Research Catalog

Photographs of British algae : cyanotype impressions.

Title
Photographs of British algae : cyanotype impressions.
Author
Atkins, Anna, 1799-1871
Publication
[Halstead Place, Sevenoaks, England] : [Anna Atkins], [1843-1853].

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StatusVol/DateFormatAccessCall NumberItem Location
case I (vol. I; 2 loose prints)TextNo restrictions Spencer Coll. Eng. 1843 93-440 case I (vol. I; 2 loose prints)Schwarzman Building - Print Collection Room 308
case II (parts I-II, 2 issues of part IV, parts V-XII; cloth portfolio)TextNo restrictions Spencer Coll. Eng. 1843 93-440 case II (parts I-II, 2 issues of part IV, parts V-XII; cloth portfolio)Schwarzman Building - Print Collection Room 308
vol. IIITextNo restrictions Spencer Coll. Eng. 1843 93-440 vol. IIISchwarzman Building - Print Collection Room 308

Details

Additional Authors
Harvey, William H. (William Henry), 1811-1866.
Description
12 parts, 3 volumes : photographs (photograms, cyanotype, white on blue); 27 cm
Summary
  • Cyanotyped throughout, chiefly on J. Whatman Turkey Mill paper; all text reproduced by cyanotype from Atkins' handwriting, except manuscript "Notice" in vol. I. Images created by specimens in direct contact with prepared paper. Each image has caption reproduced from Atkins' handwriting. For detailed account of publishing history and illustration process and inventory of copies then known to be extant, see: Sun gardens : Victorian photograms / by Anna Atkins ; text by Larry J. Schaaf. New York : Aperture, [1985]. See also Schaaf's "The first photographically printed and illustrated book," in Papers of the Bibliographical Society of America, v. 73 (1979), pages 209-224.
  • "The first published book printed and illustrated by photography"--Schaaf, page 8.
  • Atkins based her nomenclature on A manual of the British algae, by William H. Harvey (London, 1841; revised edition published under title A manual of the British marine algae, 1849).
  • Issued as 12 parts, 1843-1850, and 3 volumes, 1850-1853. Parts are numbered "Part I" to "Part XII" on contents leaf of each; volumes are numbered "Vol. I" to "Vol. III" on volume title page of each. Part I contains 4 leaves of photographically reproduced text (work title page, dedication, preface, contents of part) and 8 leaves of images; parts II-XII each contain 1 leaf of text (contents) and 12 leaves of images, for a total of 15 leaves of text and 140 images. When mode of issue changed to volume format, most of the previously issued images were meant to be incorporated with new images created for volumes I and II, with volume tables of contents cancelling those in the parts and some cancellations of individual images, while most images in vol. III were newly created. In all, the 3 volumes were meant to contain 14 leaves of text (work and volume title pages, dedication, preface, volume tables of contents, errata) and at least 389 images, as called for in volume tables of contents. Each recipient was responsible for the collation and binding of his own copy, with the result that extant copies vary greatly in content and makeup; see Schaaf, pages 8-9.
Alternative Title
British algae
Subjects
Genre/Form
  • Cyanotypes.
  • Photograms.
  • Photobooks.
Note
  • Title from title page issued with part I. Subsequent parts lack title page; volumes have title: British algae. Vol. I[-III].
  • Preface in part I and "Notice" in vol. III signed: A.A.
  • Place of publication and beginning date of publication from manuscript presentation inscription inside front wrapper of part I of Spencer Coll. copy: "Halstead Place, Sevenoaks, Octr. 1843." Ending date from "Notice" in vol. III, which reads: "Should any of the plants which are omitted, or of which the impressions are from poor specimens, be obtained, a supplementary part may at any future time, be added to this work. A.A. H.P., Sep. 1853." No such supplementary parts are known to exist. The "Notice" appears at the foot of the second contents leaf in vol. III, which is captioned "Appendix."
  • "The plants in the previous parts, not included in the Table of contents now given, are to be reserved for future volumes. When there are two plates of the same plant, the later one is from the best specimen. Laminaria fascia in Part 2 & Laurencia pinnatifida v. angusta in Part 7, are incorrect, and should be cancelled"--Manuscript "Notice" in vol. I of Spencer Coll. copy.
  • Spencer Coll. copy comprises parts I-II, part IV (2 issues) and parts V-XII; vol. I, with 2 loose prints intended for vol. II; and vol. III. The parts and vol. I, with the 2 loose prints, constitute the copy presented to Sir John F.W. Herschel by Atkins, assigned no. 2 in Schaaf's inventory of extant copies (page 41, no. 2), and acquired in 1985. Part I of this copy is reproduced in Schaaf, pages 10-22. Vol. III was acquired in 2016.
