Reading, <1>
Sunday
Sir/
I hope you wil not order the flower stands till I see you whish will be to morrow (Monday) evening because I have something in view wish will be mush cheaper, in the end, and looks well, I shall gife give D. Harison and Sam <2> enough to do for the nex three weeks here I am sure D. Harrison makes the Coppys quit as well as his brother <3> and with a great deal of more care, his mind seems to be bent on what he is doing whish was not allways the case with the other –
Your Obdt Servt
N. Henneman
Notes:
1. Nicolaas Henneman (1813–1898), born in Holland and trained in Paris, was WHFT’s valet who emerged as his assistant in photography. Henneman set up his Calotype works at 8 Russell Terrace, Reading. Commencing operations at the start of 1844, it functioned both as a photographic studio and as a photographic printing works and continued through late 1846, at which time Henneman transferred his operations to London. Although Talbot supported Henneman through custom, such as printing the plates for The Pencil of Nature, and loans, it was always Henneman's operation. His business cards made no mention of "The Reading Establishment," the designation that it is popularly given today; the only contemporary use of that title seemed to be by Benjamin Cowderoy - see Doc. No: 05690.
2. David Harrison, brother of Alfred Edwin. Sam was probably one of the two 'boys' employed.
3. Alfred Edwin Harrison, bookkeeper for Henneman in London.