[draft:]
Sept 29/51
Mr D. Wyatt
Since my retn to T I hve understd yt Mr Hn has made a saty arrt wh Mr Owen & Mr Binghm to give them assistce in obtng ye photgc views & portraits desired by the Exectve Comtee - If ye Comtee will now favor me wh ye names & addresses of those ^any other persons whom they wish to employ, in this matter, I will have suitable licenses prepared, for wch no charge will be made - As to my giving ye proposal that I shd give a license to the Exve Committee ^themselves this must be altogether founded, I consider, on a misconceptn no such collective license being practle since they are beyond a doubt too much occupied with business to make any use of it, and I have therefore taken the liberty of substitutg for that proposal, the one mentioned above
[expanded version:]
September 29th, 1851
Mr Digby Wyatt
Since my return to Town I have understood that Mr Henneman <1> has made a satisfactory arrangement with Mr Owen and Mr Bingham <2> to give them assistance in obtaining the photographic views and portraits desired by the Executive Committee - If the Committee will now favor me with the names and addresses of those any other persons whom they wish to employ, in this matter, I will have suitable licenses prepared, for which no charge will be made - As to my giving the proposal that I should give a license to the Executive Committee themselves this must be altogether founded, I consider, on a misconception no such collective license being practical since they are beyond a doubt too much occupied with business to make any use of it, and I have therefore taken the liberty of substituting for that proposal, the one mentioned above
Notes:
1. Nicolaas Henneman (1813-1898), Dutch, active in England; WHFT's valet, then assistant; photographer.
2. Hugh Owen (1808-1897), photographer and Robert Jefferson Bingham (1825-1870), English born author and photographer, mostly active in France, who was the premier reproduction photographer of his day.