  • Spencer Coll. copy contains a total of 333 leaves of cyanotypes, each approximately 27 x 21 cm. There are 310 leaves of images and 23 leaves of text. Images comprise the 128 in parts I-II and IV-XII; variants of the 12 in part IV, in a later issue of the part; 70 in vol. I; 98 in vol. III; and 2 loose prints. Text comprises 15 leaves in the 12 parts; title page and 3 leaves of contents in vol. I; and title page, 2 leaves of contents (one captioned "Appendix") and 1 leaf containing vol. I-II errata in vol. III. For detailed contents, see The New York Public Library Digital Collections (link above).
  • Spencer Coll. copy of parts and vol. I contains 212 images, including prints representing 140 of the 149 species listed in table of contents of vol. I (prints for the remaining 9 were issued with part III, lacking in Spencer Coll. copy). With variants (images from different specimens, images of subspecies, etc., and 12 variant images in later issue of part IV), there are a total of 179 images belonging to vol. I. The 2 loose prints and 27 of the remaining 31 images in the parts belong to vol. II; 4 belong to vol. III, of which one, Calithamnion roseum, may belong to both vol. II and vol. III.
  • Spencer Coll. copy of vol. III contains 98 images representing all but 3 of the 101 species listed in table of contents of vol. III; prints for the other 3 (Hydrodictyon utriculatum, Porphyra linearis and Bangia fusco-purpurea) are in Spencer Coll. copy of parts VI, II and part I, respectively. In addition, one image in vol. III (Callithamnion roseum) is a variant from a different specimen of an image in pt. VI (there spelled Calithamnion roseum).
Provenance (note)
  • Photographer's presentation copy; part I inscribed to Sir John F.W. Herschel, bart. (inventor of the cyanotype process), "with Mrs. Atkins' compliments," October 1843; by descent to John Herschel-Shorland (see Sotheby's London catalog, March 29, 1985, lot 125).
Binding (note)
  • Each part and volume originally issued in painted blue wrappers, hand-sewn by Atkins.
  • In blue wrappers, as issued.
  • Accompanied by the green cloth portfolio (from a cloth case binding for "Jamieson's Scottish dictionary") in which item was housed in the Herschel library, with manuscript label "Mrs. Atkins's British Algae, Vol. 1" and 3 typescript labels, one reading "Cataloged by M.F.H." Conserved in 2 custom natural linen-covered clamshell cases by Claudia Cohen.
  • Modern half dark green morocco and dark green cloth.
Call Number
Spencer Coll. Eng. 1843 93-440
OCLC
30122403
Author
Atkins, Anna, 1799-1871, photographer.
Title
Photographs of British algae : cyanotype impressions.
Publisher
[Halstead Place, Sevenoaks, England] : [Anna Atkins], [1843-1853].
Type of Content
still image
text
Type of Medium
unmediated
Type of Carrier
volume
Local Note
Spencer Coll. copy comprises parts I-II, parts IV-XII, variant issue of part IV, volumes I and III, and 2 loose prints (333 photographs).
Binding
Each part and volume originally issued in painted blue wrappers, hand-sewn by Atkins.
Provenance
Spencer Coll. copy of parts and vol. I, with 2 loose prints: Photographer's presentation copy; part I inscribed to Sir John F.W. Herschel, bart. (inventor of the cyanotype process), "with Mrs. Atkins' compliments," October 1843; by descent to John Herschel-Shorland (see Sotheby's London catalog, March 29, 1985, lot 125). NN
Binding
Spencer Coll. copy of the parts and vol. I: In blue wrappers, as issued. NN
Spencer Coll. copy of parts and vol. I, with 2 loose prints: Accompanied by the green cloth portfolio (from a cloth case binding for "Jamieson's Scottish dictionary") in which item was housed in the Herschel library, with manuscript label "Mrs. Atkins's British Algae, Vol. 1" and 3 typescript labels, one reading "Cataloged by M.F.H." Conserved in 2 custom natural linen-covered clamshell cases by Claudia Cohen. NN
Spencer Coll. copy of vol. III: Modern half dark green morocco and dark green cloth. NN
Connect to:
NYPL Digital Collections
Place of Publication
England Sevenoaks.
Added Author
Captions from nomenclature in (work): Harvey, William H. (William Henry), 1811-1866. Manual of the British algae.
Herschel, John F. W. (John Frederick William), 1792-1871, former owner. (parts and vol. I; 2 loose prints)
Herschel-Shorland, John, former owner. (parts and vol. I; 2 loose prints)
Cohen, Claudia, 1953- binder. (parts and vol. I; 2 loose prints)
Research Call Number
Spencer Coll. Eng. 1843 93-440
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