Mus Ref Book   ML134.H16 P37 2005
Parker, Mary Ann.    G.F. Handel : a guide to research. 2nd edition. New York : Garland, 2005.

Chapter 2. Handel’s life and his works in general:
1. Eighteenth-Century Handel Biographies p. 37-43. 
 Nice brief explanation of the issues surrounding the development of literary biography in England at this time vs Germany and the impact on sources. (p. 37) 
2. Biographies, comprehensive studies, and collections of essays: p. 43-52. Note: Parker's list is not chronological.  

   
*RESERVE ML410 H13 D47
Deutsch, Otto.  Handel, a documentary biography. London : A.  and C. Black, 1955.

Chronological account of Handel's life, based on the Mainwaring biography.  Presents annotated transcriptions of all documents, letters,newspaper items, advertisements, contemporary comments. In English.

*Mus Ref Book   ML134.H16 A19 v.4       
Eisen, Walter u. Margret Eisen.  Händel-Handbuch : in 4 Bd. : gleichzeitig Suppl. zu Hallische Händel-Ausgabe (Kritische Gesamtausgabe).  Kassel ; Basel ; Tours ; London : Bärenreiter, c1978-1986. VOLUME 4.

*Bd. 4. Dokumente zu Leben und Schaffen.  Presents most known contemporary documents with commentary in German. Based on Deutsch's Handel, a documentary biography but more up-to date. Index at back of volume indicates location of documents relating to individual works.

*Handel Reference Database Center for Computer Assisted Research in the Humanities (CCARH) at Stanford University, 2008–

Includes transcriptions  of primary sources by year. Includes annotations for locations in Deutsch's Handel, a documentary biography and the Händel-Handbuch.  
 

*ML105 .M42
Mattheson, Johann, 1681-1764.  Grundlage einer Ehren-pforte, woran der tüchtigsten Capellmeister, Componisten, Musikgelehrten, Tonkünstler &c. Leben, Wercke, Verdienste &c. erscheinen sollen. Zum fernern Ausbau angegeben von Mattheson.  Hamburg, 1740.  In Verlegung des Verfassers. Berlin, Kommissionsverlag von L. Liepmannssohn, 1910. 

Mattheson knew Handel personally and wrote the first detailed account of Handel’s life and works. Also scanned and online at: http://imslp.org/wiki/Grundlage_einer_Ehren-Pforte_(Mattheson,_Johann). 

An English translation is found  in:
*RESERVE ML410 H13 D47
Deutsch, Otto.  Handel, a documentary biography. London : A.  and C. Black, 1955, p. 501-506.

*ML410.H13 M2 1975
Mainwaring, John.  Memoirs of the life of the late George Frederic Handel, to which is added a catalogue of his works and observations upon them.  [Amsterdam] : F. Knuf, 1975.

Original London : Dodsley, 1760.  Appeared within months of Handel’s death and features a lengthy discussion of his music. Knuf 1975 is a reprint.  Also found in the  Handel Reference Database  Scroll below dates to find links to digitized texts including the Mainwaring biography.

ML410.H13 C87 1979
Coxe, William. Anecdotes of George Frederick Handel and John Christopher Smith. New York : Da Capo Press, 1979.

Reprint of the London : Bulmer, 1799 publication. Also found in the  Handel Reference Database  Scroll below dates to find links to digitized texts including the Mainwaring biography.

RESERVE ML88.H14 R3  
Rackwitz, Werner.  George Frideric Handel: a biography in pictures [by] Werner Rackwitz [and] Helmut Steffens.  Leipzig [c1962]

The ARTstor database includes some images.

Select the "Find" drop down and use an "Advanced search" to search under subject "Handel, George Frideric, 1685-1759".

Facsimiles of Handel manuscripts in the Dickinson Music Library collection

Call numbers begin: 04 H19

 Music Treasures Consortium  offers digitized music manuscripts of composers held in the following libraries:

Limit by collection: "music manuscripts only" . The consortium search can be difficult to use. Links to those libraries with the best search capabilities are provided below:

*British Library Handel Examples, Morgan Library & Museum 

Example: British Library Handel