My dear Mr. Talbot
I feel somewhat diffident in sending Talbotypes <1> to their fountain head- however I do not forward the enclosed to you so much as specimens of photography, as being views of places that I think you may like to have – such for example are Melbury Margam & Lanelay. <2>-
I have been practicing sun painting for some years and as a matter of chemical amusement have followed all the different processes on paper silver & glass. <3>- and it is rather remarkable that the method I now follow when I wish for good views, is identically the same with your old original receipts.
After all the many proposed modifications I believe that they continue to be the best.
and I remain Yours very truly
J.D. Llewelyn
Penllergare
May 19. 1852.
[envelope:]
H. Fox Talbot Esqr.
Laycock Abbey
Chippenham
Notes:
1. Many of the inventor's friends felt that he should be honoured by the name of the process, but WHFT modestly stayed with Calotype.
2. Melbury, Dorset: one of the Fox Strangways family homes; WHFT was born there, Margam Park, Glamorgan: home of Christopher Rice Mansel Talbot, and Llanely, or Lanely, Glamorganshire: home of Lady Mary Cole and Mary Thereza Talbot.
3. This would have been WHFT's Calotype negative process on paper, the Daguerreotype on a silvered copper plate, and albumen on glass (1848) or Frederick Scott Archer's Wet Collodion on glass (1851) negative process.