Gelidium rostratum 1851 - 1855

Anna Atkins made this cyanotype of Gelidium rostratum in the mid-nineteenth century. The image is part of a larger project: a series of books documenting British algae using cyanotypes, an early photographic process that produces a distinctive blue print. Atkins’ work intersects with the social and intellectual currents of her time. As a woman in Victorian England, her access to formal scientific training was limited, yet she actively participated in scientific communities through her artwork. Photography offered new ways of creating scientific records, bypassing the traditional art institutions and gendered hierarchies of the art world. To understand Atkins' work, we might examine the scientific publications of her time, the history of photography, and broader discussions of women’s roles in science and art. Examining these resources, we begin to see how art making and scientific inquiry come together within specific social and institutional contexts.