107, Regent Street <1>
1. Nov.b 1864
Mon cher Monsieur,
A mon retour de Brighton je trouve votre intéressant album de gravures photoglyphiques <2> que vous avez eu la bonté de m’envoyer. Je l’accepte avec le plus grand plaisir en voyant la perfection à laquelle vous êtes arrivé. Plusieurs des spécimens sont admirables & pourraient presque passer sans retouches, mais je suis convaincu que l’on peut tirer un grand parti de votre procédé au moyen de retouches faites par des mains habiles, & que votre invention a beaucoup d’avenir. Quand j’aurai le plaisir de vous voir, je vous engagerai fortement à faire de suite des essais. Il ne faut pas perdre de temps. Vous avez été assez loin dans vos recherches, & je crois que vous n’obtiendrez plus d’autres perfectionnements, le graveur doit compléter le procédé comme le Sculpteur doit compléter la photosculpture. <3>
Mille remerciemens pour votre joli album & veuillez, Mon cher Monsieur, recevoir l’assurance de ma considération très distinguée.
A Claudet
Translation:
107, Regent Street
1 November 1864
My dear Sir,
When I came back from Brighton, I found your interesting album of photoglyphic engravings, which you had the kindness to send me. I accept it with the greatest pleasure for I can see the perfection which you have attained. Several of the specimens are excellent and could almost go without retouching, but I am convinced that your process can be put to greater use with retouching done by expert hands & that your invention has a great future. When I have the pleasure of seeing you, I will strongly encourage you to begin trials immediately. No time must be lost. You have gone far enough with your research, and I do not think that you will achieve greater perfection. The engraver should complete the process just as the Sculptor should complete the photosculpture.
Many thanks for your attractive album, and please accept, Sir, my sincere regards.
A Claudet
Notes:
1. London.
2. If this album stayed with Claudet, it is unlikely to have survived. Claudet had been involved in photography since its earliest days, both as a practitioner and as a scientist, and had gathered an immense collection of historic examples in his studio. When he died at the end of 1867, the family concentrated all his early work and his collections in his office. On 23 January 1868, Claudet’s Regent Street studio was heavily damaged by fire, most tragically destroying the entire office area and all its contents. See “Serious Fire at Mr. Claudet’s Studio in Regent Street”, The Photographic News, 31 January 1868, pp. 51-52. However, there is a set of disbound sheets in the Talbot Collection at the NMeM, Bradford, that might be the remnants of this album. The manuscript title block (1937-5001) is "Gravure Photoglyphiques. Peocédé de l'invention de M. W. H. Fox Talbot. Cette gravure sur cuivre ou sur acier reproduit par la seule action de la lumière du soleil, toute espèce de photographiques, gravures, imprimés, manuscrits, dessins & &c sans l'aide du burin. On peut tirer de 1500 à 2000 impressions d'une seule planche gravée." This set (1937-5002 to 1937-5037) comprises photoglyphic engravings mounted four to a sheet. Whether this was the album sent to Claudet and returned, or something created for an exhibition in France or Belgium has yet to be determined.
3. The process of Photosculpture was patented in 1860 by François Willème (1830–1905). It enabled multiple photographic exposures of a subject, taken from different angles, to be transferred to clay or wood, creating a photographic sculpture. It became a success and was practiced up until the early 20th century. Today, laser scanning and 3-dimensional printers serve a similar function.