13 Great Stuart Street
Edinburgh
Wedny April 17
My Dear Charles
I think your idea is not a bad one, of engraving on thin copper and cementing on to a thicker plate, but perhaps copper is too elastic and I think tin would be better, being more flexible - I enclose specimens of both. Kemp & Co <1> say that Lac <2> would make the best cement.
I think you are a little mistaken about the trees. There were 2 trees, near together, one of these Mr Awdry & Brinsdon had cut down, of their own judgment, last winter - It was then that Edward <3> asked for the other to be cut too, and I asked for Mr Awdry's opinion as to the value of the tree. He reported that it was of very little value, in Brinsdon's & his opinion, and therefore it was ordered to be cut. I told you I think that Mr Merewether <4> had given up the shooting on the hill because he could not get from Ld Landsdowne <5> some further shootings, which he had expected, and because Croker <6> was rude and insolent to him - He appears to be in many ways a tenant discreditable to the estate, and half a poacher besides. I should wish the matter of the monumental stones in the Cloister to rest for the present, till we are all again assembled at the Abbey to consult about it. In the meanwhile straw might be laid upon them, and rough boards upon the straw, as used to be done formerly when the family was absent, and sometimes as I remember, for 2 or 3 years together they were protected in that way. We have not let our house yet, but have had 2 offers, not acceptable ones. One from a Net Merchant of Musselburgh, in a large way of business. I am glad to hear Gilling is flourishing - I have a job for him. I want a Chapter of the Bible photographed on glass (any chapter say from the Epistles.) - I want only the negative <7> (no positive copies) but I want the ground to be very black, & letters white, in short a good contrast. If done under your inspection in the cloisters, the large bible in the library might be used. Size of the negative may be 5 inches by 4 -
The scale may be one third of the original, which will give small letters but not too small. I also want a page of the Statuta Ricardi Secundi <8> done in the same way - The book is in the lowest shelf of the library bookcase, next the South Gallery - in Black Letter -
Your affte
Father
Envelope:
C. H. Talbot Esq43 Sackville St
London
Notes:
1. Kemp and Company, Instrument Makers. [See Doc. No: 07790].
2. Shellac.
3. Edward, a valet to WHFT.
4. Henry Alworth Merewether, jnr (1813-1877), JP, author & Recorder for Devizes.
5. Henry Chas Keith Petty Fitzmaurice, 5th Marquess of Lansdowne; Earl of Shelburne (1845-1927).
6. Joseph Crocker of Ash Hill. [See Doc. No: 09196].
7. It is unclear why WHFT wanted nagtives at this time. His Photoglyphic Engraving process employed positives.
8. Historia Vitae et Regni Ricardi Secundi, an account of the reign of Richard II. At the British Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in August 1839, WHFT exhibited a large number of photogenic drawings. This image was Number 61 under "Class II., reversed images, requiring the action of light to be twice employed: copy of an old Printed book - The Statutes of King Richard II." See Larry J. Schaaf, Pencil of Nature Anniversary Fascsimile (New York: Hanks P Kraus, Jr, 1989), pl.9.