Veranda
June 2nd
1847.
Dear Sir,
Having been unavoidably delayed in going to Ilfracombe till tomorrow, your note reached me today from there.
I am sincerely sorry for all the “contretemps” which have occurred, and particularly at poor Hennemans <1> dangerous illness, I truly hope he may recover, he wd indeed be a sad loss to you. I hope that although the season is advancing, there may still be time to realize a good harvest of Portraits, and as there has been so much rough weather, we may trust reasonably in some continuance of sun to bring forward the above crop.
I hope to get some fine subjects at Ilfracombe and Linton, and shall particularly apply myself to double views. <2>
The Dean of Westminster <3> was kind enough to send me yesterday “an emanation from Royalty” as he calls it in the shape of a note from Mr Anson, who was desired to say that “Mr Calvert Jones’s tinted Talbotypes <4> have been submitted to her Majesty & the Prince. They have been very much admired by Her Majesty and HRH: and they have been very glad to select one from the collection. The one chosen was the Tiber with a view of the Vatican &c”
(I had begged the Dean to express my wish that the Queen shd select one.)
The Dean asked me to lend the collection to him for another fortnight that he might shew them to some of his friends who can appreciate Art: which request I complied with, as I had not heard from you whether you wished to have them; if such shd be the case, will you be kind enough to let me know, and I will write and mention it to him.
I wrote to beg Henneman to send me a little good Iodized paper <5> to Ilfracombe as I fear I shall be short of it; when he is able, I hope he will do so.
It will gratify me to hear when the Establishment <6> opens, and how Henneman gets on.
Yours very truly
Calvert R Jones.
Notes:
1. Nicolaas Henneman (1813–1898), Dutch, active in England; WHFT’s valet, then assistant; photographer.
2. Technique of Jones’ own invention also called Panoramic Joiners, usually two photographs taken so as to constitute a panorama. See Larry J. Schaaf, Sun Pictures Catalogue Five: The Reverend Calvert R. Jones (New York: Hans P. Kraus, Jr, 1990), pp. 30–31 and 38–39.
3. William Buckland (1784–1856), geologist at Oxford University, who was appointed Dean of Westminster 1845.
4. Although WHFT modestly used the term calotype, Jones and other loyal supporters honoured him by calling these Talbotypes, in parallel with the term Daguerreotype. Drawing on his watercolour experience, Jones had been experimenting with colouring weak photographic prints, an approach that both he and WHFT quickly concluded was unpromising.
5. Paper prepared for making calotypes.
6. 122 Regent Street, London: base of Nicolaas Hennemans’ Talbotype or Sun Picture Rooms, later the firm of Henneman & Malone, photographers to the Queen.