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James Boswell, Biographer and Diarist, Fall 2016 @ Archives & Special Collections: Additional Resources

The Special Collections Department at the University of Pittsburgh presents an exhibition of the life of James Boswell, the writer who revolutionized the genre of biography and the broader literary tradition.

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Web-Based Resources


Dictionary of the English LanguageA digitized scan of Johnson's Dictionary, 1st Edition.

Dictionary of the English LanguageA searchable, text-based digitization of Johnson's Dictionary, 1st Edition.

Eighteenth Century Collections OnlineA comprehensive database of 18th century books, pamphlets, sheet music, advertisements, and other paper resources.

ULS English Comp, Literature, and Writing Database Libguide: page of databases, organized by subject, relating to topics in studies of the English language. It includes digitized collections, dictionaries, and lists of databases in related fields, as well as resource links concerning Gender, Sexuality, and Women's Studies and Film Studies.

ULS English Literature and Writing Department Resources Libguide: A page organizing the Pitt English Department's various Libguides

Project Gutenburg: ​Hosts ebooks of many of Boswell's writings, including Life of Johnson and Journal of a Tour to the Hebridies.


Proquest British PeriodicalsA database of British periodicals dated as far back as the 1690's, searchable by place of publication as well as through more conventional filters. 


The Auchinleck House: Visitor information for Auchinleck Estate, the Boswell family's Estate, including an overview of the house's history, restoration progress, and booking information. 

The Boswell Trust: The Boswell Trust is a foundation dedicated to memorializing Boswell and oversees the Boswell family mausoleum. The page  contains information concerning the mausoleum, the Auchinleck House, the Boswell Book Festival, public outreach.

The Grand TourA webpage dedicated to curating primary and secondary resources written by Europeans embarking on Grand Tours, or about Grand Tours. It includes a number of digitized correspondences, interactive maps, essays, and historic paintings.

The Johnson House: The website for the Johnson House, with information concerning news, events, and the collection housed within the museum. 

The London TimesAn archive of articles from The London Times from 1785 onward. The digitized resources can be searched by keyword, date, article type, etc., and appear as scans of the original papers.

The Samuel Johnson Soundbite Page
A collection of nearly 2,000 Samuel Johnson quotes with additional biographical resources and an analysis of Johnson's political views.

Yale Editions of the Private Papers of James Boswell​Includes information relating to the recovery of the papers, the creation of the Yale Editions, staff involved in the project, and ordering information.

Yale University's Boswell Editions BlogFor passages from Boswell's works, related publications, and cover art of various editions.