Biographical Resources
Find information about people.
Biographies!
The Ithaca College Library can provide a copious amount of biographical information. There are thousands of full length biographies in the general stacks. For briefer biographical information, there are dozens of biographical resources in the Reference Collection and online.
What is a biography?
The Oxford English Dictionary defines biography as "The process of recording the events and circumstances of another person's life, esp. for publication (latterly in any of various written, recorded, or visual media); the documenting of individual life histories (and, later, other forms of thematic historical narrative), considered as a genre of writing or social history." See this link.
Biography then is about a person as a subject of a work, rather than about that person's works or subject area.
What about autobiography?
Autobiographies are works that people write about themselves. These are often edited by others, but the primary work was written by the person. Some terms to search for when looking for autobiographies are diaries, memoirs, personal narratives. Autobiographies may also contain letters or correspondence from the person.
Sample Online Biographical Dictionaries
Renaissance and Reformation, 1500-1620: A biographical dictionary by ISBN: 9780313305740Publication Date: 2000Covering the period comprising the Renaissance and Reformation, this book covers such figures as the religious leaders who contributed to the Reformation, scientists who paved the way for a new view of the universe, and Renaissance painters, sculptors, and architects, as well as writers, musicians, and scholars. This volume covers those who contributed to the fields of art and architecture, music, philosophy, religion, political and social thought, science, mathematics, literature, history, and education.
A Biographical Dictionary of Ancient Egypt by ISBN: 9781852640323Publication Date: 1991-05-30Important historical and cultural figures as well as some well-known individuals in Egypt's long history (c 3100 BC - c AD 600) are incorporated in this work of reference. Rulers and members of their families, significant figures and important foreigners with whom the Egyptians came into contact are all included. The entries are based on original source material and there are bibliographies for each entry.
Merriam-Webster's Biographical Dictionary by ISBN: 0877797439Publication Date: 1995-05-01Offers brief profiles of more than thirty thousand notable individuals, from Aaron, Charles Babbage, and Cicero to Xerxes, William Butler Yeats, and Zeno.
The Late Medieval Age of Crisis and Renewal, 1300-1500: A Biographical Dictionary by ISBN: 9780313305887Publication Date: 2000This biographical dictionary provides introductory information on 315 leading cultural figures of late medieval and early modern Europe. The work includes literary, philosophical, artistic, military, religious, humanistic, musical, economic, and exploratory figures. Political figures are included only if they patronized the arts, and coverage focuses on their cultural impact. Figures from western European countries, such as Italy, France, England, Iberia, the Low Countries, and the Holy Roman Empire predominate, but outlying areas such as Scotland, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe are also represented.
A Biographical Dictionary of Women's Movements and Feminisms: Central, Eastern, and South Eastern Europe, 19th and 20th Centuries by ISBN: 9789637326394Publication Date: 2006Contains 150 expertly-researched biographical portraits (with pictures) of women and men who were active in, or part of, women's movements and feminisms in 22 countries in Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries. The portraits include Romanian princesses, Serbian philosophers and peasants, Latvian and Slovakian novelists, Albanian teachers, Hungarian Catholic social workers, Austrian factory workers, Bulgarian feminist scientists and socialist feminists, Russian radicals and philanthropists, Turkish republican leftist political activists and nationalists, internationally recognized Greek feminist leaders, and so on, from all walks of life.
A Biographical Dictionary of Early American Jews: Colonial Times Through 1800 by ISBN: 9780813154312Publication Date: 2014Here is a virtually complete list of persons identifiable as Jews in America by 1800, the result of a thorough search of manuscript materials and published literature for the names of Jews who lived in America (including Canada up to 1783) during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Each entry in this dictionary is accompanied by birth and death dates and places and other biographical data so far as they are available. Included are converts to Christianity and, in some instances, their children. Persons whose names or associations have resulted in their being incorporated into earlier lists of "Jews" are noted also, with an attempt to ascertain their identity. Only about 4,000 Jews, of whom 1,500 were native-born, have been identified in this dictionary -- and not all of these positively. Perhaps another 800 have been omitted, Rosenbloom points out, because their names are not included in extant records.
