TALBOT3775

My dear Sir,

I am sorry that it is impracticable for me to come up to Town to see your curious process for fixing the image formed by a Camera obscura – the interest of w^h at this moment is particularly great after what has recently been announced in Paris ¹ – but I am tied here by many engagements to say nothing of a rheumatic affliction which confines me a large portion of each day to my bed and forces me to avoid all exposure to cold which is not indispensable

On Thursday we have a few friends to dine with us and perhaps you would join our party and by putting yourself into a 2 o’clock train there will be abundant time to talk over your process before dinner.– I wish we had a spare bed, but so confined is our present resid^ce that I can only hold out the prospect of a very comfortable one at the “Crown” about 200 yards off.

But on rereading your note I see your paper ² is to be read on Thursday – and you may possibly intend to be present at the reading – In that case whatever morning or afternoon† you like to drop in I shall be truly happy to see you

& remⁿ dear Sir Yours very truly
JFW Herschel

Slough
Jan 27/39.

†Except Tuesday 29^th ins^t and Sat^y 2^d Feb in the afternoons, on which days I have afternoon engagements –

H. F. Talbot Esq^r
44 Queen Ann Street
Cavendish Square
London