Darwin, C. R. to Reeve Brothers
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Discusses printing of a plate [for South America (1846)].
Summary Add
Transcription
Down: Farnborough Kent.
Saturday
Sir
The section will do very well: there are a few trifling
corrections. The writing is very bad; I do not allude to the mistakes which my
bad-writing may excuse, though I never before had half so many made; but to the size of
the lettering varying in every third & fourth name. Please just to look in
No
The paper must be cut close (as close as I have done on left side) to your border, otherwise it will not go into my volume.—
With respect to quality of Paper it must be thin for folding & yet take colour: I enclose a scrap, wh. answered well for copper in a former volume, but I must leave it to you to settle for stone.—
500 to be printed only 250 to be coloured.—
Please to observe to send me in second proof, before you print off, as I dare not trust the writer; & I must see one copy coloured on the paper which you propose to use.—
Gentlemen | Your obliged & obed
To | M
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- f1 937.f1
The date is based on an entry in CD's Account Book (Down House MS) dated 4 September 1846: ‘Cheque L. Reeve. Lithograph for G. of S. America £10. 2s.’ - +
- f2 937.f2
A coloured plate at the back of South America depicts the formations of the Portillo and Uspallata passes and the valley of Copiapó, Chile. See letter to Smith, Elder & Co., [19 October 1846], for CD's response to the binding of the plate.