[This letter may well be identical to the missing originals sent on the same day to Francois Arago and Jean Baptiste Biot - a possibly edited version of Arago's copy was reproduced in Comptes Rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l' de l'Académie des Sciences, v. 8 no. 5, 4 February 1839, p. 171. A short discussion follows in the text, relating the earlier experiments by Thomas Wedgwood (1771-1805) and Joseph Nicéphore Niépce (1765-1833). See Doc. No: 03778 and Doc. No: 09189.]
Londres, 44 Queen Ann St
le 29 Janvier 1839
Ne sachant pas très bien si M. de Humboldt <1> était du nombre des savans qui ont fait un rapport à l’académie des Sciences de Paris sur une nouvelle invention de M. Daguerre, <2> j’ai cependant désiré lui écrire quelques mots pour lui annonçer, que dans peu de jours j’aurai l’honneur d’adresser à l’Académie une Reclamation formelle de priorité, de cette invention, dans ses deux parties principales:
(1) la fixation de l’image donnée par la Camera Obscura et par le Microscope Solaire.
(2) la conservation subsequente de cette image, de sorte qu’elle peut soutenir le plein soleil.
Très occupé en ce moment, de la rédaction d’un memoire sur cette nouvelle branche de l’Art, qui doit être lu à la Société Royale <3>après demain, je me borne à vous renouveller l’expression de l’estime sincère avec laquelle je suis, Monsieur,
votre dévoué serviteur
H. F. Talbot
Membre de la sociéte Royale de Londres
Après douze ans que [illegible deletion] je n’ai pas vû M. de Humboldt, j’ai du moins du plaisir en me rappellant à sa mémoire –Translation:
London, 44 Queen Ann St
January 29th 1839
Not being entirely sure whether Mr de Humboldt was of the scholars who made a report to the académie des Sciences in Paris on a new invention of Mr Daguerre, I nevertheless wished to write a few words to him to announce to him, that in but a few days I shall have the honour of addressing to the Académie a formal claim of precedence, in this invention, in its two principal points:
(1) the fixing of the image made by the Camera Obscura and by the Solar Microscope.
(2) the subsequent conservation of this image, in such a way as it might withstand direct sunlight.
Being most occupied at the moment, with the writing of a work on this new branch of Art, which is to be read at the Royal Society the day after tomorrow, I shall content myself with reaffirming the expression of the sincere esteem with which I am, Sir,
your devoted servant
H. F. Talbot
Member of the Royal Society of London
After twelve years during which I have not seen Mr de Humboldt, I at least take pleasure in being able to send him my regards –Notes:
1. Alexander von Humboldt (1769–1859), German scientist.
2. Arago announced, at the meeting of 7 January 1839, the invention of the daguerreotype by Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre (1787–1851), French artist, showman & inventor. See ‘Fixation des images qui se forment au foyer d’une chambre obscure’, Comptes Rendus hebdomadaires des séances de l’ de l’Académie des Sciences, v. 8 no. 1, 7 January 1839, pp. 4–7.
3. WHFT, ‘Some Account of the Art of Photogenic Drawing, or the Process by which Natural Objects may be made to Delineate Themselves without the Aid of the Artist’s pencil’, read before the Royal Society 31 January 1839, a report of which was published in Proceedings of the Royal Society of London, v. 4 no. 36, pp. 120–121.