Anna Atkins:  First Person To Publish A Book With Photographic Images

Anna Atkins is considered as the first person to produce a photographically illustrated book and the genesis of botanic photographs can be traced to one woman, that is Anna Atkins. She was one of the earliest women to create photographs in 1840s.

Anna Atkins’ Inspiration

Anna Atkins was inspired by the advice of William Henry Fox Talbot (Talbot was a noted photographer whose major contributions was the development of  photography as an artistic medium.), Anna Atkins took up photography.

John  Herschel invented the cyanotype( better understood as a blueprint today.) Anna Atkins was a friend of Herschel. Within a year, Atkins applied the process to algae by placing the unmounted dried-algae directly on the cyanotype paper.

What is Cyanotype?

Cyanotype is a photographic printing process that produces blueprint. Cyanotype was a simple and low-cost process which was used to produce copies of blueprints.

What’s she famous for?

‘Photographs of British Algae’ which is considered to be the first book illustrated with photographic images.

Anna’s creation is one of the greatest creations to the world of photography and blueprinting. If you are curious to know how the first ever photographic imaged book looks here you go with the link: