ABOUT THIS COLLECTION  
Trained as a botanist by her father, a prominent scientist, Anna Atkins was inspired to take up photography to record botanical specimens for a scientific reference book and is considered the first female photographer.  The self-published book, “British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions” (1843), contains detailed and meticulous botanical images of algae using the cyanotype photographic process. Handmade in a limited number of copies (only 20 are known to exist, 15 of which are substantially complete), it was also the first book ever to be printed and illustrated entirely with photographs, inaugurating the use of photography as an accurate medium for scientific illustration. Aesthetically, the images are gorgeous, with the cream-colored outlines of the algae against the Prussian blue background of the paper.
 
COLLECTION DETAILS
Series title: Cyanotypes of Algae by Anna Atkins
Series size: 8 artworks
Edition: Limited edition of 1000
Proof of Ownership: Certification on the Ethereum blockchain under the ERC1155 protocol. Each artwork is delivered privately and directly to collectors as non-fungible tokens (NFTs) that guarrante proof of ownership.
Format: Pieces consist of PNG files sized 2160x3840 pixels - 150 dpi.
Medium: Photography, photographic illustrations, blueprinting
Artwork materials:  Photograms, photographic paper
Contract Address: 0x495f947276749ce646f68ac8c248420045cb7b5e
ID: 2749212597480566...
 
ABOUT THE ARTIST
Until Anna Atkins’ published her work on algae, scientists relied on artistic illustrations or engravings to record the form and color of botanical specimens. Introduced to photography by William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877), its inventor, Atkins was ultimately captivated by a different photographic process—the cyanotype, developed by Sir John Herschel (1792-1871), a family friend. She saw it as the perfect medium for her project, since the algae “are so minute that accurate drawings of them are very difficult to make.” The cyanotype involved using a sheet of paper brushed with a light-sensitive solution of ferric salts, and once dried, a flat object was then laid on top of it, and left in sunlight. Once it had been exposed to enough light, the paper was washed in water, but the image of the object remained. Today, her bright blue images continue to resonate in the art world. Cyanotypes were widely used by architects and engineers to create copies of plans, thus the term blueprint.
 
COLLECTION CREDITS
Historical curatorship: HARI - Historical Art Research Institute (HARI Editions)
Artwork: Anna Atkins
Year of original publication: 1843
Post-production: HARI - Historical Art Research Institute (HARI Editions)
Digital art supervisor: Marie-Lou Desmeules
Editorial: Braden Phillips
Historical research: Evangelos Rosios, Braden Phillips
Executive production: Victor Zabrockis
 
RIGHTS OVERVIEW
Source of artwork: New York Public Library
Underlying work rights: PD Worldwide
Digital copyrights: No Additional Rights