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Result number 20 of 142:   < Back     Back to results list   Next >  

Document number: 1580
Date: 08 Aug 1827
Recipient: HERSCHEL John Frederick William
Author: TALBOT William Henry Fox
Collection: Royal Society, London
Collection number: HS 17:266
Last updated: 1st May 2012

Ansd <1>

Lacock Abbey near Chippenham
August 8th 1827

Dear Sir,

On Thursday the 2d I left at your house at Slough a box containing the articles sent by Utzschneider. <2> I was sorry not to find you at home.

Owing to a discrepancy between your Memorandum and the articles sent, I had great difficulty in determining which of them were yours, and which mine, but I separated them to the best of my judgment. Mr Utzschneider seems rather to have consulted his convenience than strictly to have adhered to your order, as the lenses he has sent are biconvex & biconcave instead of plano convex & concave. I hope they will do as well. I tried the lenses of shortest focus, and was pleased to find that they made by their union, a glass with parallel surfaces, without either convexity or concavity; which shews very accurate workmanship. The Prisms I think you will be satisfied with. the glass does not seem to have degenerated yet.

The expense of carriage &c is as under

£ s d
Expenses in Germany   1··  10··  6
do in London  1··  6··
Duty 1··   1··   6
3 ·· 18··

Of which your share will be one half, or £1··19··0

Utzschneider’s bill is the following

Florins
2 prisms of Flint glass  –  60
2 do of Crown glass  –  54
2 large Reflecting prisms  –  84
4 small do  –  152
3 achromatic Object Glasses of 17” [illegible] aperture  –  58½
2 simple Object Glasses of 3'.16 diameter  –  20
12 lenses  –  24
Packing &c.  –    2½  
455 <3>

Of which your share is

1 prism of Flint Glass 30
1 do Crown glass 27
1 large Reflecting Prism 42
2 small do 76
3 Object glasses 58½
2 do 20
12 lenses 24
Packing one half.   1¼  
278¾

Taking the £ sterling at 12 florins; which it is pretty nearly in general, tho’ the exchange varies,

the above amounts to  £ 23 ··4·· 7
Expences, as above,  1 ··19  
Total 25 ··3·· 7

which may be paid to my banker, Hammerley & Co <4> Pall Mall.–

I shall be happy to hear that the prisms answer your expectation,

& am, Dear Sir, Yours very truly
H. F. Talbot

J.F.W. Herschel Esqre
Slough
near Windsor


Notes:

1. In Herschel’s hand. [See Doc. No: 01576].

2. Joseph von Utzschneider (1763–1840), German instrument maker. [See Doc. No: 01527].

3. Notes have been made in Herschel’s hand to the side of each of these, dividing the amount further and converting it to sterling currency for each item.

4. Hammersley & Company, bankers, London.

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