Mr Millar was a Scottish plasterer active during the second half of the nineteenth century, the latter part of which was spent in and around London. He was descended from a large family of plasterers, and was able to draw upon first-hand knowledge and experience stretching back for generations. George Percy Bankart was an architect highly influenced by the Arts and Crafts movement, who had chosen to work as a decorative craftsman. He was born in Leicester on 20 January 1866 and his career as an author started in 1909, with the publication of The Art of The Plasterer (also available from Donhead Publishing).