Bryopsis plumosa
1843-1853
Imagine pressing delicate seaweed onto paper and letting the sun do the drawing. That’s exactly what Anna Atkins did to create this hauntingly beautiful image of *Bryopsis plumosa*. The deep Prussian blue background and stark white silhouettes are the signature of the cyanotype process, an early photographic technique often used for blueprints. Atkins was a true trailblazer; in 1843, she published 'Photographs of British Algae,' making her the first person in history to create a book illustrated entirely with photographic images. She essentially invented the scientific photo-book before photography was even fully mainstream!
- Technique
- Cyanotype
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