Artists never die; their work keeps them alive in people’s hearts. Anna Atkins is one such personality who is widely known for her unordinary pictures related to the unlikely subject like British algae. She took her work standards to that level where no comparison could be done, and no comment could be made.
Not only did she change people’s perspective towards photography, but botany as well. It’s 216th birthday of the great artist, who still rules millions of hearts. Even Google cannot afford to ignore her birthday, which is why Google doodle is dedicated to the beautiful lady and her paintings.
Atkins was born in 1799 and inclined towards science right from the childhood for a simple reason i.e. her father, John Children. She quickly adopted to her father’s work style and started contributing to his work as an illustrator. As per the records, she used to illustrate the translation of Jean-Baptiste Lamarck’s Genera of Shells that was done by her father.
The scientific atmosphere at home quickly drove her attention and soon became her passion. Even though she was enthusiastic about making a career in the same field, but sometimes felt too relegated by seeing no motivation for women in this field. There were a lot of male names in Science field who got her attention, but she could hardly find any woman name.
The Philosophical Breakfast Club states that her passion for science and solid background in the same led helped her win an employment opportunity with William Henry Fox Talbot. He was considered as the only person who knew anything about photography in 1840s.
Her high-energy level and deterministic approach towards photography took her close to Sir John Herschel, who invented cyanotype in 1842. The duo became friends within no time.
It might be the effect of his company or Atkin’s motivation that led her to write her first photographic book of algae in 1843. It is considered as one of the best works in this field, even today.