Sir J. Herschel

Athenæum Club ^<1>
Thursday May 18

D^r Sir

You will see by the enclosed ^<2> that I do not claim anything with respect to the Collodion process, so far as it was a new invention. I am only defending my Calotype process, ^<3> & seeking to protect it from infringement.

I enclose a draught of the affidavit, I am in hopes that there is nothing in it respecting which you can hesitate to express an opinion but if there is, I will be much obliged to you to alter the words into such others as you may think preferable.

Believe me Yours ever truly
H. F. Talbot

Please to return the draught to me at the Athenæum as soon as convenient. I enclose a trifling specimen of my new invention of photographic engraving on steel. ^<4> It is a camera view of the Pantheon at Paris. At first the Camera pictures offered great difficulty in the engraving, in consequence of the halftints being imperfectly given (because the degradation of light on the steel plate follows quite a different law from what it does in a common photograph)

We are gradually getting over this, and if I only had time at my disposal I should soon I have no doubt arrive at something more worth showing to you. On this specimen can be read with a lens the inscription Aux grands hommes la patrie reconnaissante ^<5>

H.F.T.

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Notes:

1. Athenaeum Club, Pall Mall, London: WHFT’s club; a gentleman’s club composed primarily of artists and scientists.

2. Enclosure not located. It was a draft version of an affidavit that WHFT solicited from Herschel for his case in Talbot v. Henderson. Herschel signed an affidavit supporting WHFT 25 May 1854 [Public Record Office, London C31/1048,733].

3. That is, the calotype, as patented in Patent No.8842.

4. This photographic engraving, a view of the Pantheon, labelled in Herschel’s hand “Talbots last steel engraved Photograph (self engraved) Pantheon Paris”, is fixed in an album next to Doc. No: 06784.

5. The country is indebted to great men.