"Quotations help us remember the simple yet profound truths that give life perspective and meaning. When it comes to life's most important lessons, we can all use gentle reminders." ~ Criswell Freeman
The father of quotation collections, John Bartlett (1820–1905) was born in Plymouth, Massachusetts. A high-school dropout, this self-educated editor published Bartlett's Familiar Quotations (1855) which included American and traditional British and Biblical selections. The original collection featured 258 pages.
"I have gathered a posie of other men’s flowers, and nothing but the thread that binds them is mine own," Bartlett explained.
Still, Bartlett's work has become a legacy and celebration. "Life itself is a quotation," observed writer Jorge Luis Borges.
"I hate quotations," said writer Ralph Waldo Emerson, "tell me what you know."
Emerson aside, artist Allan Gallardo once said, "To quote is to think, to think is to learn, to learn is to live."
Bartlett wrote nine editions in his lifetime. The 17th (2002) edition of the Familiar Quotations is 1472 pages and contains over 20,000 quotations, representing 2,500 authors. The reference work continues to be the standard for memorable quotations--inspiring, generating creativity, and helping with communication.
"It is a good thing for an uneducated man to read books of quotations," shared statesman Winston Churchill.
(And the educated man, too, Sir Winston!)
"The wisdom of the wise and the experiences of the ages are perpetuated by quotations." observed Benjamin Disraeli.
