TALBOT7960

Lacock Abbey
Chippenham
Sept 23 / 59

Prof^r Balfour

D^r Sir

I enclose a photoglyph from a steelplate of the Dragon tree. ¹ The original photograph is a very poor one, and after 2 or 3 trials I have not been able to get anything better than this – I am afraid it will be of no use to you, ² but of course you are perfectly welcome to the steel plate if it can be of any use –

It is a great pity to try such very small photographs – A view of the dragon tree or anything else in Teneriffe taken of the size of half this sheet of paper, would have a far more striking appearance and also do more justice to the art.

I cannot conclude this letter without asking you if you can give me any news of Professor Kelland ³ – I read with extreme regret an account of a terrible railway accident he met with ⁴ – Can you inform me if he has recovered sufficiently to be removed to Edinburgh?

Believe me to remain D^r Sir Yours very truly
H. F. Talbot

[on blank side of folded sheet in JHB’s hand] 1859
Fox Talbot