Chylocladia kaliformis
1843-1853
Anna Atkins created this ghostly, branching seaweed silhouette using a technique called cyanotype, which turns paper a deep Prussian blue. Published in the 1840s as part of her book 'Photographs of British Algae,' it’s widely considered the very first book ever illustrated with photographs. Atkins placed the actual seaweed directly onto light-sensitive paper, letting the sun do the work to create these stunning, scientific 'blueprints' long before photography was mainstream. It’s a beautiful blend of science and art that predates the term 'snapshot' by decades.
- Technique
- Cyanotype
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