[draft:]

Hogarth –
March 28 / 61

In reply to y^r last l^r, being in some meas^re without expe^ce of the value commercially speaking of these invent^ns & improvem^ts in engrav^g I must form the best judg^mt I can on the matter. It app^rs t me tht the Com^py y propose to form w^d readily be able to make engrav^d copperpl^ts worth f^m 20 to 30 40 g^s each & probably more. I shall

As y wish for a lic^se accord^g to the size of the plates made or manufact^d by the Comp I shall be will^g to give you such a lic^se in considⁿ of a royalty of 3 pence per sq. inch the measure being that of the _^^copper plates without reference to the size of the engravings on them w^ch of course w^d be smwhat smaller.

[expanded version:]

Hogarth –
March 28, 1861

In reply to your last letter, ^<1> being in some measure without experience of the value commercially speaking of these inventions and improvements in engraving, I must form the best judgement I can on the matter. It appears to me that the Company you propose to form ^<2> would readily be able to make engraved copperplates worth from 20 to 30 40 guineas ^<3> each and probably more. I shall

As you wish for a license ^<4> according to the size of the plates made or manufactured by the Company I shall be willing to give you such a license in consideration of a royalty of three pence per square inch the measure being that of the copper plates without reference to the size of the engravings on them which of course would be somewhat smaller.

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Notes:

1. Letter not located.

2. A proposal was afoot to set up a photographic-engraving company with Paul Pretsch (1808–1873), Austrian photographer & inventor; founder of the Photogalvanographic Company and others.

3. Originally written ‘10 to 20’, then these figures were overwritten ‘20 to 30’, and finally the 30 was deleted and ‘40’ inserted. A guinea was 21 shillings [20 shillings to the pound].

4. To use either WHFT’s photoglyphic engraving process, patented as Photoglyphic Engraving, No. 875, April 1858, or Part 1 of his photographic engraving process, patented as Improvements in Photographic Engraving, No. 565, November 1852, in conjunction with electrotype. This was the process devised by Pretsch, which produced a patent-dispute with WHFT. See Doc. No: 08340 for WHFT’s opinion on the practicalities and economics of Pretsch’s process.