[engraved notepaper]
Royal Panopticon of Science & Art, <1>
Leicester Square,
6th April 1853
Sir
I have to acknowledge your favour of yesterday and to inform you that I had an interview yesterday with your Solicitor Mr Bolton to whom I explained the nature of this Corporation &c &c and furnished him with a copy of the deed of Settlement which he took with him for perusal, but did not seem to think there would be any difficulty in the matter and promised to let me know further in a few days.
I hope if you are in London that you will favour the Panopticon with a visit of inspection & remain
Sir very obediently Yours’ [sic]
T. L. Brown
Secretary
H Fox Talbot Esqre
Notes:
1. The Royal Panopticon of Science & Art was a fantastic Moorish-style building on Leicester Square in London. Its 97 foot (30 metre) tall central rotunda had an artesian well fed fountain that sprayed to the roof. It was designed to showcase scientific, technical and artistic feats. Nicolaas Henneman was asked to give tutorials there, but whether this actually happened or not is unconfirmed; see Doc. No: 06766. Financially unsuccessful, it closed in 1856. Its splendid organ, the largest in England, was purchased by St. Paul's Cathedral and the building was re-named the Alexandra Palace, becoming the base for Howe's & Cushing's American Circus. It then became a series of theatres until burning down in December 1882. The replacement building, much less exhuberant in style, became the Alexandra Theatre Hall. In 1937, the Odeon Theatre replaced it.