Padina pavonia
1843-1853
Step into the dawn of photography with this ghostly blue print! Anna Atkins created this image using cyanotype, a 'sun printing' technique where she placed actual seaweed specimens directly onto light-sensitive paper. The result is a striking negative silhouette of *Padina pavonia* (peacock tail algae) floating in a sea of deep Prussian blue. Atkins is widely considered the first female photographer, and her 1843 book featuring these images was the very first book ever illustrated with photographs.
- Technique
- Cyanotype