[draft]

April 1 / 62 –

Lyon Playfair –

I v^y much regret my inability t comply w^h y^r wish, so v^y kindly expressed, but I am unable to do so, for many reas^ns, some of w^ch I will mentⁿ. I have not p^d suff^t att^tn t th process of Ph^y (since the Exh of 51) to enable me t judge of the merits of th num^s spec^ns w^ch will now be br^t forw^d. Most of these will be accomp^d by a statem^t of the process by w^ch they were made, & the award of a medal will in many cases depend upon the novelty of the process, or the difficulty of skill w^th w^ch certain difficult^s have bⁿ surmounted – & ^wch I could not make mys^f master of the subj^t without m^ch labour & industry It w^d

It w^d howvr Of such matters, on such points howvr, I sh^d not be a competent judge, for I have bⁿ obliged now for sev^l y^rs to relinquish the reading of the Scientific jrn^ls in conq^ce of the large demands upon my time, w^ch original investigations require not having time

for I seldom read _^^{any of} the scientific j^nls my own ex^pts leaving me little time to devote bestow on to other subj^ts –

On occas^ns like the pres^t a g^t n^o of persons are always sure to be disapp^ted of an [illegible deletion] where they have by in the award of the jury medals

& their first impulse is nat^lly to protest ag^st the composⁿ of the jury – As their exists a _^^Rule printed & publ^d by the Comm^rs forbidd^g an Exhb^r to be a juror _^^{if any public complaint were made of its compstn} it w^d be v^y difficult to find a any satisfactory reply. To say that the Comm^rs did not consider _^^their this Rule of any part^r import^ce w^d I am afraid hardly _{be thought un=} satisfactory

And _^^moreover to say th truth, I am not quite sh^d feel a little reluctant to abandon my own chance of receiv^g a medal for the spec^ns w^ch I propose to exhibit (phot^c Engravings): & which may prob^y be awarded to me, not cert^nly on acc^t of their excellence, for they are far from hav^g attained lay no claim _^^to that eminence quality but on account of their being a first essay in an almost entirely new path field. Much import^ce might not attach to the receipt award of a medal, but the absence of such award w^d be a thing to be regretted (K)

For these reasons & others w^h w^ch I will not trouble y. I feel that myself unable to accept of the honorable office proposed for my acceptance of juror in the Internat^l Exbⁿ

B^lve me D^r Sir Yrs

(K) _^^{More especly as} Many medals will be given to exh^rs chiefly French – for spec^ns more or less similar to mine, almost all of w^ch are made by processes founded upon that w^ch I published.

[expanded version:]

April 1, 1862 –

Lyon Playfair –

I very much regret my inability to comply with your wish, so very kindly expressed, but I am unable to do so, for many reasons, some of which I will mention. I have not paid sufficient attention to the process of Photography (since the Great Exhibition of 1851) to enable me to judge of the merits of the numeous specimens which will now be brought forward. Most of these will be accompanied by a statement of the process by which they were made, and the award of a medal will in many cases depend upon the novelty of the process, or the difficulty of skill with which certain difficulties have been surmounted – and which I could not make myself master of the subject without much labour and industry. It would It would however Of such matters, on such points however, I should not be a competent judge, for I have been obliged now for several years to relinquish the reading of the Scientific journals in consequence of the large demands upon my time, which original investigations require not having time for I seldom read any of the scientific journals, my own experiments leaving me little time to devote bestow on to other subjects –

On occasions like the present a great number of persons are always sure to be disappointed of an [illegible deletion] where they have by in the award of the jury medals & their first impulse is naturally to protest against the composition of the jury – As there exists a Rule printed and published by the Commissioners forbidding an Exhibitor to be a juror if any public complaint were made of its composition it would be very difficult to find a any satisfactory reply. To say that the Commissioners did not consider their this Rule of any particular importance would I am afraid hardly be thought unsatisfactory.

And moreover to say the truth, I am not quite should feel a little reluctant to abandon my own chance of receiving a medal for the specimens which I propose to exhibit (photoglyphic Engravings) ^<1>: and which may probably be awarded to me, not certainly on account of their excellence, for they are far from having attained lay no claim to that eminence quality but on account of their being a first essay in an almost entirely new path field. Much importance might not attach to the receipt award of a medal, but the absence of such award would be a thing to be regretted. More especially as many medals will be given to exhibitors chiefly French – for specimens more or less similar to mine, almost all of which are made by processes founded upon that which I published.

For these reasons and others with which I will not trouble you I feel that myself unable to accept of the honorable office proposed for my acceptance of juror in the International Exhibition.

Believe me dear sir, yours

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Notes:

1. WHFT did indeed win a Prize Medal in the International Exhibition of 1862 for ‘photographic engravings on copper & steel, produced by the action of light alone’. For an illustration of the commemorative medal see the frontis to Larry J Schaaf, Sun Pictures Catalogue Twelve: Talbot and Photogravure (New York: Hans P Kraus, Jr, 2003).