Samuel Johnson: Literary Giant of the 18th Century

May 23–Sept. 20, 2009
The Huntington; San Marino, CA

Legendary as a writer, moralist, and conversationalist during his lifetime, Samuel Johnson (1709–84) achieved fame with the publication of his Dictionary of the English Language in 1755. In honor of the 300th anniversary of his birth, “Samuel Johnson: Literary Giant of the 18th Century,” will explore how this boy from Lichfield, a small provincial town in the English Midlands, became eminent as an authority on the English language, and became distinguished as the “great moralist.” The story of Johnson’s life and achievements will be told through books, manuscripts, and portraits drawn from The Huntington collections and the Loren and Frances Rothschild collection.

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