384 Obituary — Sir John Benjamin Stone. 



which Mr. Fisher remained for so many of his latter years, and to 

 the vast number of younger geologists occupying the stage, amongst 

 whom this illustrious early worker was for a time overlooked. 



Mr. Fisher was elected an Honorary Fellow of King's College, 

 London, in 1878, and of Jesus College, Cambridge, in 1893. His 

 portrait was subsequently painted and placed in the Hall of Jesus 

 College. 



Sir JOHN BENJAMIN STONE^ Knt., 



J.P., F.S.A., F.G.S., M.P. FOR East Biejiingham 1895-1909, 



High Steavard of Sutton Coldfield. 



BOKN Februaey 9, 1838. Died July 2, 1914. 



ALTHotrGH most widely known and recognized as the " Prince of 

 Photographers", and during fourteen years as Conservative M.P. for 

 East Birmingham, Sir Benjamin Stone was remarkable as a tireless 

 traveller, having visited Japan, China, British Columbia, Vancouver 

 and the Eocky Mountains, the West Indies, the Biver Amazon, the 

 Straits Settlements, Asia Minor, Europe generally, and Egypt 

 specially. 



He was an accomplished antiquary and enriched the places he 

 visited by his remarkable photographic records. He wrote accounts 

 of his travels in Japan, Brazil, Spain, and IS^orway, and made the 

 photographic history of the Houses of Parliament, of Westminster 

 Abbey, the Tower, Windsor Castle, St. James's Palace, Lichfield 

 Cathedral, and Sutton Coldfield, of which last place he was five 

 times Mayor and was the founder of its celebrated Vesey Club. 



Some years since Sir Benjamin Stone commenced to photograph the 

 most interesting objects preserved in the British Museum (Natural 

 History), Cromwell Boad. One of these, representing the complete 

 skeleton of Biprotodon australis (reconstructed in part from remains 

 in the Natural History Museum, but chiefly from skeletons discovered 

 by Dr. E. C. Stirling, F.R.S., at Lake Callebonna, South Australia), 

 forms the subject of Plate XY in the Geological Magazine, Dec. Y, 

 Yol. YI, pp. 337-9, August, 1907, in illustration of an article by 

 Dr. Arthur Smith Woodward, F. U.S. Among his geological photo- 

 graphs is one taken of Mount Yesuvius during an eruption, when 

 stones were being hurled into the air and lava flowed nearly at 

 his feet. 



It is earnestly to be desired that the magnificent series of portraits 

 he todk of his many eminent contemporaries, and of the thousand and 

 one places which he visited — commencing in 1868 — should find 

 a suitable resting-place in the British Museum or other national 

 repository. 



Sir Benjamin Stone was not only celebrated as a photographer ; he 

 will long be remembered as one of the most amiable and generous of 

 men, who spared no pains nor private means to promote the welfare 

 of all those with whom he was brought into contact, and his 

 numberless acts of kindness have endeared him to a very wide circle 

 of devoted friends who lament his loss. Lady Stone, his constant 

 companion in his travels, only survived her husband three days. 



