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Document number: 6942
Date: 01 Apr 1854
Recipient: TALBOT William Henry Fox
Author: BOLTON John Henry
Collection: British Library, London, Manuscripts - Fox Talbot Collection
Collection number historic: Acc 20759 (envelope only)
Last updated: 4th February 2013

Lincolns Inn <1>
1st April 1854

My dear Sir

I did see Mr E. F. Smith <2> and discuss the matter with him & as he was in Court when the Motion was heard and the judgment of V.C. Wood <3> given, it was not necessary to shew him the Report in the newspaper.

I intended to have given You the result which was, that in the existing cases which have stood over for some months after proceedgs commenced, it would not be wise to attempt any proceedg in Equity but otherwise as to any new cases – V.C. Woods judgment would be in them, very encouraging – all this gave way however to the consideration of Laroches case <4>

Mr Noble,<5> the young Gentleman of whom I wrote to You, has to day brot me a description of the Process as performed by Laroche & his Assistant in the 3 Lessons which have already been given to him & I now send to You a copy – it seems to me to be all we want tho’ I should like much to do have more strings to our bow.

Henneman <6> quite fails in finding any body, he says all he has spoken to have each an aversion to the Courts of Law.

I shall be anxious to know what You say to the process Laroche

and am My dear Sir Ever Your’s faithfully
J. H. Bolton

Bath for Collodion <7>
Nitrate of Silver 30 Grams
Distilled water one ounce
To develop the collodion after exposure in camera
Mix { Pyrogallic acid 12 Gr
Acetic acid ½ oz
dis. water 4 oz
To prepare paper
Saturated solution of chloride
of Sodium 1 oz
dis water 2 oz
Nitrate of Silver ¾ oz
dis water 5 oz
To fix paper proof
Hypo: Soda 3 oz
dis water 18 ″

The above is copy Recipe for the chemicals given to Mr Noble by Laroche & assistant in the presence of Laroche who said it was correct.

[envelope:]
Wm H. Fox Tal[envelope partially torn away]
Greta Bank
Keswick


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. A barrister; see Doc. No: 06514.

3. William Page Wood, Baron Hatherley (1801–1881), Chancery judge; Vice-Chancellor (1853), Lord Chancellor (1868).

4. William Henry Silvester, whose professional name as a portrait photographer was Martin Laroche. Evidence was being gathered to show that his use of the Collodion process infringed WHFT’s patent rights, which though thrown open in respect of amateur photography, were still in force against professional portrait-photographers. The case, which was heard in December 1854, was decided against WHFT.

5. Alfred Noble. He recorded the instructions given him by LaRoche on 27-29 March 1854. His three-page dutiful, if not particularly well-informed set of notes is LA54-15, Fox Talbot Collection, The British Library.

6. Nicolaas Henneman (1813–1898), Dutch, active in England; WHFT’s valet, then assistant; photographer.

7. This ‘recipe’ is on a separate sheet, though in Bolton’s hand.

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