Polysiphonia urceolata
1843-1853
Anna Atkins was essentially the original master of the nature photocopy! In the 1840s, she placed actual seaweed specimens like Polysiphonia urceolata directly onto light-sensitive paper. The sun turned the background a rich Prussian blue, preserving the delicate, feathery details of the algae as ghostly white silhouettes—ironic, since this species is actually a red algae! This stunning image comes from her self-published book, which holds the title of the very first book ever illustrated with photographs.
- Technique
- Cyanotype
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