Rhodomenia laciniata [= Rhodymenia laciniata] c. 1843 - 1853

This is Anna Atkins' cyanotype of Rhodomenia laciniata, a type of red algae. Atkins made this print as part of her series "Photographs of British Algae", considered by some to be the first book illustrated with photographs. Born at the close of the 18th century, a time when scientific inquiry was largely a male domain, Anna Atkins was an English botanist and photographer. Her unique positioning allowed her to straddle both scientific and artistic communities. The cyanotype process, with its distinctive Prussian blue hue, allowed Atkins to create detailed records of plant specimens. Cyanotypes provided an alternative narrative to traditional botanical illustration, offering a level of precision and detail that was previously unattainable. There’s a tension here, between scientific document and poetic form. Think about the cultural dimensions of making visible the natural world. Atkins' work prompts us to consider the intertwined histories of science, art, and gender in the Victorian era.