44 Queen Ann St London <1>
Thursday 7th March
Sir
Having observed in the Literary Gazette <2> of last Saturday that you say, you have not yet seen any of my photogenic drawings, I will do myself the pleasure of calling on you on Saturday next, in company with my friend Professor Wheatstone, <3> & will bring some of the specimens with me <4>
I am, Sir, Your very obedient servt
H. Fox Talbot
Francis Bauer Esq, F.R.S.
Eglantine Cottage
Kew
H. F. Talbot Esquon 25 Jan
Recd March 8th 1839
Notes:
1. 44 Queen Ann Street: London home of the Mundy family and a frequent base for WHFT.
2. Bauer's letter to the Editor of 26 February 1839, published under 'The New Art', The Literary Gazette and Journal of belles lettres, science and art, no. 1154, 2 March 1839, pp. 137-138.
3. Sir Charles Wheatstone (1802–1875), scientist.
4. Although the tone of this letter implies that it will be the first time that WHFT and Bauer would meet over the subject of photography, John Edward Gray (1800-1875) of the British Museum, an FRS, wrote WHFT a letter of introduction to Bauer on 25 January (the same day that WHFT first publicly displayed his photogenic drawings, at the Royal Institution): 'Allow me to introduce to you Mr Fox Talbot who has been making some experiments on fixing the Shadows of Plants and other subject on Paper. and understanding that you have two designs done probably in the same manner I have given him this note in hope that you will shew him what you have on the subject.' The original letter is preserved in the Hamel Collection of the Russian Academy of Sciences, St Petersburg.