Porphyra vulgaris 1851 - 1855

Anna Atkins made this cyanotype of Porphyra vulgaris, or Laver Seaweed, in the mid-19th century. The cyanotype process, a very early form of photography, involves coating paper with a solution of iron salts and then exposing it to sunlight with an object placed on top. In this case, Atkins laid seaweed directly onto the prepared paper. The areas shielded from the light remain white, while the exposed parts turn that distinctive Prussian blue. Look closely, and you can see the delicate texture and structure of the seaweed, captured in stunning detail. Atkins, a botanist by training, used this technique to create a visual inventory of British algae. What's fascinating is that she combined scientific precision with an artistic sensibility. While her work was driven by a desire to document the natural world, it also reveals the inherent beauty of the cyanotype process itself. It challenges our traditional notions of what constitutes art, science, and craft.