TALBOT6510

[This letter is also summarised, in context, in WHFT's manuscript notes on his continuing correspondence with the Executive Committee - see Doc. No: 15000]

[crest]
Great Exhibition of the Works of Industry of all Nations, 1851.
president
his royal highness prince albert, k.g.
&c &c &c
office for the executive committee
Exhibition Building,
Kensington Road, London

Nov^r 8.. 1851.

Sir.

I am directed by the Executive Committee to acknowledge the receipt of your letter of Nov^r 1. in which you point out the importance of causing Photographs to be properly fixed, and I am to thank you for the interest you kindly manifest on the subject

The attention of the Executive Committee had already been directed to this subject, which the specimens of Painting submitted by M^r Henneman, made them still more sensible of the importance of the point you allude to

The Executive Committee however trust that their arrangements will sufficiently provide against the evil, but they will forward your suggestion to D^r Playfair

In reference to your allusion to the cost of producing the Photographs I am instructed by the Executive committee to remark that; since they discussed certain proposals with M^r Henneman, which he did not accept satisfactorily they have investigated more fully that part of the subject, and have found that, the materials necessary for producing impressions do not cost so much as 3^d each impression, whilst M^r Hennemans charge first proposed was 2^s/6^d, which would have been at the rate of 1000 per Cent, for Labour, Royalty & Risk – a charge which the Executive committee cannot refrain from saying appears to them calculated very much to limit the gratuitous distribution of the impressions by the Commissioners to Foreign Countries, Public Libraries, &c;¹ and to defeat the desire of Her Majestys Commissioners, that, the Public should enjoy the privilege of purchasing them, especially as the price proposed by M^r Henneman was, in the latter case, no less than 5^s/ –

I have the honor to be, Sir, Your Obed^t Servant,
C. Thurston Thompson

The Hon^le Fox Talbot