Janet Backhouse

Who was Janet Backhouse?

Janet Backhouse was a leading authority in the field of illuminated manuscripts.

Backhouse was educated at Stonar School and Bedford College, London. On 17 September 1962 she joined the British Museum's Department of Manuscripts as an Assistant Keeper. In 1998 she retired from the British Library as Curator of Illuminated Manuscripts. By the end of her career "she had established an international reputation as one of the foremost scholars in her field".

A Festschrift was published on the occasion of her retirement, Illuminating the Book: Makers and Interpreters: Essays in Honour of Janet Backhouse, edited by Michelle P. Brown and Scot McKendrick.