Hôtel Sinet
Rue Faubourg St Honoré
11 Febrier 1843
My Dearest Henry
I hope you will not take much longer to deliberate peur d'être dévancé. <1> It seems this M. Bayard <2> has not taken his invention from yours & he takes extreme pains to bring it to perfection, in which he has hitherto signally failed, mais il n'est pas decouragé <3> and le Marquis de Bassano <4> (cadet du Duc) is in a great fright about it. What a pity you could not come now & so go back comfortably with me! They want to organise this scheme before the bright weather which always comes in March & even earlier in the South where they intend to exploiter & have toute la belle saison <5> before them. I have made the acquaintance of Amandier's Brother, <6> who seems intelligent & pleasing, doux & honnête. <7> He has been round the world & knows a good deal of all countries. The original fire he had in his composition seems quenched by experience & disappointment. He is going again to America soon. I don't know how many languages he speaks. I really wish you would bring this business to bear, & strike while the iron is hot, for if once M. Bayard succeeds yours will diminish in value, & there is at this moment an enthusiasm for Talbotype <8> which may subside, particularly in such a volatile country as this - "There is a tide in the affairs of Men" &c &c I have never seen before so good a chance for your fame, don't let it slip thro' your fingers. The People here are not so slow at coming to conclusions as in our phlegmatic country - and they wish to have everything done in a regular business like manner. Horatia <9> consented to remain here with Caroline <10> if you came to take care of me back. I am afraid now I shall hardly persuade her, & I wish to do so because certainly this place does agree with her. as our tastes & our constitutions are totally opposite, it is a pity we should not each do what suits us best, particularly as there is an opportunity of her remaining here with her sister which may not occur again.
affly yrs
Notes:
1. For fear of being overtaken.
2. Hippolyte Bayard (1801-1887), French civil servant and photographic inventor.
3. She means 'he is not discouraged'.
4. Hugues Antoine Joseph Eugène Maret, Marquis de Bassano (1806-1889), photographic entrepreneur, Paris.
5. To work and have all the good weather before them.
6. See Doc. No: 04710.
7. Gentle and decent, or courteous and well bred.
8. Although WHFT always used the term calotype, his mother and some close friends and colleagues preferred to honour the inventor by incorporating his name, in parallel with the daguerreotype.
9. Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810-1851), WHFT's half-sister.
10. Caroline Augusta Edgcumbe, née Feilding, Lady Mt Edgcumbe (1808-1881); WHFT's half-sister.