Heathfield. <1>
July 11th. 1840.
My dear Sir,
As my friend Dr Schafhaeutl <2> has much advanced towards the perfection of his Photogenic paper; and as the beautiful specimens which I lately saw in London of your doing, eloquently declared the same respecting yourself, I am anxious to get one of Daguerres <3> Cameras from Paris, and should be particularly obliged if you would tell me the best Channel for obtaining one. I should also be very glad to have your opinion whether the patent in this country, can apply to a person exercising Daguerre’s process for his own private gratification.
I hear from your Cousin Talbot, <4> that you are having some paper expressly manufactured for your purpose, and sincerely hope that you will be sufficiently satisfied with the results of your process to make it known soon. The paper which I have observed to answer best is a very smooth sort, which is sold in certain Memorandum, or sketch books which are made for writing on indelibly with a pointed sort of stile.
Pray excuse the trouble I am giving you, I had wished to ask these questions personally, but was much disappointed in finding you had left London. I hope when I get a good Camera, to send you a specimen of Dr Schafhaeutl’s paper, and if, in the mean time you could give me the smallest of your late works to shew him, I shall be, as for the others you were good enough to give me,
your sincerely obliged
Calvert R. Jones
Notes:
1. The residence of Jones at Swansea.
2. Dr Karl Emil von Schafhäutl (1803–1890), photographer, music theorist & geologist; Schafhaeutl invented different direct positive processes, they were however not easy to practise.
3. Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre (1787–1851), French artist, showman & inventor.
4. Rev Calvert Richard Jones (1802–1877), Welsh painter & photographer was friends with two of WHFT’s cousins: Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot (1803–1890), immensely wealthy landowner, mathematician & politician; WHFT’s Welsh cousin, and Emma Thomasina Llewelyn, née Talbot (1806–1881), photographer; WHFT’s Welsh cousin.