TALBOT6917

S^t Vincent ¹
10^th Febry 1854

Sir

For many years I have been practising the Daguerreotype and I believe my portraits are equal to any, – altho’ perhaps I am not as skilful as many whose whole time is devoted to the Art, yet the climate in the W Indies affords opportunities & advantages not possessed in England-²

Having made up my mind to turn my attention to your valuable & beautiful discoveries in Photography upon paper, ³ I shall be glad if you will grant me your license to take portraits for sale, in the West Indies – I beg to suggest your receiving from me a percentage on all portraits sold, and I will give you the most respectable references either here on in Trinidad, to satisfy you that any arrangement made with me will be faithfully carried out; should this proposal not meet your approbation, you will be good enough to make me acquainted with your terms. I hope your license will not be very expensive, or it will prove a prohibition, in the present state of W I affairs I cannot expect to do very much –

I shall also feel thankful for any information relative to instruments, or the manipulation, not to be gathered from Hunts manual of Photography–⁴ I have ordered from Mess^rs Griffen & Co ⁵ a full size Camera, prepared paper, chemicals if necessary, & given them the power to add anything required which I may have omitted

I leave this for Trinidad in a few days. Please address me at your earliest convenience

A. Bourne
Surgeon Dentist &^c
Trinidad

I am Sir Your Ob^t Ser^t
Alfred Bourne

To.

H. F. Talbot Esq F R S &^c
Lacock Abbey

H. F. Talbot Esq F R S &^c
Lacock Abbey
Wilts
Greta Bank ⁶
Keswick
Cumberland
England
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