Anna Atkins (1799 - 1871) was a British botanist and early adapter of photographic techniques. She was the first person to use photos in a book — Atkins self-published three volumes of Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions, volume one of which was released in 1843 — and through these publications she showed how photography could be used to accurately illustrate scientific works.
Later, in 1853, came Cyanotypes of British and Foreign Ferns, a book that featured cyanotypes of 100 different specimen. It was published right in the middle of the so-called pteridomania, a Victorian era craze which involved collecting and using ferns as inspiration for all manners of decorative arts.
Bibliography
- Atkins, Anna. Photographs of British Algae. Cyanotype Impressions. England: self published, 1843 - 1853
- Atkins, Anna and Anne Dixon. Cyanotypes of British and Foreign Ferns. England: self published, 1853.