Now that I have been compelled to close my doors against visitors, I would state that I am doing my utmost to bring out my process in a short time, and I will hereafter give, in the _Daguerreian Journal_, such notices of my success as will meet the wishes of the public, as well as the interest of our fraternity,
Westkill, Greene Co., N. Y., _May 30, 1851._
[Hand] The foregoing letter was addressed to me privately, and as it contains some of Mr. Hill's views in relation to the various rumors afloat, I have thought it best to insert it for the public.
We take pleasure in saying to our friends that, through the kindness of John Johnson, Esq., of this city, we have received many of the valuable letters and papers written by Mr. S. A. Wolcott, a former partner of the first named gentleman. Mr. W. is well and favorably known as one of our early and most successful investigators in the Photogenic Art. Many of the most valuable improvements had their origin in his hands. We were surprised to find so great an amount of information as is here presented.
Our Daguerreotypists of the present day may consider themselves fortunate, when looking back upon the difficulties experienced by those early engaged in putting a shadow on the silver plate. We find here many a mystery unravelled, and set forth in a light heretofore unexplained. As these letters, written by Mr. W. to his partner, Mr. J., (at the time they were written) were many of them confidential, and some few contain business matter of a foreign character, it will require some little time to prepare them for the press in the order in which they were written. We shall make no alteration in the manuscript, and exclude such matter only as relates to business of a foreign character. They present a team of investigation and research worthy the first in the scientific circle.
We would here take occasion to speak of a curious specimen of our art, which we saw while recently spending an evening with Mr. Johnson. This specimen is a profile view of a gentleman, and if not the _first_ likeness from life, it is said to claim age with the oldest Daguerreotype ever produced, and is no less interesting for its antiquity than for its size, it being on a plate _less than one quarter of an inch square_. To produce an impression on such a plate it would require the superior skill of the most successful operator of the present day. The outline is distinctly marked, the features remarkably well delineated, being in fact, one of the most interesting curiosities we have ever witnessed. The plate is cemented by means of Canada Balsam to a piece of plate glass about three-fourths of an inch square, and thus it has been preserved in its present state.