A hands-on workshop on the art of cyanotype photography will be held at The Barnes Museum in Southington, Connecticut, on May 6 from 11:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m.
The British chemist and mathematician Sir John Herschel developed the cyanotype method in 1842 using photosensitive paper and ultraviolet light to create cyan-blue prints used for art as monochrome imagery. Botanist Anna Atkins used the process for the publication of hand-printed albums of botanical and textile specimens, most notably with the 1843 “Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions,” the world”™s first photographically illustrated book. The process is still used today by fine art photographers.
The workshop will study the centuries-old technique of botanical printing that Anna Atkins used by utilizing the flora found throughout the gardens of the museum. The workshop costs $20 per person and covers all supplies plus light refreshments and option tours of the museum.
More information is available on the museum”™s website.
Photo: A cyanotype of algae by 19th century botanist Anna Atkins, courtesy Wikimedia Commons
