20 Mornington Road
N.W.
Feby 21 1859.
Dear Sir
I am very much obliged for your kind permission to practise your photoglyphic process and of course will very cheerfully agree to the conditions and reservations expressed in your favour of the 20th inst. I have not, it is true, very much time to spare from my literary labours but I can generally spare a few hours each day and as I have plenty of room and good laboratories, I hope to be able before long to send you a specimen of my progress.
I am sorry to hear so bad an account of Mr Henneman I had no idea that he had been so unfortunate as you state. I have sometimes been asked to recommend an assistant and you may rely upon my doing my best to serve him. I knew him very well when he was in business in Regent street [sic] and had great respect for him, I will mention the subject to Messrs Petter & Galpin.
Have you tried much to use paper prints for photoglyphic engraving I have a plan by which very transparent and effective paper prints may be obtained and I fancy that for large work they would be better and more artistic looking in the results than glass. I first soak the paper in dilute hydrochloric acid to remove the size then salt wash well, and salt it. then [sic] make sensitive and print from a negative placing the negative in contact with the wrong side of the sensitive paper I print very deeply and in this way the impression is very little on the surface but very beautiful as a transparency, after fixing and washing, I wax it and, the size being so perfectly removed, the wax renders it beautifully translucent without any granulation. I will send you a specimen of the result.
Dr Hill Norris has taken some very good transparencies on glass, I will write to him and see if they can be obtained.
Believe me very truly yours
William Crookes.
H. F. Talbot Esqre
[envelope:]
H. F. Talbot Esqr
Laycock Abbey
near Chippenham
Wiltshire