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Johannes Gerhard Frederik van Overmeer Fischer began as a clerk at Dejima, the Dutch station in Japan, and he was later promoted to warehouse master. During the span of his stay in Japan, Fischer's access to Japanese culture was limited but he amassed a considerable collection of objects. This material was taken back to the Netherlands in 1829. In 1833, he published Bijdrage tot de kennis van het Japansche rijk (Contribution to the knowledge of the Japanese Empire).

George Macdonald Home Playfair was born on 22 August 1850 at Shahjehanpore, Bengal, India, and educated at Cheltenham College, Gloucestershire, and Trinity College, Dublin. He joined the China Consular Service in 1872 as a student interpreter. He continued in the Consular Service until his retirement in 1901, rising through the ranks to become Foochow Consul in 1899. He retired to England with his wife, Winifred May Playfair, and died there in 1917.

David Price was an orientalist and army officer. Born in Wales, his father died when he was young and, despite being given a scholarship for university he was unable to afford to complete his course. Instead he joined the army of the East India Company and in 1781 sailed for Bombay. However he volunteered for temporary service in the south and took part in the siege of Negapatam and the capture of Trincomali in Ceylon. His ship completed its voyage to Bombay on 22 April 1782. As well as serving as an army officer Price undertook Persian studies. He retired in 1807 and returned to Wales.

He was a member of the Royal Asiatic Society, to which he bequeathed over seventy valuable oriental—chiefly Persian—manuscripts. He was published by the Oriental Translation Fund.