<printed address>
La Belle Sauvage Yard,
Ludgate Hill, E.C.
London,
20 Mornington Road
Decr 11. 1858
Dear Sir
I was under the impression that as you had not returned the proof of your specification pamphlet to me, you had sent it to Petter & Galpins direct, and that they had been printed and forwarded to you long ago I find however that they have heard nothing about it from you, and therefore I write to ask whether it is possible that my letter with the proof of the pamphlet which I sent to you some weeks ago, has miscarried. If you have it by you and will favor me with your wishes on the point they shall be carried out.
I am much obliged for the manner in which you have replied to my question respecting amateur experiments in Photoglyphic Engraving. I quite see your objection to state publicly what you have written to me. Would you object however for me to give the substance of what you wrote as my own opinions on the subject and concluding with something to the effect that “we are sure that Mr Talbot would be the last person to interfere and prevent amateurs experimenting”. Of course merely saying this on my own authority and as if no communication had passed between us on the subject. From the letters on the subject which I receive something of the sort is wanted.
I think I ought to tell you something respecting your new discovery which I have heard from several quarters. Experienced engravers have said at once on looking at your Photoglyphs that the biting in was done by a person who was inexperienced in that branch and that had the biting in been performed by an experienced engraver he could have produced very far superiour <sic> pictures without in the slightest degree employing the hand or in any way taking from their value as pure productions of light & chemistry. They say that an experienced hand when biting in would know exactly how the plate ought to look to give the best effect and would work accordingly, whereas they tell me that the person who etched the plates from which the pictures before them were printed, did not know how the plate ought to look and the results show that in one case the etching has been too long, in others too short &c
Of course I do not give the above except as a true report of what I have heard and because I thought you might like to know what is said on the subject.
There is one point about your description which
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gives some little difficulty, it is when the chrome-gelatine is poured on the plates <sic>, you direct that it is to be held vertical and the superfluous liquid allowed to draw off – then you say it is held in a horizontal position over a spirit lamp which soon dries the gelatine &c –
The difficulty met with is that the liquid runs off different parts of the surface in an oily manner as soon as heat is applied. I have advised correspondents to allow the plate to dry a little in a vertical position before heating but I should like to know your opinion on the matter.
Petter & Galpin are anxious to issue the large photoglyph as soon as consistent with excellence. can <sic> you give me any idea of when you will be able to favour us with plates. They would spare no expense this time to secure good prints and will allow ample time for the printing &c. Also have you decided about the reduction of the page of the Photo: News. As soon as you decide upon it I will see about it being photographed –
Another subject I wish to ask you upon – in a recent Number of the “News” (No 12 p. 144.) I recommended fixing positives with bromide of potassium instead of with hyposulphite of soda I merely recommended that course in consequence of having pictures in my possession which had been fixed with bromide of potassium for many years whilst some of which are now as good as at first whilst hypo-fixed prints of the same date have failed. I have however very little experience in the subject and should be very thankful if you would favour me with a short note for the publication giving the results of your experience in bromide fixing. I have been inundated with letters of enquiry on the subject but have kept them back until I could speak with more authority on it. A line from you would however be of more value than anything I could write and I confess I should not be at all sorry to find that after all Bromide of potassium was a better fixing agent than hyposulphite of soda.
Believe me very truly yours
William Crookes
H. F. Talbot Esqre
P.S. I have directed a copy of the Almanack to be sent to you. It is but a light christmas <sic> affair and hardly worth serious attention. I hope you will approve of the Chronology.