Polysiphonia fibrillosa c. 1843 - 1853

Anna Atkins made this cyanotype of Polysiphonia fibrillosa, a type of red algae, sometime in the mid-19th century. Atkins was part of a scientific circle in England that was fascinated by the new possibilities of photography. She saw in it a means to overcome the limitations of hand-drawn botanical illustrations. Her work was more than just a scientific record; it was a contribution to a wider Victorian enthusiasm for classifying and understanding the natural world. These cyanotypes allowed for the mass dissemination of knowledge and specimens and played an interesting role in the overlapping histories of art, science, and the book. What was the role of women in science at this time? How did photography change science and art? These are just some of the questions we can ask when we look at an image such as this.