Letter from Richard Doyle, London, to Joseph Swain?, between 1864 and 1874 : autograph manuscript signed.

Notifying him that he has a parcel of drawings, "for the same series as the one you have done", waiting to picked since Friday; sending him a retouched proof (of an engraving after one of Doyle's drawings), expressing his disappointment with the wood engraving's "general appearance", explaining that "the lines in many parts appear cut much thinner than I drew them", adding "It is really quite perplexing the changes made in some places as for instance in the line round the drawing which I went over several times and wished as strong as an old German wood cut. This is provoking all the more as it must be as easy to engrave a thick as a thin line", and noting that, in order to remedy the weakness of the outlines, he has directed them to remove lines from the engraving, as "it seemed as if in some parts lines which I thought to have completely rubbed out had reappeared as well as the new lines, I hope when this change is made the whole will be more in harmony"; sending him some smaller designs, and informing him that he has "several drawings ready for Once a Week", adding, "I am beginning to feel a little at home in the Japanese style and hope very soon to let you have some of them on wood."