Iridæa edulis
1843-1853
Anna Atkins created this stunning image by placing delicate seaweed directly onto light-sensitive paper and letting the sun do the rest of the work. The rich Prussian blue background contrasts beautifully with the ghostly white silhouettes of the Iridæa edulis algae, capturing their intricate textures in exquisite detail. As a true pioneer of photography, Atkins used this exact process to publish the very first book illustrated entirely with photographic images, forever changing how we document the natural world.
- Technique
- Cyanotype
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