Despite continuing ill-health throughout his life, Baird had been the first exponent of every development associated with television, right from the formation of the Baird Television Development Company in 1927. Although here he cites ill-health as the excuse, he was reluctant to commit himself to anything on paper, a legacy perhaps from early on in his career when he feared that his work may be copied by rivals. Indeed, he kept neither notes nor sketches of his work and disliked letter-writing in general, hence letters by Baird are rare.