to erase memories in 'Men in Black' (1997). 'This is used in the opening scene of the film,' explained Ibrahim Faraj, consignments manager at Propstore in the U.K. The item, whose LED display still works, is expected to sell for up to $150,000.
