[draft:]

28 Feb / 57
[illegible deletion] Barclay

In reply to y^r l^r of the _ I m^st 1^st mentⁿ th^t an exp^cd p^t Ag^t gave me his opⁿ th^t the pss of the PhG.G^c C^y was a manifst infge^mt of my pat^t – & y^e advice opⁿ of o^r fr^nds concurn^g I h^ve comm^ced an actⁿ fr damages ag^st that Comp^y in y^e c^rt of Q B. – The case will come on for trial in a few w^ks.–

As only 4 y^rs of y^e p^t h^ve expired, & 10 remⁿ unexpired it app^rs t me that it is not yet too late to do a good deal w it.

I was not awar. th^t M^r Malone had deliv^d a lect. on y^e subj^t – Are Y. acquntd w^h him? If not w^d y. like me t give y. a line of introduc^tn t. him, & you can talk over y^e merits & defects of y^e invⁿ w^h him. I have a high opinⁿ of M^r Malone –

The Ph G G^c C^y 1^st make a chrom gel. photogr by my pss. – Can you inf^m me wh^r they Electrotype this, directly fm this, or wh^r they 1^st take an impressⁿ of it, & Elect^type f^m y^e impressⁿ – If so, in what material, & how, do they make that impressⁿ?

Can you recmend me any

I sh^d like t h^ve a few exp^ts made, in elec^typg my gelatin pict^s – Can you recomm^d any pson who is a skilful hand electtyper & w^d take an interest in the thing?

I thought I had shown you 3 yrs ago many of my gelatine photog^rphs They are vy perfect. The ground is granular, but y^e biting is not, therefore the result^g steel engrav^g is inferior to the original photg^ph – 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 Queen’s 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 –

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Notes:

1. The Patent Photo-Galvanographic Company (commonly, The Photogalvanographic Company) was based on the work of Paul Pretsch (1808–1873), 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 (1819–1869), 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 WHFT’s 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.