TALBOT4559

29 Somerset Street ¹
Aug^st 3. 1842.

Dear Sir

I have taken a room at the Poly^tnc Ins^{tn 2} on the second floor of the house in Cavendish Sq, which is the only junction contemplated by them or me; as to their capital it does not appear that they are likely to make use of it in the matter of calotype, which M^r Nurse ³ told me you had offered them under certain conditions as to number. –

You mentioned in your last an optical combination which you considered superior to Ross’s ⁴ I shall be glad if you will let me know what it is, as I wish to get the best I can; I have not yet been able to get Ross to finish my large Lens but am about to write to Munich on the subject under the advantage of Sir John Herschell’s ⁵ [sic] directions, who has very kindly advised me respecting it. – It could hardly be expected that you should be otherwise than successful. I scarcely ever have a portrait fail, except when caused by the sitter, but this point of success is the result of laborious application, and I have lost a great deal of time for want of sufficient explanation of both theory and practice; photography being entirely a new subject to me until I commenced with Calotype: – however, the only thing I have to complain of now is want of enough to do, but I shall probably correct that by working elsewhere –

M^r Hunt ⁶ is, evidently from his treatise, ⁷ well calculated to manage any process connected with Photography, but he has not communicated with me, I forget at this moment the name of the party who did from Falmouth, ⁸ but altogether there are six persons who have –

I remain Dear Sir Yours very Truly
Henry Collen

Henry Fox Talbot Esq F.R.S.
&c &c
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
Wilts.