<printed letterhead/address>
Belle Sauvage Printing Works.
Ludgate Hill.
London.
E.C.
16 August 1859.
H. Fox Talbot Esq.
Sir,
Upon receipt of your favor of August 14th we communicated immediately with Mr Brooker and read to him your remarks as to the appearance of variation in the last proof as compared with the first and requested him to suspend printing until he heard further from us – From Mr Brooker’s statement we are doubtful whether you will feel there is sufficient inducement to proceed upon fresh plates, inasmuch as from the time we wrote you we find that about 600 or 700 more impressions have been done and as we only propose to confine the issue to our regular subscribers and readers we do not expect to require more than about 4000 copies – Mr Brooker expresses himself to the effect that personally he doubts whether you will succeed in producing a superior plate to that upon which he is now working which is in all respects what could be wished and very superior to any of the others but there are two causes which may have operated against the impression you have had sent at 2200, which can be remedied – in the first place, the steel facing does probably require to be redone and in the next he explains that it is quite impossible to keep up the whole of an after impression to the absolute perfection of the first proof. This difficulty arising from the necessity of constantly cleaning the plate and of fresh inking is common to all printing but he will give instructions that still greater care shall be observed in this particular and he will if you wish it send you a proof carefully taken to bear out his views as to the condition of plate <sic>. We shall be glad to find that this will meet your views as although we are most anxious that the issue should be perfectly satisfactory in all respects to you, it would be a great disadvantage for us not to be able to publish it with the commencement of a new Volume – As this however rests purely upon commercial considerations we forbear to trouble you with them.
We are Sir, Your Obedt Servts
Petter & Galpin
Pr H. I.