The accession of Queen Victoria in 1837 coincided with the beginning of the great age of rail and steamship travel. Artists from Britain were soon spreading across the world in search of new and exotic subjects. Those who went to the Middle East became known as Orientalists. Lead figure was John Frederick Lewis who spent thirteen years there from 1838, followed by David Roberts, William Muller and David Wilkie. Later contributors include the Pre-Raphaelites, Holman Hunt and Thomas Seddon, who travelled together to Palestine 1854–6, Hunt returning 1869–72, 1875–8, 1892.