Polysiphonia fruticulosa
1843-1853
Anna Atkins created this stunning blue image not with a paintbrush, but with sunlight and chemicals. She placed actual seaweed specimens directly onto light-sensitive paper, creating a cyanotype—an early form of cameraless photography. This piece is from her groundbreaking 1843 book *Photographs of British Algae*, making her arguably the first person to ever publish a book illustrated with photographic images. The delicate, feathery white structures of the algae float like ghosts against the deep Prussian blue background, blending scientific precision with a dreamy, abstract aesthetic that feels surprisingly modern.
- Technique
- Cyanotype
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