The Cellar - Jan 19th, 2016: Picture Book

I like picture books. Illustrations work, but photographs are even better, especially in important classic works.
Say like The Complete Kama Sutra, Belgian Red Light Districts, or Female Anatomy.
So the first book to contain photographs, in 1843, was from a Brit, Yay. And by a woman, Yay. About British algae, Boo.

....... http://cellar.org/2015/alge1.jpg

Her name was Anna Atkins, and her mother died shortly after her birth, so she was raised by her father, and I'd assume household staff.
Dad was a noted scientist with all the right creds. One of Dad's bros was W.H.Fox Talbot, who kind of invented photography.
But damn, algae?

http://cellar.org/2015/alge2.jpg

Quote:

In 1843, the first book ever to be illustrated with photographs was published. Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions documented species of algae in ethereal, blue splendor. Its author, Anna Atkins, was as pioneering as the book she published; she is widely recognized as the first female photographer.

So you see she had pretty good creds her own self. The book had been published two years before but she decided it needed
lace curtains and fresh flowers to spruce it up a bit, you know, the woman's touch. The pictures were blue because this was
one of the early photo developments, cyanotypes, which was later used to make blueprints.

No matter where you look in scientific history, these smart women crop up. I know they were smart and not just lab eye candy,
because they made so many discoveries and breakthroughs in most every scientific field, chemistry, biology, medicine, mathematics,
astronomy, etc, etc. They didn't always get credit but their names are there with some digging.
Link & Link