The pioneering Anna Atkins
We’d like to take the chance to introduce you to a pioneering female scientist whose work we hold in the Horniman Collections: Anna Atkins.
Born in 1799, Anna grew up as the daughter of scientist and secretary to The Royal Society. This put her in place to hear about and learn some of the newest scientific developments of the 1800s. She was a keen botanist and scientific illustrator, and when photography began to emerge as a new technique, she was one of the first to put it to good use.
Through a family friend William Henry Fox Talbot, Anna Atkins learned about two of his inventions related to photography: cyanotypes (in which an object is placed on light-sensitized paper which is exposed to the sun to produce an image) and calotypes.
By using this early photographic method of cyanotyping, Anna began producing photographic plates of British algae, using specimens from her collection. Eventually she completed three volumes, which are now recognised as the first books ever to be published with photographic illustrations.
Anna Atkins is also widely recognised as the first woman ever to create a photograph.
During a recent review of the Horniman’s collection of historic books, our Librarian Helen Williamson uncovered the Horniman’s own copy of this important work.
As the volumes were self-published, and the plates each made by hand, each version (and there aren’t many left) is slightly different. Ours has a total of 457 plates bound in four books which were originally owned by Frederick Horniman.
We’re very proud to have such an important work by a female scientist in our collection. It has inspired Helen and our Aquarium staff to work together to research and discover more about Anna Atkins and her work, which we hope will lead to a showcase some of Anna’s beautiful images.
This post was first published on Horniman Museum and Gardens.
