Paris
le 11 Novembre
Cher Monsieur Talbot;
Vous excuserez mon importunité, j’en suis sûre, en faveur du bel art que nous vous devons: voici le fait: J’ai eu l’occasion de faire admirer, à un excellent artiste, le livre que vous avez eu la bonté de remplir pour moi de vos jolis photographies, et il en a été tellement frappé qu’il m’a exprimé le desir de connoître vos procédés pour la préparation du papier; <1> ce que je n’ai pas été assez habile pour lui indiquer; Je voudrais donc que vous eussiez la bonté de me faire savoir, par quelques lignes de votre main, où il faut s’adresser à Londres, pour se procurer l’appareil complet, avec lequel on prend des vues, tant dans les frames <2> qu’avec la camera oscura [sic] et quel est à peu près le prix d’une boîte très complète des [sic] ces objets: – Toutes les personnes qui ont vu vos calotypes en sont surprises et charmées et les mettent bien au dessus du Daguerrotype par l’avantage si supérieur de l’emploi du papier, au lieu de métal. <3> Le portrait de Nicole <4> a les plus grands succès; mais en même temps je ne puis trop déplorer que votre admirable invention soit aussi peu répandue dans ce pays!
Il parait qu’un artiste vient d’inventer un moyen pour les faire les vues et les portraits en un dixième de seconde!
Mme Talbot <5> a eu l’amabilité de m’écrire une forte longue lettre de Weymouth avec le résumé des renseignemens que je lui avais demandés sur les ressources de Bath: je vous prie de l’en bien remercier quand vous en aurez l’occasion, en attendant que je le fasse moi-même.
Je regrette de vous savoir peu satisfait de votre santé; je ne pourrais vous répéter à ce sujet que ce que tout le monde vous dit! de faire trève de temps en temps aux travaux scientifiques pour respirer l’air des champs! marcher, agir, reposer l’esprit en fatiguant le corps.
Il paraît que Milady <6> a renoncé à rejoindre Horatia <7> cet hiver? et j’avoue que je l’approuve entièrement; je n’aurais pu la savoir en route pour de lointains pays, et par un tel temps, sans être fort inquiétée. – Caroline <8> et Horatia sont je suppose à Vienne; je leur ai écrit à Trieste, d’après leur désir; mais elles ont sans doute changé de plans; je n’ai point de leurs nouvelles depuis fort longtemps.
On dit que l’hiver sera triste ici; il y a beaucoup de mécontentement; c’est encore pis que chez vous! Quant à moi quelqu’il soit, je n’en serai pas moins enfermée dans mon espèce de couvent de la rue des 4 fils. Nous ne voyons presque personne et ce peu de monde me fait regretter la solitude; car cela ne vaut pas la peine d’être dérangée.
Quel malheur que cette destruction de la Tour de Londres; <9> voilà, en bien peu d’années, trois grandes catastrophes; les incendies, de la bourse, du Parlement et de la tour; Un de nos journaux prétend que la tour a brûlé le jour où l’on a appris à Londres l’acquittement de MacLeod qui a brûlé la Caroline! <10>
On a présenté au concours pour la tombe de l’Empereur Napoléon des plans tous plus absurdes et plus impraticables les uns que les autres: cependant notre Ministère, avec ce goût éclairé qui le distingue, pencha fort pour le modèle de M. Visconti, <11> lequel ressemble dit-on à la fosse aux ours du jardin des plantes!…
Croyez-moi, cher Monsieur Talbot, votre très affectionnée
Amélina Petit
20 rue des 4 fils, Paris
mille amitiés et complimens à Milady et à Mme T. si elle est de retour.Translation:
Paris
11th November
Dear Mr Talbot,
I am sure you will excuse my inconveniencing you on account of the beautiful art that we owe to you: here are the facts: I had the opportunity to allow an excellent artist to admire the album that you so kindly filled for me with your lovely photographs and such was his wonder that he expressed the desire to know of your methods for the preparation of paper, which I was ill-equipped to explain; I would therefore be most grateful if you would have the kindness to inform me in a few sentences penned by your hand where one must go in London to procure the complete apparatus, with which to take views, in frames as with the camera oscura [sic], and what is the approximate price of a box containing a complete set of these objects: All those who have seen your calotypes are surprised and enchanted and place them well above the Daguerreotype because of the far superior advantage of the use of paper, instead of metal. Nicole’s portrait has been a tremendous success, although at the same time I cannot deplore enough how little your invention is known in this country!
