A list of some of the distinguished patrons for whom Messrs Gaffin & Company, have had the honour of executing memorials

The manufacture of monumental sculptures flourished in London in the 19th century. Gaffin & Company was established in 1820 and became one of the most successful firms specialising in monumental sculptures made of Italian Carrara marble. They traded as 'the Carrara Marble & Granite Works' and had manufactories and studios in New Cross and Camden Town. Their gallery was located at 63 Regent Street.

The cover of the catalogue illustrates the grave at Sandringham of 'Prince John Alexander' (more commonly Prince Alexander John), the son of 'Albert Edward, Prince of Wales (later Edward VII) and 'Alexandra, Princess of Wales' (later Queen Alexandra). The Prince was born prematurely on 6 April 1871 and died the following day.

The catalogue has an extensive list of 'distinguished patrons' who had commissioned memorials from Gaffin & Company. All types of monuments were undertaken by the firm including monumental sculpture in marble, granite, stone and metal as well as military, naval and memorial tablets. The catalogue is particularly useful in identifying some of the most important customers and the places where the monuments were erected but only occasionally were the persons or events commemorated listed. One section specifies works 'recently forwarded abroad' and over forty locations were noted including Aden, Antigua, Cairo, Cape Town, Ceylon, Falkland Islands, Hong Kong, Jamaica, Jeddah, Madras, Melbourne, Shanghai, Sydney and Tasmania.