Photographic Gallery.
107 Regent Street, W. ^<1>

22. feb. 1862

Dear Sir,

I send you per Railway as you direct a small case containing 12 positives on glass for your experiments at photographic engraving.^<2>

As I think that you could not obtain sharp & defined copies by contact, if there was a thickness of glass behind each side of the collodion I have not fixed a plain glass to protect the collodion film. I think that if you have the collodion protected by a coating of varnish as we do for our printing, there will be no risk of scratching. I have not had them varnished not knowing if that would interfere with your operation. If you want them varnished you can do it yourself, or ask some photographer to do it for you. ^<3>

If you want them protected by a piece of glass, the same photographer could do it, but I am convinced that you never will obtain a well defined & sharp picture, if the coating of collodion, is not in close contact with the plate upon which you wish to get an impression.

You will find among the pictures portraits of Sir D. Brewster, Faraday, Brand & Taylor, Leneve Foster ^<4> & some ladies with elaborate dresses

I will be very glad if my pictures can be of any service to you in the experiments you wish to try.

Believe me, My dear Sir, Yours very faithfully
A Claudet

The case is directed to be left at Gogar Station

H. F. Talbot Esq^e F.R.S. &c &c

[envelope:]
H.F. Talbot Esqre.
Millburn Tower
Edinburgh
[blind embossed on flap:]
A. Claudet 107 Regent Street

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Notes:

1. London.

2. WHFT mostly used other people's photographs as the basis for his photoglyphic engravings - a positive rather than the original negative was required.

3. This was a common practice, as the thin collodion film was easily damaged in handling. The varnish would not have interferred with the photoglyphic engraving process.

4. Sir David Brewster (1781–1868), Scottish scientist & journalist; Prof Michael Faraday (1791–1867), scientist; and Peter Le Neve Foster (1809–1879), photographer & microscopist.