BACKER, AUGUSTIN DE

BACKER, AUGUSTIN de. - Scholar, b. at Anversa on 18 July 1809, d. at Liegi on 1 Dec. 1873. In his youth he undertook journeys in Belgio and Francia with the intention of publishing a study on the origins of the art of printing. Having entered the Compagnia di Gesù in 1835, and having noted the incompleteness of N. Southwell’s Bibliotheca scriptorum S. I., he devoted himself entirely to bibliographical research. His principal work is the well-known Bibliothèque des écrivains de la Comp. de Jésus (7 vols., Lovanio 1853-61), published with the assistance of his brother Aloys, himself a Jesuit and librarian at Lovanio. A few years later a second edition appeared (in 3 vols., ibid. 1869-76), which B. did not live to see completely printed and which was completed by his brother; this was followed by a third, still more complete and up-to-date edition (Bruxelles 1890-1900), edited by C. Sommervogel.