Seven Autograph Letters Signed and one Typed Letter Signed (all eight items signed 'John M. Bacon') to Sir Henry Trueman Wood (1845-1929), Secretary, Royal Society of Arts.

Autograph items (all 12mo) very good; TLS (letter 7, quarto) aged and worn at extremities. All items bearing the Society's stamp, and most docketed as answered. Letter 1 (16 September 1901, three pages). Asks if Wood will 'act as Judge' at a 'Photographic Exhibition' held at 'a local Institution'. Letter 2 (23 September 1901, four pages). On behalf of Committee thanks Wood for agreeing. 'The Exhibition beings to take definite shape'. Suggests that 'one other Colleague to assist' may be needed, and suggests individuals. Letter 3 (27 September 1901, four pages). Is sending 'a provisional proof of our Prospectus'. The publishers Cassell want to reproduce one of the pictures. 'One of my hobbies is the raising of Wild ducks on a stream which runs through my grounds.' Is sending a couple of slaughtered specimens. Letter 4 (30 September 1901, 3 pages). More on the exhibition. He has, 'through private friendship, obtained promises of help' from several individuals, and 'we do not doubt getting plenty of good exhibits from the Amateur World'. Letter 5 (15 October 1901, four pages). 'The exceedingly beautiful and valuable enlargements of your Balloon photographs have reached me in safety [...] I value them more than I can tell & am only sorry that your autograph is not upon them. [...] I don't think 4 more interesting pictures taken from aloft are to be met with & in this Mr. Maunder, who is staying with us agrees.' He has 'just been offered a valuable light-rigged balloon of 35,000 c.f. at a bargain. It is a little beyond me but if any individual or society wished to take up experimental work it would serve admirably'. Letter 6 (14 November 1901, three pages). He has 'only just returned home after a round of lectures' and is 'horrified to learn that Messrs. Cassell have troubled you to send them your negatives - thhe prints were so excellent that I cannot think this necessary'. Letter 7 (typed, 18 November 1901, one page, quarto). He would be 'delighted to read a paper at the Society of Arts'. 'If you would consent to my working up the results of the observational work I have done in London I should greatly like to have some of the enlargements exhibited.' He has been doing his 'utmost with the L. C. C. to obtain their help towards investigating the Fogs, and I have the offer of an admirable balloon at a great bargain; but though much interest is expressed in my endeavour no material assistance is forthcoming. After much deliberation the L. C. C. decided that balloons would be beyond their means, and they would use kites instead! I pointed out that in fogs i.e. in dead calm, their kites would not go up, but this has not moved them.' Letter 8 (20 November 1901, two pages). He is free on 22 January 1901 and will be pleased to contribute a paper in the evening. Thanks him on behalf of the Committee for the 'most kind offer of the Enlargement for our Exhibition'. Wood was President of the Royal Photographic Society from 1894 to 1896, and Chairman of the English Branch of Kodak.