Himanthalia lorea

Anna Atkins prints show seaweeds as ghostly white shapes on a deep Prussian blue. Atkins, an English botanist, used the brand-new cyanotype process to make camera-less photographs of algae, laying each specimen directly on light-sensitive paper. Her book Photographs of British Algae is widely considered the first book illustrated with photographs. Our collection of fine art prints includes her red, brown and green algae plates.

About Anna Atkins

Anna Atkins was born Anna Children in Tonbridge on 16 March 1799. Her father, the scientist John George Children, encouraged her interest in natural history, and she grew up among scientists. She died at Halstead Place in Kent on 9 June 1871.

In 1842 the family friend Sir John Herschel invented the cyanotype, a photographic process that turns paper blue where light falls on it. Within a year Atkins was using it to make contact prints of seaweeds, laying each dried specimen on coated paper and exposing it to sunlight.

The result, Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions, appeared in parts from 1843 to 1853. Only about 17 copies are known, and the number of plates differs from copy to copy.

Style and Subjects

Every plate is a direct trace of a real plant. The seaweed appears in white or pale blue, with every frond, branch and fine hair recorded, set against the rich blue ground of the cyanotype. A small handwritten label gives the Latin name.

The shapes are wonderfully varied: forked fronds, broad oarweed blades, fern-like leaves, fans, looping straps and sheer folded sheets. The effect is at once scientific and abstract, which is why her plates look so fresh in modern rooms.

Famous Works

• Dictyota dichotoma, in the Young State and in Fruit (1843–1853). Small forked fronds, one of the most reproduced plates in the book.
• Laminaria digitata (Oarweed) (1843–1853). One huge frond spreading across the sheet.
• Halyseris polypodioides (1843–1853). Fern-like fronds with fine veins.
• Padina pavonia (Peacock's Tail) (1843–1853). Fan-shaped fronds.
• Himanthalia lorea (Thongweed) (1843–1853). Long looping straps.
• Porphyra laciniata (Laver) (1843–1853). A sheer, folded sheet of seaweed.
• Codium tomentosum (Velvet Horn) (1843–1853). A branching, coral-like alga.
• Fucus vesiculosus (Bladder Wrack) (1843–1853). A familiar seashore wrack.

Decorating with Atkins Prints

Atkins's blue cyanotypes are made for bathrooms, coastal homes and any room with a calm, watery feel. A grid of four, six or nine plates in white or pale wood frames looks fresh and modern, and the single strong blue ties the set together.

They also suit bedrooms, studies and living rooms with white, grey or sand-coloured walls. For a bolder look, hang one large plate, such as the oarweed or thongweed, on its own above a bed or sofa.

FAQ

Who was Anna Atkins?

Anna Atkins (1799–1871) was an English botanist and early photographer, known for her cyanotype photographs of algae.

What is a cyanotype?

A photographic process invented by Sir John Herschel in 1842 that turns paper deep blue where light falls on it. Atkins laid seaweeds on coated paper to make camera-less prints.

What is Photographs of British Algae?

Her book of cyanotype plates of seaweeds, published in parts from 1843 to 1853, widely considered the first book illustrated with photographs.

Where can I see Anna Atkins's cyanotypes?

The New York Public Library holds parts of the book and has digitised its plates. The British Library, the Natural History Museum and the Royal Society in London also hold copies.

Why are the plates blue?

The cyanotype process forms Prussian blue where light reaches the paper. The seaweed blocks the light, so it appears pale against the blue.

Related Artists

• Ernst Haeckel: later naturalist famous for plates of sea life
• James Sowerby: English naturalist-artist of British plants and algae
• Marcus Elieser Bloch: naturalist known for plates of marine life