Review essay published in American Archivist
In 1763 James Boswell, a young Scot of twenty-two, met Samuel Johnson, then fifty-three and the most famous literary figure in London. From then until Johnson’s death in 1784, Boswell was a frequent companion of the great man and, as he proved in his biography published in 1791, Johnson’s documenter as well. After reading a couple of sentences of such description of this relationship, one could easily dismiss this as a minor literary event. Yet, Boswell’s Life of Johnson was a pioneering biography, and, astonishingly, the book has stayed in print and been read by generations over the past two centuries. James Boswell’s scholarship, methodology, and his own papers constitute an interesting story for archivists and other records professionals. Adam Sisman’s study provides insights into how journals were conceived and created, glimpses into earlier perceptions of archives, the connection of archives to individual reputation, and a miscellany of other aspects of the formation of documents that demonstrate why archivists need to read outside their own professional literature.
Recent Comments