Letter from Friedrich Culemann to Dr Ernst Becker sending a photograph of the Raphael drawing in the possession of Herr Kestner in Hanover, for the Prince Consort's collection.

Culemann announces that he is at last able to send a successful photograph of the Raphael drawing in the possession of Herr Kestner: it has come out clearer than the drawing itself, after an exposure of 15 minutes. He regrets that the photograph is about an inch smaller than the original, as no glass [plate] was available of sufficient dimensions [Thorus] to avoid distortion at the edges. But he thinks it will not be difficult for Becker to have the photograph enlarged if a life-sized version is required, and if so, he will gladly make a tracing of one or several figures in the original, as a guide to the correct size. To facilitate this he has not had any kind of gloss [Glättung] applied to the 4 enclosed photographs or had them mounted, so as to avoid making them of a size that might not suit the Prince's collection.

As Herr Kestner was ill, Culemann himself supervised the photography. Although Herr Kestner wishes to keep the negative, HRH may of course have as many prints as he wishes. Herr Kestner does not ask for any payment, but Culemann thinks he would be pleased if a few photographs of other Raphael drawings could be sent to him, not for himself, but to enable him to add them to the public collection in Hanover, which is very small.

Finally, Culemann states the amount that he paid the photographer, and offers his services for any other commission. He adds a PS pointing out that the sheet of paper with the drawing is mounted on linen, as the photograph shows, and the odd shape into which the paper has been cut is easily seen.

See RAPHAEL/4/436 and RAPHAEL/4/439 for Culemann's earlier letters to Becker on this subject. By this time Becker had left the Prince Consort's service, but Culemann evidently did not know.

Related Material: For related correspondence, see VIC/ADDA10/85/436 and VIC/ADDA10/85/439.