Corallina elongata 1851 - 1855

"Corallina elongata" (1851-1855) is a cyanotype photograph by Anna Atkins, a pioneer of the photographic process and an early advocate for scientific documentation through photography. The artwork is part of her groundbreaking book, "Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions," and showcases detailed images of the Corallina elongata seaweed species. Atkins's work is significant for its meticulous attention to detail, capturing the delicate structure of algae with remarkable clarity, and for its pioneering use of the cyanotype process, which creates the distinctive blue and white images. The work is an example of photobotany, a genre of photography that focuses on botanical subjects, and is considered a foundational work in the history of photography.