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Document number: 52
Date: Thu 29 Jan 1857
Postmark: 1857
Recipient: TALBOT Charles Henry
Author: TALBOT William Henry Fox
Collection: British Library, London, Manuscripts - Fox Talbot Collection
Last updated: 1st September 2003

Lacock

Thursday 29th January

My Dear Charles

I was sorry to hear of your bad cold caught at football – I hope “staying out” did you good. Write soon and let us know if it is better. We have tonight a very sharp frost – all our tender plants will be killed – This has been I think the most variable winter I ever remember –

Your idea of placing a small bit of lime between the charcoal points, might answer for a little while, but soon the lime would get displaced, and besides there is hardly room for it, the charcoal points being near together. A small thread of lime held in a spirit lamp gives a wonderful light considering how small it is and that it does not waste away, but I could never make it practically useful –

The coloured films on steel which are called Nobili’s films <1> from the name of their inventor, might perhaps be made on Dutch foil, <2> but I never tried it. They answer very well upon Platina foil, <3> but that is too expensive to be used – If made upon a cheap foil of a white colour, they might be ornamentally employed – Nothing is easier than to make them with a good galvanic battery & the colours last more than 20 years –

Send us a billbook as soon as ready –

Your affte

Papa


Envelope:

Mr Charles Talbot
The Grove
Harrow
Middlesex


Notes:

1. Leopold Nobili (1784–1835), physicist, Professor of Physics at Florence Museum, pioneer of electrochemistry; in 1827, he discovered the phenomenon which became known as Nobili’s Rings, colourful concentric rings that are seen on the surface of metals during electrolysis, when immersed in different saline solutions. He also devised the thermopile, an instrument used for the measuring of thermal radiation, the astatic galvanometer, for measuring current, and the thermoelectric couple.

2. A copper–zinc alloy, beaten into thin leaves and used as cheap imitation of gold leaf.

3. A foil made of platinum.

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