My dear Henry
I am very much obliged to you for the pretty little Photogenic drawings <1> you sent me, the Ipomea or Convuluolus delights me it is by far the prettiest thing I have seem of the kind. I now want to have one done with the Camera & I hope some of these fine broiling days will suit you & that you will favour me with one some day.<1>
I do not know where you are but think Wm <2> does of course so I shall send this to him for you–
I hope we shall soon see your three little girls & Mrs Talbot <3> for we propose going to Bath next Monday for a week & one day we must spare to go over to see them.– I am very much annoyed with the Allium sub horsutium this year it has not flowered at all. I have four pots full & last year many blew but some are now going off so I cannot expect to have any flowers at all. I took up the roots as usual & kept them up till they were ready to be planted & they had every care & looked as strong & well as usual but no buds ever came, can you tell me any reason for it? Pray do if you can. I am so fond of them that I can do nothing but grieve whenever I look upon them.
The white hetaing looks well it is not in flower yet – We have some pretty Roses in blow and a quantity of Largasineus’s of different sorts besides plenty of common flowers the garden is gay in spite of the want of rain.– Charlotte & Mr Traherne <4> are going from home & have promised to journey with us to Bath in their way or I do not think we could have summoned up courage to go away just now.– I suppose you know that Jane & Mr Nicholl <5> are going abroad for a couple of months. I do not think their route is quite settled Miss Nicholl accompanies them and will have much pleasure in sketching I daresay, she has been in Germany I think.–
Mamma <6> is pretty well now. Isabella <7> & all her have Hoop still, they are gone to the sea side however, & I hope change of air will cure the cough for this time of year it seldom lasts long.–
I am you affate cousin
Mary T.T–
I long to see my little nephew but cannot expect to be gratified for a long time to come. They have not told me what his name is to be yet –
London June seventeen W Strangways
H. F. Talbot Esq
Lacock
Chippenham
Notes:
1. Although WHFT had succeeded in making camera images by the summer of 1835, the weather was unusually bad in 1839 and he generally lacked sufficient sunlight - consequently, many of his images in this first public year of photography were made by contact printing (photograms) since these could be done in reduced light levels.
2. William Thomas Horner Fox Strangways, 4th Earl of Ilchester (1795–1865), botanist, art collector & diplomat.
3. Ela Theresa Talbot (1835–1893), WHFT’s 1st daughter; Rosamond Constance ‘Monie’ Talbot (1837–1906), artist & WHFT’s 2nd daughter; Matilda Caroline Gilchrist-Clark, ‘Tilly’, née Talbot (1839–1927), WHFT’s 3rd daughter; Constance Talbot, née Mundy (1811–1880), WHFT’s wife.
4. Charlotte Louisa 'Charry' Traherne, née Talbot (1800–1880), WHFT’s cousin, and Rev John Montgomerie Traherne (1788–1860), JP & author.
5. Jane Harriot Nicholl, née Talbot (1796–1874), and Dr John Nicholl (1797–1853), MP.
6. Lady Mary Lucy Cole, née Strangways, first m. Talbot (1776–1855), WHFT’s aunt.
7. Isabella Catherine Franklen, née Talbot (1804–1874).