TALBOT3969

Lacock Abbey
Nov. 3. 1839

Dear Sir

I have not yet received the silver plates but trust that I shall find them in a package which I expect from London tomorrow. You do not say whether Cooper ¹ made a picture in 3 minutes with the oxyhdydrogen blowpipe on silver or on paper: I presume on silver.² What was the amount of magnifying power? for that is a very essential point, the greater the power, the longer the time required – I can make a very perfect picture with the Solar microscope in 3 minutes on paper, & from that original any number of copies. I believe I told you my paper is sensitive to moonlight, it takes 10 minutes to obtain a visible impression –

Nothing is easier than to obtain the lights & shadows in their right places, by one operation, on paper. D^r Fyfe has already described the way in Jamieson’s [sic] Edinburgh Journal ³ so long ago as April or May last. But the objection is the time required, at least 20 times as long as with my photographic papers.

Do you know anything of a pretended discovery by M. Schafheutl ⁴ of Munich which is mentioned by several of the papers as infinitely transcending Daguerre? ⁵ And as to Donne’s engravings, ⁶ has he described his modus operandi? and have the Academy expressed any opinion as to the goodness of his engravings? and how did Niepce ⁷ engrave those plates 12 years ago? he must have known more than he ever communicated. Several weeks ago I discovered 3 methods of fixing a photogenic drawing on silver plate, ⁸ one of which gives the lights in their right places, & is in my opinion very beautiful in effect; the other 2 ways give lights for shades.

Believe me Yours very truly
H. F. Talbot