A few months ago, I came across a fascinating article on Anna Atkins, the first person to have ever made a book featuring photography (or photographic images).
English botanist Atkins (1799-1871) knew William Henry Fox Talbot, who invented the calotype, and Sir John Herschel. The renowned scientist was the Father of the cyanotype technique, which Atkins helped popularize. Deriving from the Greek name cyan ("dark-blue impression"), the process produces images through "sun-printing":
The object is placed on paper which has been treated with ferric ammonium citrate and potassium ferricyanide, after which it is exposed to sunlight and then washed in water, leading to the uncovered areas of the paper turning a dark blue. The process, known as blueprinting, was later used to reproduce architectural and engineering drawings.
The Public Domain Review
Atkins' handwritten book, titled Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions (1843), is part of a three-volume series documenting British plants. Only 13 copies exist.
You can see images from Anna Atkins' book here.
If you are interested in the way cyanotypes are made, you will find the video below interesting. It also shares a little bit of history on the photographic process.
Release date: June 18, 2020
Pre-order your copy here.
