| Collection | Victorian Additional Papers |
| Description | Gruner writes that it will be better to have the [drawing of] the salver (Schässel) photographed on one plate, but for the sake of the Dresden photographer he would be pleased if it were possible to replace the two broken [glass plates of ] quarters of it as well. He urges Becker not to hurry to get the photography done, if the light is not good enough. A week or two longer will not matter if Becker wants to obtain better prints than he can get from Dresden.
He asks whether future prints from the negative with the child angels will turn out well. He has not dared ask the photographer what else was in the box [containing the glass plate negatives that broke in transit to England], but he thinks there was a St. Felicitas on two plates and a smaller one on a single plate.
He asks sarcastically whether there is ever sunshine in Windsor, as to judge from Mr Wallis's letter the sun has not shone in England for 3 months and is threatening not to shine again before Easter.
He adds a postscript reminding Becker that he has not replied to Gruner's question about his letter to Count Riesch. He would also like to know what the Prince Consort thinks of the tracing (of the Riesch drawing) and of Passavant's letter on the same subject. In conclusion he reports that Morris Moore is in Dresden and taking everyone by storm.
The reference to the broken quarters seems to suggest that when Gruner had the drawing (of what was presumably a design for the decoration of a salver or bowl) photographed in Dresden, it was photographed in four frames, and that two of the resulting glass plates broke when he sent them to England (see 431). So Gruner wanted these quarters to be re-photographed for the sake of the Dresden photographer. The reference to Mr Wallis and the sun relates to Gruner's complaint that he had not yet received photographs from the South Kensington Museum that were promised to him 6 months ago (see Gruner's previous letter, VIC/ADDA10/85/433). Presumably Wallis had written to say that it had not been possible to take the photographs for lack of sunlight. |