BOOK REVIEWS — Anna Atkins: Photographer, Naturalist, Innovator.

Corey Keller, Getty Publications, 2025.

Anna Atkins: Photographer, Naturalist, Innovator provides a biographical overview and an art historical look at the legacy of one of the first female photographers. Author Corey Keller is a photographic historian with an interest in nineteenth-century science and worked as a curator at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) for nearly two decades. Classified as juvenile nonfiction recommended for ages 13 and up, the volume is nevertheless a sophisticated review of Atkins’ life, the social milieu in which she lived, and her photographic work. Richly illustrated with both Atkins’ works and other images by 19th-century artists, the book provides a good introduction and overview of Atkins’ life and work.

The volume is divided into three chapters alongside an introduction, epilogue, glossary, notes, and bibliography. The introduction provides a brief overview of Atkins’ work and how she came to be included in the canon of the history of photography. Keller also acknowledges that as a woman photographer, Atkins was not always given her due as the first person to publish a photographically illustrated book. Even in 1889, only 18 years after her death, a researcher was hard-pressed to uncover her identity when coming upon a volume of her work. Keller also notes that while Atkins’ name and works have more recently come to light, many details about her life have been lost to time, making historical research difficult.

Chapter 1, “The ‘A’ is for Anna,” delves into Atkins’ life and situates her in the historical period. Beginning with her birth in 1799, the narrative provides context about her family, where she grew up, how her upbringing aligned with and departed from a typical 19th-century British girl’s life, and what her education was like. Because Atkins’ mother died when she was a child, she was largely raised by her father, a scientist, who did not always follow social conventions. We learn that Anna’s first foray into art was in the form of scientifically accurate illustrations of shells for her father’s publications. The author also references cultural touchstones that Atkins would have been familiar with, including writers like Jane Austen, the Brontë sisters, and Charles Dickens; art exhibitions by J.M.W. Turner; theater productions at Covent Garden; and panoramas at Leicester Square. These examples help give the reader a fuller understanding of the cultural influences in Atkins’ life.

Chapter 2, “Impressions of the Plants Themselves,” continues the biographical narrative covering the era when Atkins dove into photographic work. The author gives an overview of the development of photography, explaining Louis-Jacques-Mandé Daguerre’s and William Henry Fox Talbot’s contributions, and then provides details about John Herschel’s development of the cyanotype process. As soon as Atkins learned about Herschel’s process, she began experimenting with it. By page 49 of the book, the author describes Atkins' most famous work, Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions. Several pages of full plate illustrations give a sense of the contents of these volumes. Keller contextualizes this work well, providing a good explanation of the “Sea-weeding” fad of the mid-nineteenth century. During this period, collecting and identifying seaweed at the British shore was a common pastime, especially among women.

The final chapter, “The Art of Science,” describes the last years of Atkins’ life. Keller argues that Atkins should be known for more than just her volumes of seaweed cyanotypes. Keller describes other volumes Atkins created, primarily of British ferns. Because Atkins did not produce as many copies of these, they are not as widely known or studied. Keller also makes the case that Atkins' friend and collaborator Anne Dixon should be recognized as a photographer.

Throughout the book, Keller also uses sidebars to provide tangential explorations of related topics that help provide context on Atkins’ life and work. Topics include the Industrial Revolution, the Victorian Era, scientific illustration by women in the 17th and 18th centuries, women scientists of the era, advances in gardening technology, and women working outside the home, among others.

In the epilogue, Keller examines Atkins’ legacy by looking at three contemporary female photographers working with the cyanotype process. This concludes the volume by illustrating how Atkins’ work remains relevant, even in the age of digital photography. However, the author’s exploration of this area was very brief and not exhaustive. The epilogue fails to trace Atkins’ influence on female botanists or scientists. Admittedly, covering these topics in detail would be cumbersome for the purposes of this text, so the brevity of this section could inspire readers to continue their own research and exploration.

Though the intended audience for the book is young adults, that should not keep anyone else from enjoying this title. The work is short but serious, well researched and well written, with ample full-color illustrations of Atkins’ works as well as of photographs and paintings by other contemporary artists. Overall, the narrative not only provides biographical details but also situates Atkins within the history of photography and the traditions of scientific specimen collecting and illustration. It provides a good overview for teens as well as anyone casually interested in historical women artists or early photography. Also, it can serve as a great jumping-off point for other researchers starting work in this area of art history. Published by the Getty, this book can attract audiences interested in art, as well as the history of early female scientists.

Nicole Davis, Supervisory Archivist at The Museum of Flight. Nicole previously worked as a photo archivist at the Austin History Center, Austin Public Library, and at the Harry Ransom Center, The University of Texas at Austin.