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Excerpt from The English Regalia
N the summer of 1896 I was allowed, by Her Majesty's gracious permission, to examine and photograph the Regalia out of their cases, and without this privilege it would have been im possible to obtain plates of the excellence and reliability of those illustrating this work, as the light in the Jewel House is most unfavourable.
I am also much indebted to the two Keepers of the Regalia who have been the victims of my search after knowledge. General Sir Michael A. S. Biddulph, himself an admirable artist, and his successor, lieut.-general Sir Frederick D. Middleton, c.b., have both most patiently and courteously given me every facility in their power, as well for my photographs as for my sketches, and indeed I believe they have both taken a personal interest in my researches into the history and the details of the decoration of the treasures intrusted to their care.
On the occasion of my seeing the Regalia out of their cases I obtained permission to take with me Mr. William Griggs, as I mistrusted my own powers as a photographer, and was anxious to reap the full advantage of the rare occasion and get the best negatives possible. Mr. Griggs succeeded better than I had expected; but nevertheless much artistic work has been necessary in addition, in order to produce the plates in the present book. I feel that I owe Mr. Griggs many thanks for the patience with which he has listened to my various suggestions, and for the skill with which he has carried them out; and I trust that our united labours may have produced illustrations of the Regalia as they now are which may some day have an historic value beyond the artistic one which alone can be claimed for them to-day.
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