[draft]
d.L.R.
13 Sept / 58
The interest wch y. take in photy & sce in genl will be my excuse for troubg y wh this commn. Some yrs ago I invd a methd upon patents of phc engravg, wch however remain’d imperft because altho’ it engraved vy well ferns & grasses & leaves of plants & such sort of things vy well, it failed when employd to copy paper photographs – The cause of this failure was that the engravg failed t did not reproduce with truth the intermediate shades & half tints wch make the are one of the principal beauties of good photographs
Recently however havg resum’d The enquiry, I discovd the a method of obtaining this desir’d result the overcoming this difficty and the results were now then, & have contind to be, eminly very satisfy –
This new inventn in the Arts has receivd ye name of photoglyphic engraving – And It promises to be eminenty useful I have taken a patt for it as it makes excellent and most accurate copies, upon either steel or copper plates, of any suffcly transpt photograph – [illegible deletion] Old Engravings maps &c &c can easily be reengraved by this method – As it appea As this invn appears to have considble commercl as well as Scientfc value, I have taken a patt for it, and if you will allow me I shall hav mch pleasre in sendg you some specimens of the engrvgs and shall be very glad to know Your opinion whether upon the subject – If the inventn be considd to have sufft commercl value, the idea has suggestd itsf to me of forming a compy on the principl of limd liaby – A large capital wd not be wanted, as the invent art is easy to practice & requires but little apparatus A small number of very A few skilful hands could execute a great number a host of fine engravgs per diem so that a small establishment need not be large wd only be requird could engrave many a great many plates per diem, so that a small establt wd only be requir’d. Requestg you will excuse t trouble I am givg y. I remain You s
[expanded version:]
De La Rue
13 September, 1858
The interest which you take in photography and science in general will be my excuse for troubling you with this communication upon patents. Some years ago I invented a method of photographic engraving, <1> which however remained imperfect because although it engraved very well ferns and grasses and leaves of plants and such sort of things very well, it failed when employed to copy paper photographs – The cause of this failure was that the engraving failed to did not reproduce with truth the intermediate shades and half tints which make the are one of the principal beauties of good photographs.
Recently however having resumed the enquiry, I discovered the a method of obtaining this desired result the overcoming this difficulty and the results were now then, and have continued to be, eminently very satisfactory – This new invention in the Arts has received the name of photoglyphic engraving <2> – And It promises to be eminently useful I have taken a patent for it as it makes excellent and most accurate copies, upon either steel or copper plates, of any sufficiently transparent photograph – [illegible deletion] Old Engravings, maps etc., etc. can easily be reengraved by this method – As it appears As this invention appears to have considerable commercial as well as Scientific value, I have taken a patent for it, and if you will allow me I shall have much pleasure in sending you some specimens of the engravings and shall be very glad to know Your opinion whether upon the subject – If the invention be considered to have sufficient commercial value, the idea has suggested itself to me of forming a company on the principal of limited liability – A large capital would not be wanted, as the invention art is easy to practice and requires but little apparatus A small number of very A few skilful hands could execute a great number a host of fine engravgs per diem so that a small establishment need not be large would only be required could engrave many a great many plates per diem, so that a small establishment would only be required.
Requesting you will excuse the trouble I am giving you. I remain Yours
Notes:
1. Photographic engraving, a photomechanical process, patented in 1852 by WHFT as Improvements in Photographic Engraving.
2. Photoglyphic Engraving, the subject of WHFT's 1858 Patent No. 875 for Improvements in the Art of Engraving.