Rebuffet, L. 



Rec. Dec 31 



Paris. December 8, 1858 

 Sir, 



Yesterday I took to the American company your steel plate in a box. I engraved this in the 

 best way could; I saw Mr. Picard, I made the corrections. I send you the proofs. I made them in 

 black-gray. The engraving is like that printed by you and it is made so that it lasts a long time, 

 because you told me that you needed to make 30,000 copies in gray, gray-black and finally in 

 black. I am referring to my plates as well as to the engravings by Mr Martin and Mr. Picart. It 

 would be better if they would be made in Paris. I had your drawings from the 25th. of July. I did 

 not keep them long .You must remember that Mr. Picart kept them for 8 months and Mr. Martin 

 my friend had them about 18 months. I sent a letter to the interior secretary and told him about 

 the price we had agreed upon, 550 Fr. for the engraving and 25 Fr. for the acid plate, plus the 

 postage of 1.50 Fr. will make a total of 551 Fr and 50 cents. If you were to stay in Paris I would 

 have given you this plate even though it has not been payed for. Our work cannot be compared 

 with others. I would appreciate it if you would talk about me in your country, so that I could be 

 their engraver. 



Receive, Sir, my Salutations 



L. Rebuffet 



Engraver Rue de Descartes 48 



translation Manfred Thurmann 



