The Oxford Dictionary of National Biography is a collection of
50,000 specially written biographies of men and women who have
shaped all aspects of the British past, from the earliest times to
the end of the year 2000. The stories of these lives - told in
substantial, authoritative, and readable articles - have been
published simultaneously in 60 print volumes and online. Inclusive
- Authoritative - Unique The original DNB was conceived in 1882 by
George Smith, publisher of the Brontes and Trollope, and first
edited by Virginia Woolf's father, Sir Leslie Stephen. The
editorial policy of the original DNB was remarkably inclusive: any
person of note could be included who had lived in, or had a
significant connection with the British Isles. The Oxford DNB takes
a similarly inclusive approach: subjects range from the great and
the good to the popular, pioneering, eccentric, notorious, and
downright criminal. In 'national' scope the pragmatic approach of
the original DNB has been retained. The Oxford DNB covers people
born in the British Isles; it also includes inhabitants of the USA
and Commonwealth countries before independence, many British-born
people whose main impact was made overseas, and many who were born
elsewhere but whose impact within the United Kingdom was
substantial. Everyone included in the old dictionary is in the
Oxford DNB but all their biographies have been revised or
completely rewritten to reflect modern scholarship. A further
13,500 lives of new subjects broadens the coverage of previously
neglected areas in all periods. These include many articles on
women and twentieth-century subjects as well as previously
under-represented fields such as business and science. Over 1800
people who died between 1991 and 2000 have also been included for
the first time. In order to ensure a well-balanced view of a
subject we do not include any biographies of people that are still
living. Owing to its accessible and authoritative coverage, the
Oxford DNB will appeal to a wide readership: from scholarly
researchers to university, college, and school students,
professional writers to general readers of biography, local and
family historians to librarians, archivists, and curators. It is
the essential biographical and historical resource for all major
libraries. Editorial excellence Like the Oxford English Dictionary
the project springs from a remarkable partnership between publisher
and scholars. The Oxford DNB is constituted as a research and
publishing project of the University of Oxford, with research
funding from the British Academy, and all other funding and
resources from Oxford University Press. The editor is Professor
Brian Harrison (Professor of Modern British History, University of
Oxford) who succeeded the founding editor, the late Professor H. C.
G. Matthew FBA, in January 2000. Over 30 in-house research
scholars, 12 external consultant editors and 400 associate editors
made recommendations about new subjects and specialist authors, and
reviewed completed work for academic quality. The large community
of people contributing to the Oxford DNB is spread around the world
and made up of 10,000 academic and non-academic authors. The
largest selection of national portraiture ever published The Oxford
DNB contains 10,000 portrait illustrations, each shown next to the
relevant biography. This special project was completed in
partnership with the National Portrait Gallery in London. Drawing
on the National Portrait Gallery's own collections and a wide range
of other sources, a specialist research team has assembled the
largest selection of national portraiture ever published. Images
chosen for reproduction range from paintings, drawings, and
sculpture to photographs, medals, and death masks.
General
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