[draft:]
28 Feb / 57
[illegible deletion] Barclay
In reply to yr lr of the _ I mst 1st mentn tht an expcd pt Agt gave me his opn tht the pss of the PhG.Gc Cy was a manifst infgemt of my patt & ye advice opn of or frnds concurng I hve commced an actn fr damages agst that Compy in ye crt of Q B. The case will come on for trial in a few wks.
As only 4 yrs of ye pt hve expired, & 10 remn unexpired it apprs t me that it is not yet too late to do a good deal w it.
I was not awar. tht Mr Malone had delivd a lect. on ye subjt Are Y. acquntd wh him? If not wd y. like me t give y. a line of introductn t. him, & you can talk over ye merits & defects of ye invn wh him. I have a high opinn of Mr Malone
The Ph G Gc Cy 1st make a chrom gel. photogr by my pss. Can you infm me whr they Electrotype this, directly fm this, or whr they 1st take an impressn of it, & Electtype fm ye impressn If so, in what material, & how, do they make that impressn?
Can you recmend me any
I shd like t hve a few expts made, in electypg my gelatin picts Can you recommd any pson who is a skilful hand electtyper & wd take an interest in the thing?
I thought I had shown you 3 yrs ago many of my gelatine photogrphs They are vy perfect. The ground is granular, but ye biting is not, therefore the resultg steel engravg is inferior to the original photgph Perhaps some ingens person might discvr a remedy
[expanded version:]
28 February 1857
Barclay
In reply to your letter of the I must first mention that an experienced Patent Agent gave me his opinion that the process of the Photogalvanographic Company <1> was a manifest infringement of my patent & the advice opinion of other friends concurring I have commenced an action for damages against that Company in the Court of Queens Bench. The case will come on for trial in a few weeks
As only four years of the patent have expired, & ten remain unexpired it appears to me that it is not yet too late to do a good deal with it.
I was not aware that Mr Malone <2> had delivered a lecture on the subject Are you acquainted with him? If not would you like me to give you a line of introduction to him, and you can talk over the merits and defects of the invention with him. I have a high opinion of Mr Malone
The Photogalvanographic Company first make a chromated gelatin photograph by my process. Can you inform me whether they Electrotype this, directly from this, or whether they first take an impression of it, & Electrotype from the impression If so, in what material, & how, do they make that impression?
Can you recommend me any I should like to have a few experiments made, in electrotyping my gelatin pictures Can you recommend any person who is a skilful hand electrotyper and take an interest in the thing?
I thought I had shown you three years ago many of my gelatine photographs. They are very perfect. The ground is granular, but the biting is not, therefore the resulting steel engraving is inferior to the original photograph Perhaps some ingenious person might discover a remedy
Notes:
1. The Patent Photo-Galvanographic Company (commonly, The Photogalvanographic Company) was based on the work of Paul Pretsch (18081873), Austrian photographer & inventor and former Manager of the Imperial Printing Establishment in Vienna. Located in Holloway Road, Islington, London, from 1856-1857, Pretsch took over as manager and Roger Fenton (18191869), photographer & lawyer, was a partner and their chief photographer. Starting in late 1856, they published a serial portfolio, Photographic Art Treasures, or Nature and Art Illustrated by Art and Nature, illustratated with photogalvanographs derived from several photographer's works. Photogalvanography was uncomfortably closely based on elements of WHFTs patented 1852 Photographic Engraving but, unlike Talbot, the plates were heavily retouched by hand. Compounding the legal objections of Talbot, their former manager, Duncan Campbell Dallas, set up a competing company to produce the Dallastype. The company collapsed and near the end of 1860 Pretsch, out of money, allowed his patent to lapse. A public appeal was launched in 1861 to assist him but he returned to Vienna in 1863 in ill health, going back to the Imperial Printing Establishment, but finally succumbing to cholera.
2. Thomas Augustine Malone (1823-1867), photographer & chemist.