Office of
E. & H. T. Anthony & Co.,
591 Broadway, New-York.
London
Nov 14th 1870
E. Anthony, <1>
H. T. Anthony.
W. H. Badeau,
V. M . Wilcox.
Lacock Abbey
Dear Sir
Will you pardon this intrusion in the interest of the above firm to state the subject I copy from a letter just received from New York
“A suit has been instituted here against most of the photographers including our house for saving the silver in our printing and other photographic operations a party claiming a patent for it – We wish to get as evidence a paper read before the chemical society of London in April 1843 or thereabouts with reference to recovering silver from solutions containing Iodides, Bromides or Hyposulphites of silver <2> Let a copy properly Certified to be used as evidence in a Court of Laws I think you had better see Mr Talbot and Mr Henneman <3> who was operator for him when I was there in 1847 <4> and see if it was customary for them then to recover the silver from their wastes & Solutions – and get evidence in shape This said patentee claims that he commenced his [ex]periments in 1852 and carries his claim back to [that] time”
Would it be asking too much that you write a note stating your experience earlier than his claim We shall feel by it greatly accommodated and placed under many obligations
I am sir yours Truly
W. H. Badeau
18 Montague St
Russell sqr
W. C.
Notes:
1. Edward Anthony (1819–1888), American photographer & merchant.
2. This was communicated to the Chemical Society in February but Anthony must have been referring to its subsequent re-publication: William Gregory, "On a new Method of obtaining pure Silver, eitehr in the Metallic State or in the form of Oxide," Philosophical Magazine, s. 3 v. 22 no. 145, April 1843, pp. 283-286.
3. Nicolaas Henneman (1813–1898), Dutch, active in England; WHFT’s valet, then assistant; photographer.
4. See Doc. No: 05845 and Doc. No: 05865.