Sir
Mr Hanisch <1> of Zuric paid me a visit the other day and informed me that he had been in correspondence with you regarding the application of guncotton as a motive power. <2> He requested me to write you a few lines about the subject and in taking that liberty first of all I must tell you that I understand very little mechanics and am therefore unable to appreciate duly the merits of Mr Hanisch’s contrivances, drawing of which were shown to me by that gentleman. Being but slightly acquainted with him, I cannot much tell you about his acquirements as a “mecanicien” but as far as I know him, he appears to be ingenious, persevering and [illegible deletion] worthy of encouragement. If you should wish to get more detailed informations about him, I think Mr Escher of Zuric <3> to be the man, who will be able to do so. As to the possibility of employing guncotton for motive purposes I do not venture to give any deciding opinion about the subject, it seems however that this powerful material if properly managed should allow of such an application.
You will perhaps be interested in seeing a little sample of the manganese writing lately noticed in the Phil. Magazine. It was produced by a solution of sulphate of manganese and ozonized air. The colour being rather pleasing, I have often made many pretty drawings which have the singular property of being almost instantaneously extinguished by gazeous [sic] sulphureous acid and reestablished by Ozonized air. You think it perhaps worth your while to repeat my experiments of which a full account will be given before long in Poggendorff’s annals, <4> for I have little doubt that your well known ingenuity will succeed in maki[ng] a good use of my methods for producing sympat[hetic] images and drawings acceptable to the public. In asking your kind indulgence for having troubled you with these lines I am
my dear Sir Yours most truly
C. F. Schoenbein
[illegible] Oct. 14. 1847.
Hy Fox Talbot Esq.
Lacock Abbey
London
Chippenham
at Athenehum [sic] Club
London
[verso of address panel:]
forwarded by C. Kreeft<5>
9 Billiter Sq London
Notes:
1. Julius Hanisch, Swiss inventor.
2. See Doc. No: 05984.
3. Johann Kaspar Escher vom Glas (1775–1859), founder of the Swiss company Escher Wyss & Co.
4. Johann Christian Poggendorf (1796–1877), published J.C. Poggendorffs biographisch-literarisches Handwörterbuch zur Geschichte der exacten Wissenschaften… [or] für Mathematik, Astromonie, Physik, Chemie und verwandte Wissenschaftsgebiete…, under various titles.
5. John Christopher Tobias Kreeft, Christopher Kreeft (1787-1850), merchant & Mecklenburg Consulate General, London.