Shapers of the Great Debate on the Civil War: A Biographical Dictionary by ISBN: 9780313317453Publication Date: 2005This work provides substantial biographical entries of 20 individuals who shaped and defined the debates during the Civil War period. Political and military figures, such as Abraham Lincoln and Robert E. Lee, writers such as Harriet Beecher Stowe, and abolitionist reformers, such as Frederick Douglass and George Fitzhugh, are included. An appendix of over 180 additional biographies highlights the lives of others who played a role in the debates of the Civil War.
People of the Underground Railroad: A Biographical Dictionary by ISBN: 9780313339240Publication Date: 2008People of the Underground Railroad is the largest in-depth collection of profiles of those individuals involved in the spiriting of black slaves to freedom in the northern states and Canada beginning around 1800 and lasting to the early Civil War years. One hundred entries introduce people who had a significant role in the rescuing, harboring, or conducting of the fugitives--from abolitionists, evangelical ministers, Quakers, philanthropists, lawyers, judges, physicians, journalists, educators, to novelists, feminists, and barbers--as well as notable runaways.
Biographical Dictionary of British Prime Ministers by ISBN: 9780415108300Publication Date: 1998The Biographical Dictionary of British Prime Ministers is a wide-ranging, comprehensive guide to the political lives of Britain's prime ministers from Sir Robert Walpole to Tony Blair.
Who's Who in Twentieth Century World Poetry by ISBN: 9780415163552Publication Date: 2001The definitive biographical guide to poetry throughout the world in the twentieth century and the only book of its kind to look at non-English language poets in such detail.
Planet Savers by ISBN: 9781906093006Publication Date: 2007Planet Savers brings together the varied stories of the hundreds of movers and shakers that have spoken up throughout history and taken action to defend the world from pollution, deforestation, species loss and climate change.
Mexican Political Biographies, 1935-2009 by ISBN: 9780292726345Publication Date: 2011This fourth edition of Roderic Camp's highly respected Mexican Political Biographies is an updated comprehensive biographical directory of leading state and national politicians in Mexico, covering the years 1935-2009.
More Online Biographical Dictionaries
- Renaissance and Reformation, 1500-1620: A biographical dictionary by ISBN: 9780313305740Publication Date: 2000Covering the period comprising the Renaissance and Reformation, this book covers such figures as the religious leaders who contributed to the Reformation, scientists who paved the way for a new view of the universe, and Renaissance painters, sculptors, and architects, as well as writers, musicians, and scholars. This volume covers those who contributed to the fields of art and architecture, music, philosophy, religion, political and social thought, science, mathematics, literature, history, and education.
- A Biographical Dictionary of Ancient Egypt by ISBN: 9781852640323Publication Date: 1991-05-30Important historical and cultural figures as well as some well-known individuals in Egypt's long history (c 3100 BC - c AD 600) are incorporated in this work of reference. Rulers and members of their families, significant figures and important foreigners with whom the Egyptians came into contact are all included. The entries are based on original source material and there are bibliographies for each entry.
- Merriam-Webster's Biographical Dictionary by ISBN: 0877797439Publication Date: 1995-05-01Offers brief profiles of more than thirty thousand notable individuals, from Aaron, Charles Babbage, and Cicero to Xerxes, William Butler Yeats, and Zeno.
- The Late Medieval Age of Crisis and Renewal, 1300-1500: A Biographical Dictionary by ISBN: 9780313305887Publication Date: 2000This biographical dictionary provides introductory information on 315 leading cultural figures of late medieval and early modern Europe. The work includes literary, philosophical, artistic, military, religious, humanistic, musical, economic, and exploratory figures. Political figures are included only if they patronized the arts, and coverage focuses on their cultural impact. Figures from western European countries, such as Italy, France, England, Iberia, the Low Countries, and the Holy Roman Empire predominate, but outlying areas such as Scotland, Scandinavia, and Eastern Europe are also represented.
