1840                Address Unknown, Boston, Massachusetts.

April 3, 1840.  Manuscript Eloise L. Derby, Boston, Massachusetts to Mr. George L. Strong, George M. Strong Esq., 56 Wall Street, New York.  From my collection.

April 3d 1840                                                                                                                                                                  Dear Mary. George ,                                                                                                                                                As I believe I owe you a letter I will write to you and acknowledge the safe arrival of the bottle of Ipecac & and beg you to thank Papa for me in my name for the trouble he has taken about it & I know it will give you all pleasure to hear that your little namesake seems to be rapidly recovering.  He is still however as fond of myself & nurse as ever & nothing can induce him to go to any one else, but as he begins to be willing to kiss other people I hope he will soon get over his very great attachment to me, my arms as you may well imagine have felt his sickness very sensibly.

There is nothing thought of or talked about in this City now but the Daguerreotype.  I take it for granted you have seen it.  I left the baby a day or two since for a short time & went to the exhibition of ——— pictures prints impressions or what?  plates I suppose ought to be the word.  I think them beautiful & consider it a most wonderful discovery but then I am so stupid as to be unable to see what good is to result from it, no impression can be taken from these plates (?) & then what is to prevent the silver from turning and if it as all silver unfortunately will & then if it does can it be cleaned without destroying the picture? & wont the copper corrode the thin coating of silver?  M. Gouraud asks 51 dollars for an apparatus, but Dr. Bigelow told me a few days since that a Dr. Gregerson of this city had fitted up an old cigar box at an expanse of $2— & had taken a very correct view of the upper part of Hanover St.  I should think that you were  just the one to be dabbling with it please send me some of your specimens…

Your affectionate Sister

Eloise L. Derby 

Dr. Gregerson is not recorded in other photographic directories.