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Document number: 4129
Date: 30 Aug 1840
Recipient: TALBOT William Henry Fox
Author: HERSCHEL John Frederick William
Collection: National Science and Media Museum, Bradford
Collection number: 1937-4862
Collection 2: draft in The Royal Society, London
Collection 2 number: HS17:302bis
Last updated: 3rd November 2012

Collingwood <1>
Aug 30/40

My dear Sir/

I enclose <2> you a specimen which (the sun being too superb to resist the temptation of trying once more for colours) I produced this morning. It holds out I think a very fair promise of solving the problem of coloured Photographs being a faint & rainbow like, but yet unequivocal representation colour for colour of the whole luminous part of the spectrum and what is of no small importance a positive one ie. bright on a dark ground. There is a little dingyness beyond the Violet, but that I have not a doubt of completely obviating so that its pretensions shall be literally though perhaps at present not brilliantly vindicated. But the first step made improvements will follow

I also annex a Pink Lady – a positive impression from an Engraving taken on paper stained with the juice of red flowers. The effect is pretty especially if held in certain lights.

May I request the specimens to be returned –

Yours very truly
JFW Herschel

[draft letter in Herschel’s hand:]

Copy Sent H.

Collingwood
Aug 30 1840

My dear Sir/

I enclose you a specimen which (the Sun being too superb to resist the temptation of trying once more for colours) I produced this morning.– It holds out I think a very fair promise of solving the problem of Coloured Photographs being a faint & rainbow-like, but yet unequivocal representation colour for colour of the whole luminous part of the spectrum and what is of no little importance – a positive one ie. bright on a dark ground. There is a little dingyness beyond the Violet, but that I have not a doubt of completely obviating so that its pretensions shall be literally though perhaps not brilliantly (at present) vindicated. But the first step made, improvements will follow.

I also annex a Pink Lady – a positive impression from an Engraving taken on paper stained with the juice of red flowers. The effect is pretty especially if held in certain lights –

May I request you to return the specimen’s?

Yours very truly
JFW Herschel

H. F. Talbot Esqr

Notes:

1. Hawkhurst, Kent.

2. Enclosure not located.

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