| Names: | | | Dates: | 1799, 16 March - 1871 | | Born: | Great Britain, England, Kent, Tonbridge | | Active: | Great Britain | | Gender: | Female |
In 1841 an Irish botanist William Henry Harvey (1811-1866) published A Manual of the British Algae (London: John Van Voorst) which lacked any illustrations. Anna Atkins knew of the cyanotype process through her family acquaintance Sir John Herschel and she recognised that it could provide illustrations of the specimens. She employed the cyanotype process for the first book in the world illustrated entirely with photographs - British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions (1843 onwards).
Collaborating with Anne Dixon a further, and rarer, publication was privately published Cyanotypes of British and Foreign Flowering Plants and Ferns. As each cyanotype was created by hand the quality of the prints varied and at times improved versions were supplied to replace earlier ones. This means that the numbers of plates in the different copies varies considerably.Preparing biographies
Anna Atkins produced the first photographically illustrated book and is recognised as the first female photographer, with her three-volume British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions appearing in instalments from 1843. Atkins used the Cyanotype process which had been invented in 1842 by Fox Talbot’s associate Sir John Herschel.
This biography is courtesy and copyright of the Victoria & Albert Museum and is included here with permission.
Date last updated: 11 Nov 2011.
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Readings on, or by, individual photographers
Atkins, Anna, n.d.Cyanotypes of British and Foreign Flowering Plants and Ferns, (Private publication) [LL_REF:1143]
Atkins, Anna, 1843-1850, Photographs of British algae: cyanotype impressions, (Private publication) [LL_REF:1142 *B]
Schaaf, Larry J (ed.), 1985, Sun Gardens: Victorian Photograms by Anna Atkins, (New York: Aperture) [LL_REF:328]
If you feel this list is missing a significant book or article please let me know - Alan - alan@luminous-lint.com
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