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How did James Boswell preserve Samuel Johnson’s conversations?

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Painting of Samuel Johnson showing Johnson seated at a desk with a quill in hand and papers before him, wearing a brown coat and white wig. — Samuel Johnson Samuel Johnson, oil on canvas by Sir Joshua Reynolds, c. 1756; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.

James Boswell preserved the conversations of Samuel Johnson by utilizing a self-invented system of shorthand to record them from the beginning of their friendship in 1763.1

As a superlative reporter, Boswell often prompted Johnson to speak on specific topics by asking questions that appeared naive or ignorant, effectively drawing out the forceful and witty remarks that became the foundation of his biography, The Life of Samuel Johnson, LL.D.. By ruthlessly subordinating his own personality in his writing, Boswell ensured that the focus remained on Johnson’s statements, capturing the essence of the author's character and intellect for posterity.12