Padina deusta.
1843-1853
Anna Atkins created this striking image in the 1840s, effectively becoming the first person to publish a book illustrated with photographic images. She used a technique called cyanotype, placing specimens of seaweed directly onto light-sensitive paper and letting the sun do the work to create a negative image. The result is this ghostly white silhouette of the algae Padina deusta—identified by the handwritten label at the bottom—floating against a deep Prussian blue background. It looks like a magical 19th-century photocopy of nature, blending science and art in a way that was completely revolutionary for the Victorian era.
- Technique
- Cyanotype
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