TALBOT7013

M^r Maskelyne

Athenæum ¹

Monday

D^r Sir

Henneman ² informs me the Photogr^c Soc^{y 3} will hold a meeting on Wed^ny next, I believe, to make their final arrangements for my destruction at the Trial. ⁴ It is evident they will do their uttermost, (the same body that asked me to be their President!)

Would you have any objection to give the following evidence, in answer to questions my Counsel would be instructed to ask.

1. A Section of the Photogr^c Soc^y are exerting themselves strongly against the Plaintiff.
2. Their object is to get rid of the Patent if possible.
3. Many members of the Soc^y disapprove entirely of the Soc^y interfering in the matter.
4. <illegible deletion> M^r Fry ⁵ is one of the members who is most active in his hostility to the Plaintiff.
5. He is the Defendant’s Attorney in this cause. [that we will answer for]
6. The Plaintiff presented his patent to the Public some years ago, with the reservation of portraiture for sale.
7. The Photographic Soc^y are well aware of that circumstance.
8. The Society at its first formation, requested the Plaintiff to be their first President.

If you try the single positive process in my Specifⁿ – the best way is, after exciting the iodised paper and washing it, to place a strip of card across one corner, then brown y^e paper a little by holding it near the window, remove the card, and You will see by contrast the degree of browning better than the eye unassisted can judge. Then dip the paper in iod. potass. for a minute or so, till you see the image of the card has nearly not quite, disappeared, then put the object on the paper as a leaf or bit of lace, and place in the sun for ½ a minute – Remove, and develop with gallonitrate.

The Camera pictures take a good 4 minutes at this season when the object is a white plaster bust – Therefore a leaf laid on the paper is a preferable object. /

Yours vy truly

H. F. Talbot