TALBOT5951

Malta –
23^d May 1847

My dear Sir/

Many thanks for your letter of 6^th & the promise of the Copies – I trust they will come by the expected steamer – as on the 3^rd June I am off again for my Convent on Etna -¹ & with your kind present of paper will try the Crater again ² – & probably go on for another week or two to finish Pompeii & Pæstum. – I long since sent to you from thence some of the spotted specimens of Cowderoy’s ³ bad paper. & since some of the good negatives, & my bad copies. – The king of Naples ⁴ was so pleased with one of them, that he has given me permission to copy, move or measure throughout the kingdom – of which I shall again take advantage. –

Muir ⁵ says that he did, long since, write to Cowderoy to acknowledge the receipt of copies – I fear some of them are fading fast – one, of the Church, &c hanging in my room here, is nearly gone out – & some in his shop getting very faint. – This is very discouraging – still more so that I cannot succeed myself in making good copies – that is, with any degree of certainty – I cannot discover what it is which influences the variety of colour – some so very red – others almost black – All come admirably from the copying frame – but fade, & get discoloured in the first washing with warm water. – It is the temperature of the water which requires to be exactly regulated? – A gentleman here is succeeding better than I do, by following the French method -⁶ but of this I have already written to you.

When I return from Sicily in Sep^br I shall certainly go to Smyrna & probably to Syria. – & should be greatly obliged by any further instructions in the art, – previous to my going –

I will again try the panoramic plan of⁷

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– but I sent you long since a specimen of my ill success therein – the instrument [illegible] working then level – or perpendicular – but the uprights diverging – I mean of architecture, near: as you speak of a Cathedral. – That of Malta harbour was, I suspect, a mere accident, which I can’t repeat – in fact paper is too scarce to waste of experiments. – I trust however they shall now be repeated. –

My friends in Sicily are impatient for the many copies I promised them last year, & which they assisted me in. – Letters will reach me there, directed here, as usual. – I remain, my dear Sir

Yours obliged
Geo W Bridges

I sent you lately one or two good copies – & have made a few which I shall take to the King of Naples, (of Pompeii) – who is infinitely pleased even with the negatives – especially those of the frescoes ⁸ lately discovered. – I beg’d your opinion of those I sent to you, whether long enough in Camera – I fear you have not received them – neither the seeds -⁹ & one of a palm tree – but I had little sun there in february – & so am anxious to return & try again – Yet I want your instructions sadly – as well as the paper & copies – I also ventured to promised my good Mother at Box that you would send her a few copies of mine – which she anxiously looks for. –

H. Fox Talbot Esq^re
Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
Wilts
England
Athenæum Club
London