Anna Atkins
British, 1799-1871
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Anna Atkins was born in Tunbridge, Kent, England in 1799. Her mother died while Anna Atkins was an infant and she was raised by her father, John George Children, a highly respected scientist and a Fellow and Secretary of the Royal Society. Recognized as the earliest woman photographer, Anna Atkins produced the first book to use photographic illustrations: British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions. In 1841, inspired by advice from William Henry Fox Talbot, Anna Atkins took up photography and by 1843 had mastered Sir John Herschel's cyanotype process. From 1843-1853 she worked consistantly and prodigiously documenting her large collection of seaweed. These cyanotype photograms were released as a 12-part series. Beginning in 1853 Anna Atkins and her childhood friend, Anne Dixon, began to collaborate in creating photograms of ferns, flowers, feathers and lace. While artistic expression was not her original goal in recording the specimans of British algae, many of the plates can be celebrated as much for their imaginative composition and aesthetic appeal as for their scientific intent.
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Member of The Association of International Photography Art Dealers (AIPAD)
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