Johnson's Household

Although Johnson had numerous residences throughout his years in London, he is most closely associated with the house at 17 Gough Square, where he lived from 1748-1759. The house suffered years of neglect before being established as a Johnson museum, only to narrowly escape destruction in the London Blitz during World War II. Johnson’s final London home was in Bolt Court, where he lived from 1776 until his death in 1784. Although the building no longer stands, it was immortalized in these works by John Thomas Smith (1766-1833), an author and artist who served as Keeper of Prints and Drawings at the British Museum.