[draft]

Dilke
Feb 18 / 50

Observing that _^^{ye name of} M^r D jun^r occupies an hon^ble posⁿ among those to whom the carrying out of Prince Albert’s magnificent scheme of the grand ^{a general} Exhibition of Industry is entrusted, I am desir^s of ment^g a subject There is respecting w^ch I sh^d be glad to ask his [illegible deletion] opinⁿ & advice _^^{as well as your own} if you will be kind enough to give it to me –

I am thinking of offering a considerable prize, say for example 100£, for the best specimen of photography on paper that is sent to ^{shown at} y^e Exhibition

and a similar & equal prize for the best specimen of Dtype and I sh^d be glad to know whether you think there w^d be any objectⁿ to my offering such prizes? and whether I could offer the one ^second with equal propriety as the first?

In my own h jud^t it w^d be better to offer both. I sh^d prefer doing so to offering only 1 prize if it is thought unobjectionable.

H. F. T.

P.S.
As some persons have expressed an interest respecting my _^^late patent for “imp^ts in phot^y“
I will take this opp^y of ment^g (altho’ I am not aware whether perhaps it is a matter of little conseq^ce) – that the process of phot^y on glass coated with albumen, is not one of the Improvements therein _^^{referred to or} contemplated
the first?
In my own h^ble judgm^t it w^d be better to offer both. I sh^d prefer doing so to offering only 1 prize if it is thought unobjectionable.

[expanded version]

Dilke
February 18, 1850

Observing that the name of Mr Dilke, junr ^<1> occupies an honorable position among those to whom the carrying out of Prince Albert’s magnificent scheme of the grand a general Exhibition of Industry ^<2> is entrusted, I am desirous of mentioning a subject There is respecting which I should be glad to ask his [illegible deletion] opinion and advice as well as your own if you will be kind enough to give it to me –

I am thinking of offering a considerable prize, say for example £100, for the best specimen of photography on paper that is sent to shown at the Exhibition and a similar and equal prize for the best specimen of Daguerreotype and I should be glad to know whether you think there would be any objection to my offering such prizes? and whether I could offer the one second with equal propriety as the first? In my own humble judgment it would be better to offer both. I should prefer doing so to offering only one prize if it is thought unobjectionable.^<3>

H. F. T.

P.S. As some persons have expressed an interest respecting my late patent for “improvements in photography” ^<4>I will take this opportunity of mentioning (although I am not aware whether perhaps it is a matter of little consequence) – that the process of photography on glass coated with albumen, is not one of the Improvements therein referred to or contemplated

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Notes:

1. Sir Charles Wentworth Dilke(1810-1869), 1^st Baronet, Whig politician, art patron and one of the prime organisers of the Great Exhibition.

2. Prince Albert, consort to Queen Victoria, encouraged the Great Exhibition of 1851.

3. It is not known if this offer of WHFT awarding prizes was seriously discussed, but it did not come to pass. For Dilke's guarded reply, see Doc. No: 06305.

4. Patent N^o. 12,906, "Photography," taken out jointly with Thomas Augustine Malone (1823-1867).