Samuel Johnson Tercentenary 2009

Picture courtesy of Michael Reed of thecemeteryproject.com

Samuel Johnson

Tercentenary 2009

Events

The Tercentenary celebrations in the UK commenced on 2 March 2009, the 272nd anniversary of the departure of Johnson and Garrick from Lichfield for London. A modern-day Johnson and Garrick re-enacted their journey (complete with shared horse). They visited a number of schools en route to talk about their walk and the lives of Johnson and Garrick. On arrival in London on Thursday 12th March, a reception took place at the Guildhall.

The Tercentenary itself is on Friday, 18 September 2009. It will be marked by a weekend of events in his birthplace, Lichfield, including a dinner in Lichfield Guildhall on 19 September as well as events at his House in London.

The year’s events will end with a commemoration at Westminster Abbey on 12 December 2009, the 225th anniversary of Johnson’s death.

Programme of events

Date	Event	Place
7 January 2009	BSECS Conference annual lecture: ‘Johnson’s Lives’ (Professor Jack Lynch)	St Hugh’s College, Oxford
28 January	Talk: ‘Johnson’s rattlesnake’ Ian McIntyre (author, Hester: the Remarkable Life of Dr Johnson’s ‘Dear Mistress’)	Dr Johnson’s House, London
14 February	Johnson Society of London Lecture ‘Arthur Murphy and Samuel Johnson: a case of intellectual affinity’ Dr Garry Headland www.johnsonsocietyoflondon.org	Wesley’s Chapel, London
25 February	Dr Johnson’s House Library Talk and ‘open bookshelf’ with Christopher Edwards	Dr Johnson’s House, London
28 February	A Gala Evening with John Sergeant and friends	The Lichfield Garrick Theatre
1 March	Intimate Theatre in 'The Golden Moment’: a Family Farewell to Johnson & Garrick	Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum Lichfield
1 March	Evensong Address by Rt Revd Lord Harries	Lichfield Cathedral
2 March	Johnson and Garrick (Professor Peter Martin and Dr Nicholas Cambridge) depart for London	Lichfield
2 March	Gresham College lunchtime lecture 'Dr Johnson, I presume' Dr Henry Hitchings	Gresham College, London
5 March	Dramatized talk: ‘The scandalous Mrs Piozzi’ Karin Fernald	Calder Bookshop, The Cut, London SE1, 7:00pm
5 March	Late night opening. First Thursday of every month (starting Thursday 5 March). During the tercentenary year, Dr Johnson’s House will be open late every Thursday evening from 6pm to 8:30pm. Normal admission charges apply.	Dr Johnson’s House, London
9 March	Gresham College lunchtime lecture	Gresham College, London
12 March	Lord Mayor's reception for Johnson and Garrick (Please note: By Invitation Only)	Guildhall, London
14 March	Johnson Society of London Lecture ‘Slow rises worth by poverty depress’d’: Johnson comes to London Professor Peter Martin	Wesley's Chapel, London
16 March	Gresham College lunchtime lecture	Gresham College, London
23 March	Gresham College lunchtime lecture	Gresham College, London
23-24 March	Johnson at Bucknell: A Tercentenary Celebration Convenor: Professor Greg Clingham	Bucknell University, Lewisburg, PA
1 April	Johnson 300th anniversary lecture (Oxford Literary Festival) ‘Dr Johnson’s second wife’ Adam Sisman www.sundaytimes-oxfordliteraryfestival.co.uk	Pembroke College, Oxford
1 April	Lecture: Scrofula, Melancholy and Dropsy: Samuel Johnson and Medicine Dr Nicholas Cambridge	Dr Johnson's House, London
4 April	Johnson Society of London Lecture ‘The present hour alone is man’s’: Johnson’s poetry and the redemption of time’ Dr Ken Smith	Wesley's Chapel, London
6 April	'Dr Samuel Johnson - A Tercentenary Celebrated' Dr David Allan, Honorary RSA Historian	Borough of Twickenham Local History Society St Mary Church Hall, Church Street, Twickenham
17-18 April	Meeting of the Johnson Society of the Central Region. Guest speaker: F. P. Lock. Speakers: Martha Bowden, Pat Bruckmann, Jonathan Clark, Katherine Clark, Jasper Cragwell, Alvaro Ribeiro, Paul Ruxin, and Michael Suarez.	Chicago, Illinois
