The Dutch marine painter Willem van de Velde the Younger was born in 1633 and baptised in Leiden, Holland, in the Dutch Republic. He was a son of Willem van de Velde the Elder, also a marine painter. The younger van de Velde, was instructed by his father, and afterwards by Simon de Vlieger, a marine painter of repute, and had achieved great celebrity in his art before he came to London. In 1673 he moved to England, where he was engaged by Charles II, at a salary of £100, to aid his father in 'taking and making draughts of sea-fights'. His part of the work was to reproduce in colour the drawings of the elder van de Velde. He was also patronised by the Duke of York and by various members of the nobility. Most of Van de Velde's finest works represent views off the coast of Holland, with Dutch shipping.

Willem van de Velde the Younger died on 6 April 1707 in London, England and was buried at St. James's Church.

The MP John Frederick Campbell, 1st Earl Cawdor, was born on 8 November 1790. He was born the son of John Campbell, 1st Baron Cawdor and Lady Caroline Howard and educated at Eton and Christ Church, Oxford, graduating BA in 1912. In 1827 he became Viscount Emlyn of Emlyn and Earl Cawdor of Castlemartin in the county of Pembroke. In June 1812 he was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society. He was MP for Carmarthen from 1813 to 1821 and Lord Lieutenant of Carmarthenshire from 1817 to 1860. He died on 7 November 1860 on his family estate at Stackpole, Pembrokeshire.

In 1859, prior to his death, the Earl had acquired photographs of van de Velde drawings which were placed into an album. The photographer of the van de Velde drawings is unknown.