It would appear that an artist has just invented a means of taking views and portraits in a tenth of a second!
Mme Talbot had the kindness to write an extremely long letter to me from Weymouth summarising the information that I requested from her on the resources of Bath: I beg you to thank her kindly for me when you have the opportunity, until I am able to do so myself.
It is with regret that I hear of your dissatisfaction with your health; on this matter I can only repeat what everyone else says to you! to give yourself respite from time to time from your scientific work in order to breathe the country air! walk, move and rest the mind by tiring the body.
It appears that Milady has decided not to join Horatia this winter? and I must admit that I entirely approve; I would not have been able to know of her travelling to distant lands, and in such weather, without being extremely worried. – I imagine that Caroline and Horatia are in Vienna; I wrote to them in Trieste, following their wishes, but they have undoubtedly changed their plans as I have had no news from them for such a long time.
I am told that the winter will be miserable here; there is much displeasure; it is even worse than in your own country! As for me, whatever happens I will be no enclosed in this convent that is the rue des 4 fils. We hardly see anybody and those few visitors make me prefer the solitude; as it is not worth being disturbed.
The destruction of the Tower of London is such a misfortune; three catastrophes in just a few years; fires, of the Stock Exchange, of Parliament and of the Tower; One of our newspapers claims that the Tower went on fire the day we learned in London of Macleod’s acquittal for burning the Caroline.
The proposals put forward for the Emperor Napoleon’s tomb are all equally as absurd and impractical as each the other: nevertheless our Minister, with the enlightened taste which sets him apart, was in favour of Mr Visconti’s design, which is said to resemble the bear pit in the botanic gardens!…
Believe me, dear Mr Talbot, your devoted
Amélina Petit
20 Rue des 4 fils, Paris
Please give my most sincere regards and compliments to Milady and to Mrs T if she has returned.Notes:
1. Paper for making calotypes.
2. Although it is possible that this reference is to a frame to hold the paper in the camera, it is more likely she means a printing frame that could be used to make direct contact prints (photograms) such as plants or copies of engravings.
3. Although it was not obvious to everyone at the time, WHFT's use of negatives to make paper prints would define the mainstream of photography until digital took over in the early 21st century.
4. Portrait of Nicolaas Henneman (1813–1898), Dutch, active in England; WHFT’s valet, then assistant; photographer. For this image see ‘Nicolaas Henneman in the Cloisters of Lacock Abbey’, Schaaf 2559, reproduced in Larry J. Schaaf, The Photographic Art of William Henry Fox Talbot (Princeton: Princeton University Press, 2000), p. 112.
5. Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.
6. Lady Elisabeth Theresa Feilding, née Fox Strangways, first m Talbot (1773–1846), WHFT’s mother.
7. Henrietta Horatia Maria Gaisford, née Feilding (1810–1851), WHFT’s half-sister.
8. Rear Admiral Charles Feilding (1780–1837), Royal Navy; WHFT’s step-father.
9. On the night of 30 October 1841, fire broke out in the Round or Bowyer Tower, at the Tower of London, destroying the great armoury or storehouse alongside it.
10. In 1837, the steamship ‘Caroline’ was set alight and sent over Niagara Falls by armed men in the employ of the British government in an attempt to stop American soldiers aiding the Canadians in their uprising against British rule. During the fray Amos Durfee was killed, for which crime Alexander McLeod, a Canadian citizen, was arrested and jailed. He was later acquitted on the testimony of Lord Palmerston, that the attack had been organised by British soldiers.
11. Louis Visconti (1791–1853), preferred architect of Napoleon III and designer of the grave of Napoleon I in l’Hotel des Invalides.