Samuel Johnson, Literary Giant of the 18th Century, Comes to Life at the Huntington
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Published: Tuesday, May 19th, 2009
Legendary as a writer, moralist, and conversationalist during his lifetime, Samuel Johnson (1709–1784) achieved fame with the publication of his Dictionary of the English Language in 1755. His death marked the end of an era in England known as the “Age of Johnson.” In honor of the 300th anniversary of his birth, “Samuel Johnson: Literary Giant of the 18th Century,” will explore how this boy from a small provincial town in the English Midlands became eminent as an authority on the English language. Johnson was the first professional writer, someone who started out taking anonymous assignments for various periodicals before signing contracts and securing advances for book projects. As a full-time writer, he eventually earned a pension from the king. The exhibition will showcase Johnson’s craft as a writer through a display of rare materials, including a copy of the first edition of the Dictionary in its original binding, a portion of one of Johnson’s diaries, personal letters, and other works seldom seen by the public. A highlight of the exhibition is Sir Joshua Reynolds’ iconic “Blinking Sam” portrait of Johnson (1775), donated to the institution by Huntington Overseer Loren Rothschild and his wife, Frances, in 2006. The story of Johnson’s achievements will be drawn from The Huntington’s holdings as well as from Rothschild’s private collection. Event runs from May 23 to September 21, 2009.
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