Middle Hill, Broadway
29 Ap. 1861
My dear Sir
Your very kind congratulations on the honour conferred upon me bring to my remembrance the old Proverb or Adage, “Laudari a Laudato”, and this enhances extremely the Compliments you have paid me. Pray accept therefore my very best thanks for thinking of me in so friendly a manner as well as for the really, (without flattery,) beautiful specimen of Photographic Engraving which you have sent to me. The lines are so distinct & clear, without blotting, that it looks as if laid on by Electrotype. If your process is perfected without being very costly it will supersede all other modes of multiplying Copies, unless the Anastatic shd compete with it as to economy. For it appears to me that the strokes in your Engraving are much finer than Anastatic Printing could make them.
Does your Process copy equally well the Photographic Landscapes taken from Nature? Have you a Photograph, taken from Nature, of Lacock Abbey? You engrave I see upon Steel or Copper. Is this Photogr. exactly of the same size as the original Engraving? How desirable would be an exact reproduction of your Lacock Cartulary entire, by your Process. It would be unique.
Lady Phillipps unites with me in kind remembrances to Mrs Talbot, and I am always
very faithfully Your’s
Thos Phillipps
Pouncey’s is mere daub, compared with your Process.
[author's copy in his letter book; Bodleian Library]
W. Henry Fox Talbot Esqre
Lacock Abbey Chippenham WiltsMH 29 Ap 61
My dear Sir
Your very kind congratulations on the honour conferred upon me (of a Trusteeship of the British Museum,) bring to my remembrance the old Proverb or Adage “Laudari a Laudato,” & this enhances extremely the Compliment you have paid me. Pray accept therefore my very best thanks for thinking of me in so friendly a manner as well as for the really (without flattery,) beautiful specimen of Photographic Engraving which you have sent to me. The lines are so distinct & clear, without blotting, that it looks as if laid on by Electro-Type. If your process is perfected without being very costly it will supersede all other modes of multiplying Copies, unless the Anastatic should compete with it as to economy. For it appears to me that the strokes in your Engraving are much finer than Anastatic Printing could make them.
Does your Process copy equally well the Photographic Landscape taken from Nature? Have you a Photograph taken from Nature, of Lacock Abbey? You engrave I see upon Steel or Copper. Is this Photograph exactly of the same size as the Original Engraving?
How desirable wd be an exact reproduction of your Lacock Cartulary entire, by your Process. It wd be unique.
Lady Phillipps unites with me in kind remembrances to Mrs Talbot & I am always
Very faithfully yours
Thos Phillipps
PS Pouncey’s is mere daub compared with your Process.