23 April - 2 October	Exhibition: ‘An Immortal Friend: Dr Johnson and the Royal Academy’	Library Print Room, Royal Academy, London
2 and 3 May	‘Johnson’s House comes alive’	Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum Lichfield
14 May	Samuel Johnson Tercentenary Banquet (speakers: Lord Kenneth Baker and Professor Christopher Ricks)	House of Lords
15 May	Johnson Tercentenary Dinner (Johnson Society of Australia)	Mitre Tavern, Melbourne
16 May	Boswell Society lunch	TBA, London
20 and 22 May	Dr Who? In Search of Samuel Johnson A new production by award-winning solo performer David Benson	Dr Johnson's House, London
23 May-20 September	Exhibition, "Samuel Johnson, Literary Giant of the Eighteenth Century, 1709-1784"	Huntington Library, San Marino, CA
25 May	Lichfield Bower	Lichfield
27 May	Lecture: 'Samuel Johnson, Literary Giant of the Eighteenth Century, 1709-1784' Professor O M Brack	Huntington Library
1 June to 29 August	Exhibition: The House of Words Seven contemporary artists respond to Johnson, his House and his legacy. See website for exhibition events	Dr Johnson's House, London
5 June to 30 September	Exhibition: Samuel Johnson and London This small display follows Samuel Johnson, his friends and collaborators around C18-century London.	The British Library, Sir John Ritblatt Gallery
8 June	Lecture: ‘Johnson Agonistes: Portraying Samuel Johnson’ Professor Richard Wendorf	Huntington Library
13 June	Lesley Smith in ‘An Audience with Hester Thrale’	St Mary’s Centre, Lichfield
24 June	Lecture: Samuel Johnson’s Impact on America Peter Martin (author, Samuel Johnson: A Biography)	Dr Johnson’s House, London
27 June	Lesley Smith in ‘An Audience with Hester Thrale’	Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum Lichfield
11 July	Lichfield Festival Georgian Market	Lichfield
11 July	Walking tour: London and Letters with Phil Baines and Catherine Dixon (Part of The House of Words exhibition)	Starts at Dr Johnson's House, London
12 July	Inner Circle Seminar No. 142 on 'Choice of Life' and 'Madness': Dr Johnson's Existential Thinking 10am - 5pm, £120 or £96 for students Apply to Anthony Stadlen, 0208 888 6857 or stadlen@aol.com for further details	Dr Johnson's House, London,
16 July	Music in the Age of Samuel Johnson Cellist Annabel Gordon performs at the House	Dr Johnson’s House, London
18 July - 13 December	Display: The Life and Lives of Dr Johnson	Room 16, National Portrait Gallery, London
21 July	Samuel Johnson and the English Dictionary Talk by Tim Moorey, 5.15 - 6pm £5 on the door, or free to Summer School customers	Ellis Theatre, Marlborough College Summer School, Wiltshire
22 July	Choral Evensong followed by drinks in the Master's Garden. Preacher: Rt Hon The Lord Bingham of Cornhill	The Temple Church, London
27 July	Dr Who? In Search of Samuel Johnson Solo show performed by David Benson	Theatre Royal (Ustinov Studio) Bath
28 July	Dr Who? In Search of Samuel Johnson Solo show performed by David Benson	Tobacco Factory Bristol
August - October	Samuel Johnson in Prints : a small display of prints showing how Johnson's reputation developed and changed during his lifetime and in the years following his death	The British Museum, Prints and Drawings Gallery
1 August	Rasselas Evening including Lecture: ‘Rasselas’ kingdom, then and now’ Jean and John Broadbent	Lichfield Guildhall and Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum
1 August	Walking Tour: Johnson's London with London historian and author Antony Clayton (part of The House of Words exhibition )	Contact Dr Johnson's House
6 August-1 November	Exhibition: ‘Samuel Johnson 1709 - 2009: Life and Afterlife'	Dunedin City Library, Dunedin, New Zealand
19 August	'And Pray, Sir, Who is Bach?' Piano duet music and readings from the time of Dr Johnson. Penelope Cave and Helena Brown with a Broadwood square piano of 1795. 3pm, £8/£6	Edinburgh Festival at St Cecilia's Hall, Niddry Street
22-31 August	Dr Whom? My Search for Samuel Johnson Solo show performed by David Benson	Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Assembly Rooms
