Collingwood, Hawkhurst, Kent
3 May 1840

My dear Sir

I received this morning in good preservation your extremely beautiful camera pictures which you have sent me in such abundance. I think in another year or two your art will beat Daguerre’s. ^<1> In many respects it already equals it – but it seems to me as if the camera were not always well in focus. I presume these are retransfers and I cannot enough admire their evenness of ground.

I have nothing to send you in return. All this superb sun for one day of which I would almost have given my little finger last summer, passes without the possibility of my availing myself of a single beam of it though I have several more interesting Exts. to make on the Thermic spectrum – having laid my hands on some fine specimens of rock salt just too late as now every atom of my apparatus is packed & on its way hither. this is tantalizing!

M^r Hunt ^<2> is doing a great deal and will, I think fall upon some curious combinations. I enclose you a little print of his on one of his positive papers. I have had it by me some time – it was before this bright weather.

I gave very distinct directions that the sheets of my paper sh^d be sent you in revise and am much annoyed at their being neglected or misunderstood. The whole is now printed off and only wants a retouch of one engraving w^h as the engraver’s work is very slow may yet take a week – but as soon as it is done I shall take care and forward you a copy.

I believe you have a Daguerrotype. ^<3> There is an Expt. which I wish you would try with it – viz. to allow the iodizing of the Silver and the Action of the Light to go on simultaneously. ie, to enclose iodine or ioduretted board or other source of Iodine in the Camera box. I sh^d expect great saving of time and possibly greater depth & thoroughness of action from this. I have no means of trying it.

I think in respect of nightingales we can challenge the world here. So far as woody glades & green pastures go this place answers your Etymological idea of it but in place of Hawks we have only crows – in immense abundance and where they come from I cannot tell as I see no nests.

A meteorol^l neighbour tells me that not a drop of rain has fallen here since the Queen’s wedding day. ^<4> This is not literally true for at the beginning of April I was here 2 days in one of which it threatened much & sprinkled a little.

I remain My dear sir Yours very truly
JFW Herschel

PS A M^r Redman ^<5> has done some very effective things in the engraving copying way. M^r Hunt’s address is 12 Cornwall Street, Devonport

H. F. Talbot Esq
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
Wilts

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Notes:

1. Calotype and daguerreotype.

2. Robert Hunt (1807–1887), scientist & photographic historian.

3. Probably Herschel means the daguerreotype kit that WHFT purchased from Giroux. [See Doc. No: 03957]. François-Simon-Alphonse Giroux, of Alphonse Giroux et cie, stationers in Paris, was related to Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre's wife and in August 1839 secured the exclusive contract to market daguerreotype cameras and outfits manufactured under Daguerre's supervision. With no optical experience, Giroux turned to Charles Chevalier to make the lenses.

4. Queen Victoria (1819–1901) and her consort Prince Albert (1819–1861) were married on February 10th.

5. Theodore Smith Redman (b 1811) was a chemist in Peckham, London, when John Werge (possibly a customer) taught him photogenic drawing. By 1846, Redman had moved to Fleet Street and was making daguerreotype portraits, giving lessons in the calotype, and selling photographic supplies. See also Doc. No: 05226.