Fucus æruginosus Turner / "Red Sea. Lisbon"/ New to Britain c. 1843 - 1853

Anna Atkins made this cyanotype, "Fucus æruginosus Turner," in the mid-19th century, using a process that bridged science and art. Atkins, a botanist by training, embraced the cyanotype process—a photographic printing method yielding a distinctive Prussian blue print. She created this image by placing seaweed directly onto chemically treated paper, then exposing it to sunlight. The result is a ghostly white silhouette against a vibrant blue ground, a photogram capturing the intricate detail of the marine plant. The cyanotype process, while relatively simple, demanded precision and patience. The chemicals had to be mixed accurately, the exposure time carefully judged. In Atkins’s hands, this technique became not just a means of scientific documentation but a form of artistic expression. It challenges traditional distinctions between science and art, highlighting the role of craft and process in both disciplines.