6 Henman Terrace – Camden Town
London
17 Octr 1853
Sir
I have the pleasure of forwarding you, on the part of M. Niepce de St. Victor, <1> four of his last results in photographic engraving, which I have just brought with me from Paris. Their surprising progress & perfection will doubtless please you much. There is no retouch any where except in the plate of beetles, the third beetle had to be slightly retouched, from an accident in the plate. Some of the plates as you will notice have a rather dirty appearance round the objects, but in the last he has managed to obviate this.
Thanking you for your kind communication to me of specimens of your efforts in the same direction hitherto
I am Sir yours very respectfully
J. O. Murray
As I am leaving tomorrow or next day for Paris, for a week, I shall be glad to communicate any remarks or desires of yours to M. Niepce, if you shd wish it – writing to me chez M. de Lammenais – 12 Rue du Grand Chantier –
Notes:
1. Claude Félix Abel Niepce de Saint-Victor (1805-1870), photographic experimenter. This present to WHFT is now preserved in a private collection. A lithographed folder wrapping four loose chine-collé mounted prints, it is titled Photographie Zoologique Ou Représentation des Animaux Rares des Collections du Musèum d’Histoire Naturelle. Publiée par L. Rousseau et A. Deveria. Procedes des plus habiles photographes. Imprimerie photographique de Lemercier. Ouvrage Dédié à MMrs.les Professeurs Administrateurs du Muséum. The publishes are listed as Chez Masson in Paris and E. Gambart & Co. in London. The front of the folder is inscribed in ink: “offert par M. Niépce de St. Victor à Monsieur F. Talbot” and héliographie Sur acier, par les procédés de M.’ Mr. Niepce de St. Victor et Lemaitre”. The prints are Pl. II. Reptiles. Famille des Varaniens, Genre Varan Merre; Pl. III. Insectes. Ordre des Coléoptéres Famille des Longicornes; Pl. IV. Crustacés. Ordre des Décapodes Anomoures; Pl. IX. Crustacés. ordré des Décapodes Brachiures.