A collection of studio portraits by M. Walery, with accompanying biographical essays, published in five volumes 1889-1891. Each photograph is approximately 180 x 250 mm, on a mount 295 x 410 mm, and all have facsimile signatures. Their excellent preservation suggests that they were probably carbon prints. The collection is contained in one half-leatherbound (Volume 1) and four cloth-bound volumes (Volume 2 parts 1 and 2, Volume 3 parts 1 and 2); it was perhaps issued in monthly instalments of three plates, but there is no detailed bibliographical information.

The catalogue has been prepared to give the subjects' full names (including changes after the date of the portrait) and dates of birth and death, with a brief description; special emphasis has been given to posts of imperial significance. The number of pages of the accompanying printed biographical notes is given, with the name or initials of the writer. Apart from T.H. Huxley's autobiographical contribution none of those in Volume 1 are attributed to authors. The main contributors to Volume 2 are Clement Scot (1841-1904), Dramatic Critic of the ‘Daily Telegraph’, Lionel Monckton (1862-1924) composer and ‘Music Critic of the Daily Telegraph’, Arthur Meyrick Broadley (1867-1916) a prolific writer on very varied topics, and Raymond Blathwayt (1855-1935) a miscellaneous journalist. The majority of Volume 3 was written by Percy Notcutt, others are anonymous. He also contributed 'Notes on Music and the Drama' to a number of entries. A few individuals contributed single articles, perhaps the most interesting being Arthur Jermy Mounteney-Jephson (1858-1908) on H.M. Stanley, to whom he had acted as Second-in-Command on the recent Emin Pasha Relief Expedition.