Our Galaxy is the only galaxy in which the 3-dimensional distribution of visible mass, chemical abundances and the stellar velocity field are all directly measurable. A project to determine these properties is currently underway, utilising direct photographic plates from the UK Schmidt telescope and the Las Campanas du Pont reflector, and the COSMOS and APM automated measuring machines. These provide reliable number-magnitude-colour distributions for complete samples of stars to V = 19 in 20 square degrees, and V = 22 in 1 square degree, in each of eight directions. These data may then be directly interpreted to determine the density profile, shape and luminosity function of the Galactic spheroid.