Lincoln’s Inn <1>
19th Aug 1852
My dear Sir
I did not fail to observe the correspondence <2> between You & the President of the Royal Society <3> published in the Times of the 13th inst. As a small fractional part of the Public to whom You have presented a portion of your invaluable Invention, I beg to offer You my cordial thanks –
But now Mr Knight <4> enters en scène <5> seemingly puzzled whether he is to thank You or complain, as I asked him whether he considered himself bettered or damaged by the boon, to which he replied “he did not know” but must first ask some questions and then he inquired whether he was not at liberty to manufacture & sell Iodised paper [I suspect he has been doing more in this line than we are aware of] to which I replied that assuming the letters to be genuine and of which I had no doubt altho’ not approved officially, he could only expect to have struck out of his agreement all that was covered by Your gift and as to every thing else there, every letter remained until You thought proper to release any further portion –
Now, the sale of the paper in question is not touched by Your letter and the answer to be given Mr Knight must of course depend upon Your own will & pleasure.
I hope & trust that the artistical world will be duly grateful to You for the very munificent present You have made them and
remain My dear Sir Ever your’s faithfully
J H Bolton
W H. F. Talbot Esqe
Notes:
1. One of the four Inns of Court, the ‘colleges’ of barristers at the English Bar. Bolton had his chambers [lawyer’s offices and, at the time, living-quarters also] there.
2. In which Talbot threw open his photography patent rights as far as amateur photographers were concerned. See Doc. No: 06653 and Doc. No: 06668.
3. William Parsons, 3rd Earl of Rosse (1800–1867), astronomer & MP.
4. George Knight, photographic supplier, London.
5. enters the stage