We present new spectroscopic and photometric data for 137 early-type galaxies in nine clusters, and for a set of nearby standard galaxies. The clusters studied are Perseus (A0426), Pisces, A0262, A0347, J8, HMS0122+3305, 7S21, A2199 and A2634. Our spectroscopic data comprise radial velocities (cz), central velocity dispersions (sigma) and magnesium line strength indices (Mg). Internal errors (derived from repeat observations) are 7.6% on each measurement of sigma, and 0.010 mag on each Mg measurement. We correct the major published datasets to a standard aperture size, and define a new `standard system by the aperture-corrected Lick data of Davies et al. Through extensive intercomparisons with data from the literature, we present the corrections required to bring the major published datasets onto the standard system. We demonstrate that our new velocity dispersion data can be brought into consistency with the standard system, to an uncertainty of <0.01 dex. From R-band CCD photometry, we derive effective diameter (A_e), mean surface brightness within effective diameter (mu_e) and an R-band diameter equivalent to the D_n parameter of Dressler et al. Internal comparisons indicate an average error of 0.005 in each measurement of log(D_n). The combination log(A_e) - 0.3 mu_e, approximately the quantity used in the Fundamental Plane distance indicator, has an uncertainty of 0.006 per measurement. The photometric data can be brought onto a system consistent with external data at the level of 0.5% in distance. These data will be used in a companion paper to derive distance and peculiar velocity estimates for the nine clusters studied. (Abridged)
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