C.192.c.1, 1(4)

Genre: Scientific Photography

Cyanotype negative photogram, a single page of text in Anna Atkins' hand, introducing the work and signed 'A. A.' The text reads:

'The difficulty of making accurate drawings of objects so minute as many of the algae and confervae, has induced me to avail myself of Sir John Herschel's beautiful process of Cyanotype, to obtain impressions of the plants themselves, which I have much pleasure in offering to my botanical friends.

I hope that in general [underlined] the impressions will be found sharp and well defined, but in some instances (such as the Fuci) the thickness of the specimens renders it impossible to press the glass used in taking photographs sufficiently close to them to ensure a perfect representation of every part. Being however unwilling to omit any species to which I had access, I have preferred giving such impressions as I could [underlined] obtain of these thicker objects, to their entire omission − I take this opportunity of returning my thanks to the friends who have allowed me to use their collections of Algae on this occasion.

The names refer to Hervey's 'Manual of British Algæ.' I have taken the tribes and species in their proper order when I was able to do so, but in many cases I have been compelled to make long gaps [underlined], from the want of the plants that should have been next inserted, and in this first number I have intentionally departed from the systematic arrangement, that I might give specimens of very various characters as a sample. A. A.'