Beauvais Lyons: Cyanotype History and Methods

This presentation introduces cyanotypes, sometimes called “blue prints,” which were invented in 1842 by John Herschel, a chemist, astronomer, and photographer. The talk references Anna Atkins (1799-1871), who is credited with making the first book to be illustrated with photographs, and the first substantial application of photography to science in her book Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions. It then shows the process using Sunprint Kit, a commercially available set of pre-coated cyanotype sheets.