Ceramium strictum c. 1843 - 1853

Anna Atkin’s photogram, Ceramium strictum, is an early photographic print made using the cyanotype process. Atkins, a botanist, created this image as part of her effort to document various species of algae. In the Victorian era, scientific pursuits were often seen as masculine endeavors, yet Atkins, through her marriage into scientific circles, was able to participate in and contribute to the field of botany. She leveraged the emerging medium of photography to create detailed and accurate representations of plant life. This print exemplifies how women navigated the constraints of their time, using their access to education and technology to pursue their passions and make significant contributions to science and art. The ethereal quality of the cyanotype, with its distinctive blue hue, evokes a sense of wonder and invites us to reflect on the intersection of art, science, and gender in the 19th century. It reminds us of the quiet but persistent ways women have shaped our understanding of the natural world.