Ulva lactuca
1843-1853
Think of this as a 19th-century photocopy, but much more beautiful. Anna Atkins placed a piece of sea lettuce (Ulva lactuca) directly onto chemically treated paper and baked it in the sunlight. The sun bleached the area under the plant white, leaving a ghostly, lacy silhouette against a deep, dreamy Prussian blue background. This isn't just a scientific diagram; it's a page from 'Photographs of British Algae,' widely considered the very first book ever illustrated with photographic images, making Atkins a true pioneer of the medium.
- Technique
- Cyanotype
- Material
- Paper
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