Furcellaria fastigiata.
1843-1853
Meet the great-grandmother of the architectural blueprint! Anna Atkins created this stunning image by placing delicate seaweed directly onto light-sensitive paper and letting the sun do the heavy lifting. The result is a ghostly white silhouette floating against a rich Prussian blue background. Atkins published this in 1843 as part of her book *British Algae*, effectively making her the first person in history to publish a book illustrated entirely with photographs. She basically invented scientific illustration for the modern age because she found drawing algae too tedious!
- Technique
- Cyanotype
- Material
- Paper
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