1872.09.17 English

C O P E N H A G E N   SEPTEMBER 17, 1872[1]

 

 

 

 

 

HIS EXCELLENCY, CONSUL – GENERAL SIR  L O R C K[2], L E I P Z I G.

 

 

 

            THANK YOU INDEED, SIR, FOR FINALLY GIVING WORD. I HAVE WRITTEN TO GÄBLER TODAY.   CAN YOU SEE THAT ON THE VERY SAME MACHINE I HAVE NOW MANAGED TO HAVE MORE SPACE BETWEEN THE LETTERS, MAKING THE TYPING MORE BEAUTIFUL? THE REASON WHY I COULD NOT GET MR PETERSEN TO EXECUTE THE TASK WE DISCUSSED IS THAT HE HAS NOT BEEN ABLE TO DO IT. YOU ARE SAYING THAT I HAVE NEVER STATED WITH CERTAINTY WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN, AND THAT I HAVE IN EACH AND EVERY NEW LETTER REFERRED TO A NEW PERSON WITH WHOM I WAS NEGOTIATING.[3]  DEAR CONSUL – GENERAL, SIR, THIS IS NOT CORRECT: WHEN YOU VERY KINDLY OFFERED TO TRY TO FORM A PRIVATE LIMITED COMPANY IN LEIPZIG FOR THE SAKE OF PROMOTING THE WRITING BALL, UPON YOUR DEMAND I IMMEDIATELY DISCONTINUED ALL CORRESPONDENCE REGARDING THE WRITING BALL IN GERMANY AND AUSTRIA. SUBSEQUENTLY, WHEN I AFTER A FULL TWO MONTH PERIOD WAS TOLD THAT THE FORMATION OF THE PRIVATE COMPANY WAS NOT GOING TO MATERIALISE, I NATURALLY RESUMED – BUT ONLY THEN – ALL THE NEGOTIATIONS THAT HAD BEEN INTERRUPTED. YOU OFFERED TO COME TO COPENHAGEN FOR THE FORMATION OF A PRIVATE COMPANY, AND I WOULD BE DELIGHTED TO ACCEPT YOUR OFFER; BUT SINCE BOTH THE MACHINE AND I MYSELF ARE HERE I FOUND IT TO BE MY DUTY TO MAKE AN ATTEMPT IN THIS DIRECTION BEFORE INCONVENIENCING OTHER PEOPLE. I DO NOT KNOW WHETHER I WILL SUCCEED, BUT PRESUMABLY NEXT TUESDAY I WILL LET YOU KNOW MORE BY LETTER.[4] I HAVE RESPONDED TO MOST OF THE LETTERS DIRECTED TO YOU CONCERNING THE WRITING BALL. YOU ARE REPROACHING ME FOR NOT HAVING SENT WORKS FOR PANTA -TYPING[5] EARLIER. BUT I COULD NOT DO THAT: IT IS ONLY THREE MONTHS AGO THAT I FINISHED THE MACHINE FOR THAT PURPOSE.

 

 

                                   VERY RESPECTFULLY

 

 

 

 

                                  R   MALLING HANSEN

 

 

 

 

[1] CB: In other words, this early version of the writing ball features figures – something the very first model in a wooden case from 1870 did not have

[2] CB: Well, I don’t know who this consul Lorck is – but presumably he is Danish consul in Leipzig – neither do I know Gäbler (second line). But the letter shows clearly that they have grievances against eachother.
JMC: My guess is that this is Carl B. Lorck (1814 – 1905) who was the owner of a major publishing company in Leipzig. He is also the author of a work entitled: “Herstellung von Druckwerken: Praktische Winke fuer Autoren und Buchhändler” Leipzig 1868). He is also known as the one that published H.C.Andersen’s complete works in German language (contract with HCA in 1846). In H.C.Andersen’s Travel Diaries ( Danish), vol IX (period 1871 – 72) page 260, the author mentions a visit to Consul Lorck at Nuernbergerstrasse 2 in Leipzig on April 18, 1872.

[3] CB: Judging by the harsh tone, these lines seem to indicate a tough conflict concerning the rights to sell the Writing Ball in Germany. It is hard to understand what a Danish consul (?) in Leipzig has got to do with this, since RMH mastered the German language. Perhaps Lorck has been negotiating rights on his behalf? Could this problem represent a new explanation of RMH’s difficulties to sell the Writing Ball – that he perhaps did not have the right people to negotiate for him – and that he was disorganised and muddled in relation to whom he was negotiating with – and about what? I seem to sense a good deal of panic in this letter.

[4] CB: This is extremely interesting. We have always been wondering why RMH was struggling alone with his Writing Ball  – including financing and production – and I have never before heard about this attempt to form a private company. We must conclude that it was aborted – since nothing happened. Very puzzling!

[5] CB: Yet another enormous ????? Panta – typing??? What on earth is that? IN 1872 RMH described Xerographics – the method of dry – copying! But he did not invent any machine or this purpose – the equipment already existed.

Dieter Eberwein: This is really an interesting letter. I hear for the first time about the panta-typing. Panta is Greek and means all or everything. So the panta-typing could mean all-typing or every-typing. Maybe he means his writing ball with the flat carriage which he patented in 1873. On the flat carriage he could write on 10 papers at once (all together; all-typing?), and the dry copying (Xerografi) was for the first time possible. Malling-Hansen went in 1873 to the world exhibition in Vienna with the (old) writing ball in the box, the (new) Takygraph 2 and the (new) writing ball with the flat carriage. He got the progress-medal which some descendants own today. At this exhibition Malling-Hansen met Albert v. Szabel. Albert v. Szabel got, in the name of Malling-Hansen, the patent for the Takygraf in 1873 and produced later a few writing balls in Vienna.

 

 

The Danish consul in Leipzig, Carl B Lorck, 1814-1905. Photo: The Royal Library in Copenhagen
We don't know if RMH ever met H. C. Andersen, 1805-1875, but we know that RMH corresponded with some of his friends and assosiates. Photo: The Royal Library in Copenhagen
The original letter. Copyright: The Royal Library in Copenhagen