13 Facts About Anna Atkins

Anna Atkins was an English botanist and photographer.

Anna Atkins is often considered the first person to publish a book illustrated with photographic images.

Anna Atkins pursued her interests in botany by collecting dried plants, which were probably used as photograms later.

Anna Atkins was elected a member of the London Botanical Society in 1839.

John George Children and John Pelly Anna Atkins were friends of William Henry Fox Talbot.

Anna Atkins learned directly from Talbot about two of his inventions related to photography: the "photogenic drawing" technique and calotypes.

Anna Atkins was known to have had access to a camera by 1841.

Some sources say that Anna Atkins was the first female photographer, while others attribute this title to Constance Fox Talbot.

Anna Atkins self-published her photograms in the first installment of Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions in October 1843.

Anna Atkins planned to provide illustrations to William Henry Harvey's A Manual of British Algae which had been published in 1841.

Anna Atkins produced a total of three volumes of Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions between 1843 and 1853.

Anna Atkins retained the algae, ferns and other plants that she used in her work and in 1865 donated the collection to the British Museum.

Anna Atkins died at Halstead Place in 1871 of "paralysis, rheumatism, and exhaustion" at the age of 72.