Rhodomenia palmata
1843-1853
Imagine placing a piece of seaweed directly onto light-sensitive paper and letting the sun do the rest—that's exactly what Anna Atkins did here. This striking blue and white image is a cyanotype, a technique she used to create the very first book illustrated with photographs, 'Photographs of British Algae,' published in 1843. By arranging the actual Rhodomenia palmata seaweed on the paper, she created a delicate, ghostly silhouette that is as scientifically accurate as it is beautiful. Atkins essentially pioneered scientific photography and beat many male contemporaries to the punch in the history of the medium!
- Technique
- Cyanotype
- Material
- Paper
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