107 Regent Street
14. Feby 1853.
Monsieur,
Plusieurs amis “Fellows of the Royal Society” m’engagent à me mettre sur les rangs pour les prochaines élections.<1>
Mes titres à cet honneur sont deux mémoires que j’ai communiqués à la Société Royale & qui ont été insérés dans les “Philosophical Transactions” en 1841. & 1847.<2> et en outre toutes les découvertes & perfectionnements que j’ai faits dans l’art photographique qui se trouvent consignés dans le “Philosophical Magazine”, & dans les comptes rendus de l’Académie des Sciences.
Profr Graham & Profr Faraday <3> sont du nombre des amis qui me conseillent de me mettre sur les rangs. Le premier étant du Conseil de la Société Royale ne peut pas signer mon certificat, mais le second m’a promis sa signature.
Je désire que mon certificat soit signé par les membres de la Société Royale qui sont le plus capables de juger de mes travaux & par ceux qui se sont plus particulièrement occupés de Photographie. C’est vous dire que je tiens par dessus tout à obtenir l’honneur d’être appuyé par vous, Monsieur.
Je viens donc vous demander, (si vous croyez que je sois digne d’être élu), d’avoir la bonté de signer mon certificat, qui doit contenir, vous le savez, au moins les noms de Six membres de la Société Royale.
J’espère que Sir John Herschel, Sir David Brewster, Prof. Wheatstone, Prof. Faraday, Prof. Airy, Mssrs Grove, Glaisher, Dr Playfair, Profr Miller, Mr Babbage <4> & d’autres encore, voudront bien signer mon certificat.
Mais je vous le répète, Monsieur, je serais particulièrement honoré d’avoir la signature de l’inventeur de la Photographie sur papier, & j’espère que vous m’accorderez la faveur que je réclame.
Lorsque vous m’aurez autorisé je vous enverrai le Certificat qui est écrit de la main même du Profr Graham.
Agréez, Monsieur, la nouvelle assurance de ma considération très distinguée. Votre devoué Serviteur
A. Claudet
H. Fox Talbot Esq. F. R. S.
&c. &c.
Translation:
107 Regent Street
14. Feby 1853.
Sir,
Several friends who are Fellows of the Royal Society are urging me to put my name forward for the forthcoming elections.
My qualifications for this honour are two papers which I communicated to the Royal Society & which were included in the “Philosophical Transactions” in 1841 & 1847, along with all the discoveries and improvements which I have made in the art of photography. These are recorded in the “Philosophical Magazine” & the comptes rendus of the Académie des Sciences.
Profr Graham and Profr Faraday are among those friends who are advising me to stand. Since the former is a Counsel member of the Royal Society, he cannot sign my certificate, but the latter has promised to give me his signature.
I would like my certificate to be signed by those members of the Royal Society who are most able to judge my work & by those who have been especially involved with Photography. That is to say that I would particularly like to have the honour, Sir, of receiving your support.
Therefore, I am asking you (if you believe that I deserve to be elected) to be kind enough to sign my certificate, which, as you know, must have the names of at least Six members of the Royal Society.
I hope that Sir John Herschel, Sir David Brewster, Prof. Wheatstone, Prof. Faraday, Prof. Airy, Mssrs Grove & Glaisher, Dr Playfair, Profr Miller, Mr Babbage & a few others will be happy to sign my certificate.
But I reiterate, Sir, that I would be particularly honoured to have the signature of the inventor of Photography on paper, & I hope that you will do me this favour.
Once you have given your permission, I will send you the Certificate which has been written by Profr Graham himself.
Please, accept, Sir, the repeated assurance of my highest regards. Your devoted Servant
A. Claudet
H. Fox Talbot Esq. F.R.S
&c. &c.
Notes:
1. Claudet was duly elected a Fellow on 2 March 1853, with his profession listed as 'photographer'. WHFT was one of the signatories of his certificate, testifying 'From Personal Knowledge'.
2. "On the non-coincidence of the focus of the photographic rays with that of the visual rays of the solar spectrum," actually published in the Proceedings of the Society, v. 5, 14, p. 513. "On the different properties of Solar Radiation producing or preventing a deposit of Mercury on silver plates coated with Iodine, or its compounds with Bromine or Chlorine, modified by coloured glass media and teh vapours of the atmosphere," Philosophical Transactions, 1847, pp. 253-262.
3. Prof Michael Faraday (1791–1867), scientist, and Thomas Graham (1805–1869), chemist, who was vice-president of the Council in 1853.
4. Sir John Frederick William Herschel (1792–1871), astronomer & scientist; Sir David Brewster (1781–1868), Scottish scientist & journalist; Sir Charles Wheatstone (1802–1875), scientist; Michael Faraday; Sir George Biddell Airy (1801–1892), Astronomer Royal; Sir William Robert Grove (1811–1896), scientist; James Glaisher (1809–1903); Sir Hugh Lyon Playfair (1786–1861), military & provost of St Andrew’s University; probably John Fletcher Miller (1816–1856), and Prof Charles Babbage (1792–1871), mathematician & inventor.