Heathfield.
Octbr 5. 1847.
Dear Sir,
I have sent to Henneman <1> for the coloured Talbotypes, <2> and am very much surprised that my wishes about them could in any way be misunderstood, as in all verbal and written communications about them I have invariably begged to have them sent back if you did not want them, and that they shd not be sold to anyone but you, or publicly exhibited, or copied.
With respect to the copies at a nominal price sent me by Henneman, for me to colour, “upon the express condition that they were not to be disposed of except thro his establishment. <3>” The only copies at a reduced price which I ever had were a number of bad copies which I chose at Reading <4> last November, thinking that they wd do for colouring. I found however afterwards that they wd not answer, and have sent them to you today to prove that I cd not use them.
I believe I paid for them in Mr Cowderoy’s <5> bill last March, if so it is no matter, if however I did not do so, I am ready to pay the reduced price for them, but they are no use to me.
To obviate any misunderstandings which may arise respecting the Negatives of mine which Henneman has; I think it best to beg you to authorise him to send them to me as soon as convenient, as I can manage the copying part very well.
I have enclosed some faulty Negatives which I have touched, and I hope cured, I shall be much obliged for a copy of each as before.
I have a few more faulty ones, which you begged me to remedy, and I will try and do so the first opportunity.
By this post I have written to beg Henneman to send me copies of some of my Negatives which I have never recieved [sic].
Yours very truly
Calvert R. Jones.
Notes:
1. Nicolaas Henneman (1813–1898), Dutch, active in England; WHFT’s valet, then assistant; photographer.
2. See Doc. No: 05913.
3. 122 Regent Street, London: base of Nicolaas Hennemans’ Talbotype or Sun Picture Rooms, later the firm of Henneman & Malone, photographers to the Queen.
4. 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.
5. Benjamin Cowderoy (1812–1904), land agent in Reading; business manager for WHFT; later a politician in Australia.