Dictyota dichotoma / in the young state, & / in fruit c. 1843 - 1853

Anna Atkins made this cyanotype of Dictyota dichotoma, a type of brown algae, in the mid-19th century, pioneering a technique that combined art and science. In the early Victorian era, the scientific classification of the natural world was rapidly accelerating. Photography was very new, and cyanotypes offered a relatively simple way to create accurate botanical records. Think of it as a marriage between the Victorian scientific passion for cataloging nature and the burgeoning technologies of visual reproduction. Atkins was part of a circle of scientists and photographers. Her work challenges traditional notions about who gets to produce knowledge. She was a woman making scientific images at a time when institutions were often dominated by men. By examining the context in which art is made, we can gain a better understanding of the social and institutional structures that shape it. To learn more, you can research Victorian science and the history of photography.