The intensity of the blue varied from one species to another. Sometimes they appeared in reverse in the image, but at other times they seemed to have moved only a short distance. Before each exposure, the algae were rearranged on the prepared paper. Even when she examined the plant numerous times, there were some noticeable differences between specimens belonging to the same series. After a time, the paper would turn to a yellowish green colour which, after the sheets were rinsed in water, turned to a more or less intense blue.ĭelesseria sinuosa from Atkins's British Algae, Part V (1845) © TASCHEN / New York Public LibraryĪnna Atkins gave her cyanotypes serial numbers. The label indicating the plant’s name was first dipped in oil to make it transparent, so that when exposed to the light only the script remained.ĭepending on the weather and the intensity of the sun the copy frames were left for between five and 15 minutes. Areas only partly permeable to light appeared brighter in the image than those fully exposed, while denser algae were less distinctly visible.Īlongside the specimen, a label showing the name of the plant was placed on the paper.

The result was a lavishly detailed outline image.

To create a cyanotype, Atkins placed the plants on to the suitably prepared paper set into a copy frame, which she then covered with a glass plate so as to guarantee the closest possible contact with the support surface. Instead, she immersed it in chemical solutions. Since the backs of many of Atkins’ images are pale blue in colour, we can assume that she did not always sensitize the paper with a brush or sponge. At harvest time, the algae were immediately rinsed in water, then taken home where she used dissecting forceps and camelhair brushes to remove extraneous matter, before finally pressing and drying them. Below is an extract from an accompanying essay by Peter Walther, detailing Atkins’s development of the book.Īnna Atkins herself had collected and dried most of the plants included in British Algae. Later this month, Taschen is publishing a facsimile of British Algae alongside Atkins’s other book, Cyanotypes of British and Foreign Ferns (1853). The English botanist (1799-1871) produced her collection using the cyanotype technique, which she became aware of through her father’s friendship with its inventor, John Herschel. British Algae (1843-53) by Anna Atkins is thought to be the first book to be illustrated using photographic images.

Anna koliadych book