27-29 August	Symposium and exhibition of Hyde Collection	Houghton Library, Harvard
1-30 September	A display on Samuel Johnson looking at his life and his Dictionary. There will also be items from the Johnson Collection on display on Floor 6.	Birmingham Central Library
7 September	Johnson and the Thrales: a talk by Stephanie Pickford, curator of Dr Johnson's House.	Woodlawns, Streatham
8 September	' Antony Alsop, Samuel Johnson and the Anglo-Latin Poetic Tradition' Email K.e.smith@bradford.ac. uk for further details	Dept of Classics, University of Otego , Dunedin , New Zealand
9 September	'The Present Hour Alone is Man's: Johnson's Poetry and the Redemption of Time' Email K.e.smith@bradford.ac.uk for further details	Dept of English, University of Otego, Dunedin, New Zealand
10 September	‘ Readings and Music': Readings from Johnson's works with music and refreshments Contact: paul.tankard@otago.ac.nz	Clifford Skeggs Gallery, Dunedin , New Zealand
11 September	Dr Johnson's London A walking tour by historian and author Antony Clayton	Westminster Reference Library
12 September	Dr Johnson Day Exhibition and walking tour Email b.bloice@btinternet.com for further details	St. Leonard's Church, Streatham
13 September	Afternoon tea party Tea and cakes to celebrate Johnson’s 300th birthday	Dr Johnson’s House, London
14-18 September	'Johnson at 300' Samuel Johnson Tercentenary Conference (convenors: Professor Lynda Mugglestone, Dr Freya Johnston)	Pembroke College, Oxford
15 September	Lecture: ‘Johnson and Boswell: No Theory Please, We're British’ Paul Ruxin	Huntington Library
17 September	Lecture: ‘Boswell, George Steevens and the Johnsonian Biography Wars' Email paul.tankard@otago.ac.nz for further details.	St. David Lecture Theatre, University of Otago , Dunedin, New Zealand
18 September 2009	Tercentenary of the birth of Samuel Johnson
	Johnson at 300 Son et Lumière , 8pm	Market Square, Lichfield
	Dr Johnson’s House will be open for free to the public throughout Johnson’s birthday, 11am to 5:30pm	Dr Johnson's House, London
	Dr Johnson's City - Guided Walk, 2pm Starts at the Barbican Library	Barbican Library , London
	Unveiling of a plaque to Samuel Johnson Contact: The Streatham Society	Samuel Johnson public house, Streatham
19 September	Johnson at 300 Birthday Ceremony, 12 noon	Market Square, Lichfield
19 September	Dr Johnson and the Big Dictionary Adventure! Children's event, 10:30am to 12noon	Barbican Library, London
18-20 September	Samuel Johnson’s 300th Birthday Celebrations & Lichfield Georgian Heritage Weekend	Lichfield
20 September	Johnson Birthday Evensong in the Nave with a full choir and music, 3.30pm Preacher - Bishop of London	Lichfield Cathedral
20 September	Crosswords Demystified, 1pm With the help of Dr Johnson's Dictionary and professional crossword setter, Tim Moorey	Barbican Library, London
23 September	The Lives of Dr Johnson, 7:30pm Prof Peter Martin and Prof David Nokes discuss their respective approaches to Johnson biography	Barbican, London
23 September	Dr Johnson's London A walking tour by historian and author Antony Clayton	Westminster Reference Library
28 September	A Celebration of Samuel Johnson With Libby Purves, Beryl Bainbridge, Richard Ingrams, David Nokes and A N Wilson	British Library, London
29 September	Lecture: ‘How to Give Advice: Samuel Johnson and the Essay'. Contact paul.tankard@otago.ac.nz for further details.	Archway Lecture Theatre, University of Otago , Dunedin, New Zealand
3 October	Conference: “ Reassessing Hawkins's Life of Johnson ", sponsored by Fox Center for Humanistic Inquiry, Emory University , and the University of Georgia Press. Contact: martine.brownley@emory.edu	Emory University
7 October Exhibition runs from 18th Sept. to 11th Dec.	Opening reception of "Scarce Books and Elegant Editions"Samuel Johnson and James Boswell: Selections from the Edward R. Leahy Collection Heritage Room. Contact: Michael.Knies@Scranton.edu	Weinberg Memorial Library, The University of Scranton