- A Biographical Dictionary of Women's Movements and Feminisms: Central, Eastern, and South Eastern Europe, 19th and 20th Centuries by ISBN: 9789637326394Publication Date: 2006Contains 150 expertly-researched biographical portraits (with pictures) of women and men who were active in, or part of, women's movements and feminisms in 22 countries in Central, Eastern and South Eastern Europe in the 19th and 20th centuries. The portraits include Romanian princesses, Serbian philosophers and peasants, Latvian and Slovakian novelists, Albanian teachers, Hungarian Catholic social workers, Austrian factory workers, Bulgarian feminist scientists and socialist feminists, Russian radicals and philanthropists, Turkish republican leftist political activists and nationalists, internationally recognized Greek feminist leaders, and so on, from all walks of life.
- A Biographical Dictionary of Early American Jews: Colonial Times Through 1800 by ISBN: 9780813154312Publication Date: 2014Here is a virtually complete list of persons identifiable as Jews in America by 1800, the result of a thorough search of manuscript materials and published literature for the names of Jews who lived in America (including Canada up to 1783) during the seventeenth and eighteenth centuries. Each entry in this dictionary is accompanied by birth and death dates and places and other biographical data so far as they are available. Included are converts to Christianity and, in some instances, their children. Persons whose names or associations have resulted in their being incorporated into earlier lists of "Jews" are noted also, with an attempt to ascertain their identity. Only about 4,000 Jews, of whom 1,500 were native-born, have been identified in this dictionary -- and not all of these positively. Perhaps another 800 have been omitted, Rosenbloom points out, because their names are not included in extant records.
- Shapers of the Great Debate on the Civil War: A Biographical Dictionary by ISBN: 9780313317453Publication Date: 2005This work provides substantial biographical entries of 20 individuals who shaped and defined the debates during the Civil War period. Political and military figures, such as Abraham Lincoln and Robert E. Lee, writers such as Harriet Beecher Stowe, and abolitionist reformers, such as Frederick Douglass and George Fitzhugh, are included. An appendix of over 180 additional biographies highlights the lives of others who played a role in the debates of the Civil War.
- People of the Underground Railroad: A Biographical Dictionary by ISBN: 9780313339240Publication Date: 2008People of the Underground Railroad is the largest in-depth collection of profiles of those individuals involved in the spiriting of black slaves to freedom in the northern states and Canada beginning around 1800 and lasting to the early Civil War years. One hundred entries introduce people who had a significant role in the rescuing, harboring, or conducting of the fugitives--from abolitionists, evangelical ministers, Quakers, philanthropists, lawyers, judges, physicians, journalists, educators, to novelists, feminists, and barbers--as well as notable runaways.
- Biographical Dictionary of British Prime Ministers by ISBN: 9780415108300Publication Date: 1998The Biographical Dictionary of British Prime Ministers is a wide-ranging, comprehensive guide to the political lives of Britain's prime ministers from Sir Robert Walpole to Tony Blair.
- Who's Who in Twentieth Century World Poetry by ISBN: 9780415163552Publication Date: 2001The definitive biographical guide to poetry throughout the world in the twentieth century and the only book of its kind to look at non-English language poets in such detail.
- Planet Savers by ISBN: 9781906093006Publication Date: 2007Planet Savers brings together the varied stories of the hundreds of movers and shakers that have spoken up throughout history and taken action to defend the world from pollution, deforestation, species loss and climate change.
- Mexican Political Biographies, 1935-2009 by ISBN: 9780292726345Publication Date: 2011This fourth edition of Roderic Camp's highly respected Mexican Political Biographies is an updated comprehensive biographical directory of leading state and national politicians in Mexico, covering the years 1935-2009.
