Anna Atkins: Catalyst of Modern Photography Through the First Photobook

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Anna Atkins: Catalyst of Modern Photography Through the First Photobook ANNA ATKINS: CATALYST OF MODERN PHOTOGRAPHY THROUGH THE FIRST PHOTOBOOK Melanie R. Isenogle A Thesis Submitted to the Graduate College of Bowling Green State University in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of MASTER OF ARTS August 2019 Committee: Andrew Hershberger, Advisor Sean V. Leatherbury © 2019 Melanie Isenogle All Rights Reserved iii ABSTRACT Andrew Hershberger, Advisor Anna Atkins (1799-1871) was a botanist first and a photographer second. Dedicating the majority of her life to the study of British botanicals, Atkins initially recorded these plants through the act of drawing. Living during a time filled with photographic advancements from the likes of William Henry Fox Talbot (1800-1877), Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre (1787-1851), and Sir John Herschel (1792-1871), Atkins also played a critical role for photography through her publications. Herschel, a family friend, created the cyanotype method, which often forgoes the use of a camera and lens to create a picture. The cyanotype produces handmade photogram impressions of objects from light rays and emulsion. Atkins chose to use this process for her renderings of the plants she studied due to its ability to capture more “accurate depictions.” Atkins's book, Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions, created during the years 1843-1853, offers full pages of cyanotypes and wrappings which are made entirely of photographs. These images come in the form of a Prussian blue and white negative, combing both text and image to provide not only an education and categorization of the plants themselves, but also a more accurate depiction of the botanical specimens Atkins had spent her life studying. This straight photographic style, via the photogram, also precedes traditional theories of when modern photography begins. Photography has habitually been categorized as beginning in the year 1839 with Talbot’s and Daguerre’s announcements of their processes for fixing light rays. What scholars and critics sometimes fail to recognize, though, is that the beginnings for the modern era for photography start within this time, rather than around the twentieth century. iv Therefore, it could be argued that these innovations from Talbot, Daguerre, Herschel, and Atkins too, act as an advancement for the medium, thus propelling photography into a modern era. Through careful analyses of the New York Public Library’s copy of one of Atkins’s publications, it is evident that her work exemplified this modern quality and captured an intellect that continues to inspire contemporary artists today. v Dedicated to those who see a photograph and feel the impact correspond with their soul. vi ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Through my journey of writing this thesis, I was granted experiences and relationships that would prove to be exceptionally meaningful throughout this process. First and foremost, I am fully appreciative and thankful for the guidance and support of my thesis committee members, Dr. Andrew Hershberger and Dr. Sean V. Leatherbury. Without their guidance, this thesis would fail to be what it is today. For the years leading up to this thesis, Dr. Hershberger continuously encouraged my ideas, claims, and passion for photography throughout the numerous art history classes and conversations I have had with him, both during my undergraduate and graduate degrees. It has been the utmost pleasure to learn from him and model myself after his positive academic atmosphere for the way I approach learning. Dr. Hershberger’s constant support led me to contact the Royal Gardens of Kew in England for copies of letters in support of my thesis, as well as to make an appointment at the New York Public Library to analyze firsthand Atkins’s publication; an experience that will easily be regarded as the highlight of my graduate career. Additionally, Dr. Leatherbury has pushed me to thoroughly seek knowledge and think critically about my writing, which, without a doubt, assisted me greatly throughout my thesis adventure. A critical addition to my collegiate career, photography professor Lynn Whitney offered countless gracious words of inspiration that afforded much relief for me during times of stress, and for that I will forever be grateful. I also would like to thank Abigail Cloud in the English Department for assisting in translating the beautiful script in the letters from the Royal Gardens of Kew. I must also recognize those within my program who, while writing their own theses, provided the best support system. Mariah Morales and Tami Landis kept me grounded during our entire program through many late nights and early mornings. These two women are such vii strong individuals, both academically and personally, and without them, this journey would have been full of more tears than laughs. I have the utmost appreciation for my boyfriend, Sam Scholl, for sticking with me through my thesis and inspiring me every day. I also must thank Sam for housing and taking care of me during my many escapes to New York from Bowling Green, so I could recharge during this whole process. Your loving words of encouragement through the really long days of writing truly allowed me to persevere. For that, I am the most grateful. Lastly, I would like to thank my parents, Alan and Nancy Isenogle, with whom I can hardly find the words to express my gratitude. Thank you for consistently showing support throughout my education and allowing me to pursue my dreams, no matter how big. vi TABLE OF CONTENTS Page INTRODUCTION .... ....................................................................................................... 1 CHAPTER I. MODERN PHOTOGRAPHY AND ANNA ATKINS ................................ 3 John George Children and The Royal Society ........................................................ 6 Sir John Herschel .................................................................................................. 9 Sir William Hooker ............................................................................................... 11 A Science for Women: Botany .............................................................................. 12 CHAPTER II. CYANOTYPE IMPRESSIONS ................................................................ 16 Birth of the Photobook ......................................................................................... 16 Analysis of Paper ................................................................................................. 20 Inspection of Algae Impressions ............................................................................ 24 CHAPTER III. LIFE AFTER PHOTOGRAPHS OF BRITISH ALGAE: CYANOTYPE IMPRESSIONS PRODUCTION ....................................................................................... 27 Death of Atkins's Father ....................................................................................... 27 Other Publications ................................................................................................ 28 Impact on Contemporary Art and Thought ........................................................... 30 CHAPTER IV. CONCLUSION ........................................................................................ 37 BIBLIOGRAPHY ..... ....................................................................................................... 39 APPENDIX A. FIGURES................................................................................................ 41 1 INTRODUCTION What is a photograph? This question is arguably the most debated topic in the history of the medium by photographers and critics alike. Heated declarations turn into manifestos for a few, and others then respond with equally passionate opinions. Pictorialist photographers like Robert Demachy (1859-1936) stated that a photograph should be manipulated and entirely, or partially, soft-focused. Other modernist photographers, such as Berenice Abbott (1898-1971), during the mid-twentieth century, argued that a photograph must be entirely sharp-focused and unaltered.1 But, what happens when a photographer defies these now common philosophies before people even formulate them? Anna Atkins (1799-1871), the first female photographer, in 1843 challenged these later declarations in advance by creating the first photographic book with a method that forgoes the use of a camera and a lens altogether to create a picture. The cyanotype, or blueprint as it is also known, offers the world handmade impressions of objects via light rays and emulsion. The definition of impression in this case refers to the imagery created when sunrays are blocked from exposing light-sensitive paper by an object that is impressed upon, or rests atop of, the paper. The result renders a negative image – a white shadow image surrounded by Prussian blue. The purity of these creations offers one-to-one impressions directly from the object and its shadow, creating what Atkins herself referred to as a more accurate means of documentation than drawing (Fig. 1). The lack of a camera and lens also arguably produces a strong authorship within each print due to Atkins’s hand-painted emulsion, decisions for composition and display 1 Robert Demachy, "On the Straight Print" (1907) and Berenice Abbott, "Photography at the Crossroads" (1951), in Photographic Theory: an Historical Anthology, ed Andrew Hershberger. Oxford: Wiley- Blackwell, 2014. 114-117 and 150-153. Print. 2 of plants on each page, and also her cyanotype texts included inside the books and with each image. Additionally, because of the thousands of
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