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Which famous writers and thinkers belonged to Samuel Johnsonâs Club?
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Samuel Johnson
Samuel Johnson, oil on canvas by Sir Joshua Reynolds, c. 1756; in the National Portrait Gallery, London.
The Clubâalso known as The Literary Clubâwas founded in 1764 by Samuel Johnson and his close friend Sir Joshua Reynolds. It became renowned for the intellectual distinction of its members, who included many of the most prominent writers and thinkers of the 18th century.1
The original nine members included:
* Edmund Burke: Statesman and philosopher.1
* Oliver Goldsmith: Author and playwright.1
* Sir John Hawkins: Historian of music.1
Other notable figures who were elected to the club include:
* James Boswell: Biographer and diarist.1
* David Garrick: Actor and playwright.1
* Edward Gibbon: Historian.1
* Richard Brinsley Sheridan: Dramatist.1
* Adam Smith: Economist and moral philosopher.1
* Sir William Jones: Orientalist and jurist.1