10 October	Johnson Society of London Lecture ‘Johnson and the Art of Human Happiness: The Case of Rasselas’ Dr Thomas Woodman	Wesley's Chapel, London
15 October	Readings from the works of Samuel Johnson	Westminster Abbey
20 October	Now and in Time: Birmingham City University Honours Samuel Johnson	The Recital Hall, Birmingham Conservatoire
21 October	Symposium, "Samuel Johnson - from cradle to grave and beyond: his illnesses, physicians, autopsy and religious faith"	Royal Society of Medicine
6 November	Candlelit church service to commemorate Johnson. Contact Revd Mandy Hodgson: rectorstleonards@btinternet.com	St. Leonard's Church, Streatham
7 November	Samuel Johnson Study Day Download a programme for the day (23 KB)	Museum of London
8 November	Inner Circle Seminar No. 145 . Dr Johnson's Existential Thinking on 'Madness' , 'Choice of Life', and Other Matters Apply to Anthony Stadlen, 0208 888 6857 or stadlen@aol.com for further details	Dr Johnson's House, London
14 November	Johnson Society of London Lecture	Wesley's Chapel, London
19 November	'And Pray, Sir, Who is Bach?' Piano duet music and readings from the time of Dr Johnson. Penelope Cave and Helena Brown with a Broadwood square piano of 1795. 3pm, £8/£6 Call 01483 518737 to book.	Surrey History Centre 130 Goldsworth Road , Woking, Surrey GU21 6ND
21 November	Sir Joshua Reynolds: The Acquisition of Genius	Plymouth City Museum and Art Gallery
22 November	Samuel Johnson Tercentenary dinner (Samuel Johnson Society of Southern California) President and Daniel Blum Memorial Lecturer: John W. Byrne	Huntington Library, San Marino, CA
25 November	Samuel Johnson and the Book Trade An illustrated lecture by Margaret Willes	Dr Johnson's House, London
26 November	Dr Johnson's Christmas Light Night	Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum
6 December	The Samuel Johnson Birthplace Museum presents Lady Giorgianna in 'Ladies of Misrule' Costumed eighteenth-century girl band present a varied programme of music and readings	Guildhall, Lichfield
6 December	Samuel Johnson: The Man and Lexicographer Speakers: Prof David Crystal, Stephanie Pickford, Donald Hyde Curator and Svetlana Stojics. For information email Branka Panic	English Speaking Union, Belgrade (in association with Dr Johnson's House)
9 and 10 December	Back to Dr Johnson's.. A one man performance by Ian Redford	Dr Johnson's House, London
12 December	Commemoration: wreath-laying and lunch Speaker: Professor Christopher Ricks	Westminster Abbey and St Ermin’s Hotel, London
14 December	'My Man-Servant, a Negro: Dr Johnson and Frank Barber'. Talks by David Dabydeen and Charles Nicholl. The Royal Society of Literature	Kenneth Clark Theatre, Courtauld Institute, London.

Print the calendar of events (PDF, 61K).

More will be added as details become available. If you know of any event not in the calendar, please let us know at info@johnson2009.org

Tercentenary publications

Sir John Hawkins, The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D, ed O M Brack (University of Georgia Press, 2009)
Peter Martin, Samuel Johnson: A Biography (Orion and Harvard University Press, 2008)
Ian McIntyre, Hester: the Remarkable Life of Dr Johnson’s ‘Dear Mistress’ (Constable, 2008)
Jeffery Meyers, Samuel Johnson: The Struggle (Basic Books, 2008)
David Nokes, Samuel Johnson (Faber, 2009)
John Wiltshire, The Making of Dr Johnson (Helm, 2009)
Samuel Johnson After 300 Years, ed Philip Smallwood and Greg Clingham (Cambridge University Press, 2009)
“Samuel Johnson, Lives of the Poets. A Selection, text edited by Roger Lonsdale, introduction and notes by John Mullan (Oxford World's Classics, 2009)”
“Samuel Johnson, The History of Rasselas, Prince of Abissinia (ed. Thomas Keymer) (Oxford University Press, 2009).”
Samuel Johnson: Selected Writings, selected and edited by Peter Martin. A Tercentenary Edition. Harvard University Press, 2009.