The Woman on Banknote is Revealed
Edinburgh (UK):
A mother-of-three has been revealed as the mystery woman on a banknote that scientists had been trying to identify.
Members of the Royal Society of Chemistry had been trying to discover the identity of the female lab worker pictured on the back of the Bank of Scotland £20 note. Their search began after a visitor to a convention asked them who the woman was and if she was a scientist.
Now it has been revealed that she is 52-year-old Janet Mullen, a scientist from Peebles. Mrs Mullen is pictured analysing samples in a laboratory at the Scottish College of Textiles in Galashiels - where she worked 17 years ago. A photograph of her at work was taken for an internal college brochure and submitted to the bank several years later, when it was hunting for pictures for new notes to commemorate its 300th anniversary.
The picture featuring Mrs Mullen was chosen for the £20 note to illustrate education and research. The notes were released in May 1995 but Mrs Mullen - who now works as a scientist for Scottish Water - said she had only realised her picture was on them when a former colleague phoned her up.
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See Archive:
Search is on: for the face on Banknote
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She said: "I had left the college when the notes came out, in fact I knew nothing about it for about three months, when a friend from there phoned me and asked if I had seen them. Like most people I'd been using the notes, but I hadn't spotted the picture on them. And I've never been recognised as being the woman from the £20 note though, except by people who know me. I've never gone into a shop and had somebody say to me 'you're the woman on the bank note' when I hand my money over."
Mrs Mullen is pictured carrying out work to test the effect of industrial fabric condition on viscose.
She explained: "The bank had asked various organisations to submit photographs that covered the various categories, and the college had sent in the one with me on it. In the picture I'm using a syringe to take up a sample to analyse, because you only need a minuscule amount for a sample. The photographer had taken various pictures of various people at work but mine was particularly detailed, and I think that's one reason why the bank chose it, as far as I understand they like detailed pictures to help combat forgery."
And she added: "It's quite exciting to be on the note but although it is my picture on it, it's not as if I was chosen for any reason, I didn't do anything to deserve it. But in a way it is an honour and I feel as if I am representing all the scientists who work in laboratories and all the work they do."
Although she regularly uses the £20 notes, Mrs Mullen also has a lasting record of her financial claim to fame. Bosses at the Bank of Scotland gave her two of the notes in a special presentation case, which she has on display in the family home.
She said: "After I found out about the notes I went into the local branch and spoke to the manager about it. Afterwards the bank presented me with two of the £20 notes in a framed presentation case, which is nice to have."
Oct 10, 2005
The Scots Man
Edinburgh (UK):A mother-of-three has been revealed as the mystery woman on a banknote that scientists had been trying to identify.
Members of the Royal Society of Chemistry had been trying to discover the identity of the female lab worker pictured on the back of the Bank of Scotland £20 note. Their search began after a visitor to a convention asked them who the woman was and if she was a scientist.
Now it has been revealed that she is 52-year-old Janet Mullen, a scientist from Peebles. Mrs Mullen is pictured analysing samples in a laboratory at the Scottish College of Textiles in Galashiels - where she worked 17 years ago. A photograph of her at work was taken for an internal college brochure and submitted to the bank several years later, when it was hunting for pictures for new notes to commemorate its 300th anniversary.
The picture featuring Mrs Mullen was chosen for the £20 note to illustrate education and research. The notes were released in May 1995 but Mrs Mullen - who now works as a scientist for Scottish Water - said she had only realised her picture was on them when a former colleague phoned her up.
_________________________________________
See Archive:
Search is on: for the face on Banknote
___________________________________________
She said: "I had left the college when the notes came out, in fact I knew nothing about it for about three months, when a friend from there phoned me and asked if I had seen them. Like most people I'd been using the notes, but I hadn't spotted the picture on them. And I've never been recognised as being the woman from the £20 note though, except by people who know me. I've never gone into a shop and had somebody say to me 'you're the woman on the bank note' when I hand my money over."
Mrs Mullen is pictured carrying out work to test the effect of industrial fabric condition on viscose.
She explained: "The bank had asked various organisations to submit photographs that covered the various categories, and the college had sent in the one with me on it. In the picture I'm using a syringe to take up a sample to analyse, because you only need a minuscule amount for a sample. The photographer had taken various pictures of various people at work but mine was particularly detailed, and I think that's one reason why the bank chose it, as far as I understand they like detailed pictures to help combat forgery."
And she added: "It's quite exciting to be on the note but although it is my picture on it, it's not as if I was chosen for any reason, I didn't do anything to deserve it. But in a way it is an honour and I feel as if I am representing all the scientists who work in laboratories and all the work they do."
Although she regularly uses the £20 notes, Mrs Mullen also has a lasting record of her financial claim to fame. Bosses at the Bank of Scotland gave her two of the notes in a special presentation case, which she has on display in the family home.
She said: "After I found out about the notes I went into the local branch and spoke to the manager about it. Afterwards the bank presented me with two of the £20 notes in a framed presentation case, which is nice to have."
Oct 10, 2005
The Scots Man
