Water net
Date
1843-1853
Creator
Anna Atkins (1799 - 1871, British) , Botanist
Object type
Library reference
RCN9352
Material
Technique
Dimensions
height (print): 250mm
width (print): 195mm
width (print): 195mm
Subject
Content object
Description
Botanical study of a variety of water net algae, here referred to as Hydrodictyon utriculatum . Depicts four specimens of mesh-like structure.
Captioned below ‘Hydrodictyon utriculatum’ in a photographic facsimile of the author’s handwriting.
Blueprint from Photographs of British algae: cyanotype impressions, by Anna Atkins (London, 1843-1853).
Anna Atkins (1799-1871) was a British botanist, plant-collector and photographer.
Captioned below ‘Hydrodictyon utriculatum’ in a photographic facsimile of the author’s handwriting.
Blueprint from Photographs of British algae: cyanotype impressions, by Anna Atkins (London, 1843-1853).
Anna Atkins (1799-1871) was a British botanist, plant-collector and photographer.
Object history
The original purpose of Anna Atkins’ Photographs of British Algae was to provide illustration for William Harvey’s FRS (1811-1866) A manual of British marine algae (1841). It was privately printed by Atkins and is considered the first scientific manual to be printed using photography to replace conventional means of illustration.
Photographs of British Algae was issued as a part book to various scientific institutions, and Atkins made fifteen part donations to the Royal Society between October 1843 and the end of 1853. It was up to the Royal Society to bind the cyanotypes according to Atkins' instructions. The final result is a 3 volume series containing 425 plates, and an additional gathering of 7 plates, which were never incorporated.
‘Hydrodictyon utriculatum’ is one of these additional 7 plates. There is no indication in any of the tables of contents or appendices of the three volumes of Photographs of British Algae as to where this plate was intended to appear.
Photographs of British Algae was issued as a part book to various scientific institutions, and Atkins made fifteen part donations to the Royal Society between October 1843 and the end of 1853. It was up to the Royal Society to bind the cyanotypes according to Atkins' instructions. The final result is a 3 volume series containing 425 plates, and an additional gathering of 7 plates, which were never incorporated.
‘Hydrodictyon utriculatum’ is one of these additional 7 plates. There is no indication in any of the tables of contents or appendices of the three volumes of Photographs of British Algae as to where this plate was intended to appear.
Associated place