John Bartlett
John Bartlett was an influential American bookseller, author, and compiler of quotations, born on June 14, 1820, in Plymouth, Massachusetts. Displaying remarkable intellectual prowess from a young age, he read the Bible by age nine and graduated high school at sixteen. He began his career at the Harvard University bookstore, eventually becoming its owner, where he garnered a reputation for his extensive knowledge, leading to the local saying, "Ask John Bartlett." His most significant contribution is the first edition of "Familiar Quotations," published in 1855, which has seen numerous editions and remains a popular reference for quotes.
In addition to his work in quotations, Bartlett had a passion for fishing and chess and contributed to literature on these subjects. His involvement in the Civil War included a brief role as a paymaster for the Union before shifting to a career in publishing with Little, Brown, and Company, where he became a senior partner. Together with his wife, Hannah, he compiled a comprehensive concordance of Shakespeare's works in 1894, establishing a lasting scholarly resource. Throughout his life, Bartlett was recognized for his contributions to literature and academia, receiving an honorary degree from Harvard in 1871 and being elected to the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He passed away in 1905 at the age of eighty-five.
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John Bartlett
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- Born: June 14, 1820
- Birthplace: Plymouth, Massachusetts
- Died: December 3, 1905
- Place of death: Cambridge, Massachusetts
Biography
John Bartlett was born on June 14, 1820, in Plymouth, Massachusetts. He was the son of William Bartlett, sea captain, and Susan (Thacher) Bartlett. He was a bright child and began reading by age three. By nine years of age, he had read the entire Bible. At sixteen, he graduated from high school and began working at the Harvard University bookstore in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Thirteen years later, he became the owner of the bookstore.
During his years at the bookstore, he became known as a reliable source of trivia and quotations. Due to this reputation, the phrase “Ask John Bartlett” was coined in his local community. In order to better serve his bookstore customers, Bartlett compiled his quotes into a booklet. This booklet was the origin of the first edition of Familiar Quotations (1855). Nine more editions were published during Bartlett’s lifetime. In addition to Familiar Quotations, Bartlett wrote about his favorite pastimes—fishing and chess.
In 1862, with the onset of the Civil War, Bartlett sold his bookstore and volunteered as a paymaster for the Union. However, he served his post only briefly, as he moved to Boston in 1863 and joined the publishing firm of Little, Brown, and Company. He became a senior partner in 1878, eventually retiring from the firm in 1889.
John Bartlett was married to Hannah (Willard) Bartlett, who was the daughter of Sydney Willard, a professor of Hebrew at Harvard University. She was also the granddaughter of Joseph Willard, who was the president of Harvard. They had no children. In 1894, in partnership with his wife Hannah, John Bartlett compiled one of his most notable works, The New and Complete Concordance or Verbal Index to Words, Phrases, and Passages in the Dramatic Works of Shakespeare, With a Supplementary Concordance to the Poems. This massive compilation of Shakespeare’s works is still a standard today.
Bartlett was a member of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences. He received an honorary degree from Harvard in 1871. The seventeenth edition of Familiar Quotations was published by Little, Brown, and Company, in 2002. John Bartlett died in 1905, at the age of eighty-five.