13 Great Stuart Street
Edinburgh
Saturday May 4
My Dear Charles
Monie <1> is not much better yet She has a good deal of fever at times – we hope that in about ten days she will be well enough to move to Dabton, where the change of air will do her good. Tilly <2> left us yesterday and got safe home to Dabton. She showed us your locket which we thought very pretty. The notable creeper which you admired in the Conservatory was I suppose the Bomared of which Wilkins <3> sent us a very fine bunch in the hamper today, with nearly 100 flowers in a cluster.
He also sent Clerodendron Thomson which is quite peculiar having a snow white calyx and crimson corolla – The plant was a present fm Professor Balfour. <4> An old pupil of his, now a Missionary at the Calabar river Equatorial Africa, sent him the seed & the professor named it after the missionary’s wife. I think the danger of war is diminishing but it is not gone yet – The Conference <5> meets in London next Tuesday, & the British Ministry will do all they can to compose angry passions –
I have not got a copy here of my Photoglyphic Specification, <6> but I send you that of Nelson & Ramage. It answers very well, their productions are often very good – but I do not see much novelty in the process described – The goodness of the results must be owing to superior skill in manipulating the details which of course makes an immense difference, for the best photographic process generally fails in the hands of the unskilful. The trials which Gilling has made under your direction of an old title page &c. seem likely to be useful – It may take some little time to get into the way of getting good results, but it would be convenient if he could learn to do it well as I could then employ him at any time. I have had some done here which I think successful, but it is rather a long distance to send anything from Lacock to be copied here. Anyhow it is best to try different photographers as one might happen to prove eminently skilful. The patent laws are in such an uncertain and chaotic state that no two judges agree, and consequently no two patent agents would tender the same advice to their clients – I think Carpmael <7> would pronounce the Specification of Nelson and Ramage bad, from various reasons, such as (1) Insufficient description of the best mode of working. (2) What is new in the process is not distinguished from what is old so that much that has been known for years appears to be claimed – And so on. Nevertheless I may be mistaken, as there is infinite uncertainty as to what a Judge would say to the specification especially if he knew nothing of photography –
The upset at Carruchan was very dangerous, but nobody was hurt to signify. They were going to church on Easter Sunday when the horse ran away down hill (the carriage has no drag!) It was Mrs Maxwells <8> carriage –
Which Pacsonia is in flower in the conservatory? we have 2 or 3.
Your affte Father
Envelope:
C. H. Talbot EsqLacock Abbey
Chippenham
Wilts
Notes:
1. Rosamond Constance ‘Monie’ Talbot (1837–1906), artist & WHFT’s 2nd daughter.
2. Matilda Caroline Gilchrist-Clark, ‘Tilly’, née Talbot (1839–1927), WHFT’s 3rd daughter.
3. George Wilkins (b. 1814), gardener at Lacock.
4. Dr John Hutton Balfour (1808–1884), Scottish botanist.
5. The international conference held in London (7-11 May), signed the Treaty of London, defusing a period of heightening tension between France and Germany over the Luxembourg crisis.
6. WHFT took his patent for photoglyphic engraving (patent number 875) on 21 April 1858.
7. William Carpmael (1804–1867), patent agent & engineer, London.
8. Mary Maxwell, née Clark.