My Dear Mr. Daguerre,

On behalf of the members of the Institut de France, I want to let you know we have chosen the 7th of January to announce to the world the photo technique process you have named “The Daguerreotype.” The applications, as we see it, can only benefit the citizens of France and in time should be made available to the entire world.

We were honored to have you as a guest in our home last week to demonstrate the entire photo process. I am still amazed at how the plain silver plate, after being exposed to the chemicals, fixed the mirror image. Today, at breakfast, my wife announced that we should sit for a family portrait and if successful we should have a second one taken and sent by courier as a holiday photo card to her family in England. She finally convinced me by reason that the time and expense to create the daguerreotype would be inconsequential to a traditional oil painting. As you can imagine, I could not find fault with her scheme but have my doubts as to how we will keep all five children sitting still for 15 minutes.

As you know, your friendship has been invaluable over the years and because of this I want to take this opportunity to warn you that there have been rumblings by certain members of the press that un-named pundits from Leipzig are claiming that your photo process invention is of the devil. We can only pray that if this slander is widely circulated and read, French society and the world at large will turn their backs.

Until our next meeting, I remain,

C. Morris