TALBOT5932

Malta –
1^st May

My dear M^r Talbot

I enclose specimens of my last new French plan -¹ not always so successful as these however Some in Naples have thus succeeded in short time 40" – by omitting the Gallic acid ²in the preparation for camera – using it only, & alone, for bringing out the picture – and putting it into the camera not only wet, but with folds of wet linen behind it. – You would much oblige me if you would tell me whether you adopt this mode in your successful process – for none I see equal yours. – I am also very anxious to know whether you have shortened your time of exposure, & by what means – & that you should not think me impertinent in presuming to ask these questions & troubling you so often –

I regret to see that of the copies which Cowderoy ³ sent to Muir ⁴ here for sale, those which are exposed to the light, hung up in rooms, are fading fast. – My Pompean & Palermitan views may perhaps play me the same trick – at present they look pretty good in tone & colour, & I have more than one hundred of them. – I cannot discover why they sometimes turn so red in the washing, & hyp. sulph. ⁵ bath – or whether five minutes in the last be time enough to fix permanently. –

My sailor boy ⁶ has just now come up in the "Volage" & proceeds to Athens – I hope I may be able soon to join him there – & afterwards go on to Syria Palestine & Egypt – In the mean time I am trying to iodise some paper – for that of Cowderoy’s is quite inefficient: – but I succeed with scarcely one sheet in ten – the specimens I enclose are however on my own paper (the negatives) – The expence of the process thus alarms me

I lately took the liberty of writing to you, enclosing some seeds – more of such you shall have if worth the conveyance –

I am grieved to say that Cowderoy has never sent me any copies of the Etna views sent last October – nor of any of those since sent to him: – some of which my Sicilian friends are anxiously looking for. – I am, my dear Sir,

Your faithful & obedient Serv^t
Geo W Bridges

After all really the copying process seems the greatest difficulty – to get a good colour with any degree of certainty – & to be sure that you fix permanently – sometimes in the same water & process they come out of a warm sepia – sometimes of dark – oftener red, ill-defined – Why? Will you enlighten me on this point by your chemical knowledge & great experience?