Reading <1>
Jany 19/ 47
Sir/
I have send of Pr Rail to day a parcel of wish the enclosed is the invoice, the remainder will be Send as soon as ready. I enclose two unmounted of the Dockyard Malta <2> for you to See thy dont join <3> you will perceive that most all of Mr Bridges <4> would be greatly improved if the Skys where tuched up, but it should be done artisticaly or gradualy for when the Sky is entirely blackened it is so hars I think very bautiful Skys may be made with nitra of Silver first and afterwards regulated with cyanide Potassium of diferent Strengt, clouds could be made resemblans of in that way with out it being seen the picture had been tuched up. Supose you Send Mr C. Jones a bad unwaxed negative to try Shall I write to Mr Story Maskelyne <5> about his stand & other things he has ordered, I like the Stand very well for som things sush as to get better perspective, and if there is ever sush a crowd before you it wont hurt as the lens will be 7 feet from the ground you take the view over their heads but you require a Step to get at it wish makes it inconviniant, if you have not ordered any more labels yet you better order them to be gumed like chimest labels or postage Stamps, as it would not only safe a good deal of time but keep the card board cleaner.
I send you the negative of the Pump <6> for you to alter, hope you will soon let me have it back again as it is the finest negative wee have and no coppies of it except one I beleave you have one sints it has been altered if not I can send you one, the others Mr Jones tushed up are alright as that was only darkening the Sky in places where the white spots are except one he has darkened the Sky all over there being no range of mountains visible wish in a Strong coppy will apear now. I hope you will soon send us the clasical list back altered to your own satisfaction and as you have a good many fine negatives at Laycock you better give them a place also, and send them back likewise for us the coppy thoe first fine weather I think you better send all the negatives wish you think are worth coppying I had a letter from Mr Jones this morning he wants a good many unmounted coppies to expirement up on, what am I to charge him for whole, half, & quarter sheets unmounted, all these he ask are of his own taking, som of some negative he recently has send mee very bad they are som of magnifeid of his small malta groeps etc, I wonder how he does it, thy wont do for pubilcation but I dare say he will tuch them up very well if I am to take the Charge of the thing I should like to kno a little how I am to act a bout the charges etc etc.
your Obedient Servant
N. Henneman
Notes:
1. Nicolaas Henneman (18131898), born in Holland and trained in Paris, was WHFTs 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. Probably photograph by Rev Calvert Richard Jones (18021877), Welsh painter & photographer.
3. Calvert Richard Jones often took photographs so that they could be joined to make a panorama. See Larry J Schaaf, Sun Pictures Catalogue Five: The Reverend Calvert R. Jones (New York: Hans P. Kraus, Jr, 1990), p. 3839.
4. Rev George Wilson Bridges (17881863), photographer & traveller.
5. Nevil Story-Maskelyne (18231911), photographer, politician & scientist.
6. Probably photograph by Calvert R. Jones. [See Doc. No: 05685, Doc. No: 05783].