Corey Keller

Learn about the life of Anna Atkins, the pioneering photographer who combined art and science to create the first photographically illustrated book.

Step into the world of Anna Atkins (1799–1871), perhaps the world’s first female photographer and a pioneer of the medium. She lived an existence full of heartache and triumph, from her mother’s death when Atkins was an infant to her publication of multiple photographic books as an adult. After the passing of her mother, Atkins was raised primarily by her father and grandfather, who placed an emphasis on both her emotional and intellectual growth. As a result, she spent her life surrounded by some of the brightest minds of Victorian England during the Industrial Revolution.

Despite societal gender norms of the time, which typically limited women to a life within the home, Atkins gained the respect of the scientific community with her ambitious multivolume album Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions, now recognized as the world’s first photographically illustrated book. Her cyanotypes, in addition to their scientific accuracy, lent artistic beauty to her publications, setting the stage for new uses of this experimental technology. In an era replete with state-of-the-art inventions and innovative ideas, Atkins pushed photography forward in its earliest days with courage, creativity, and brilliance.

Ages thirteen and up.

Corey Keller is a historian of photography with a particular interest in nineteenth-century science. Based in Oakland, California, she was a curator at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) for nearly two decades.

“A vital re-examination of an often-overlooked pioneer who bridged the worlds of science, art and early photography.”
—Quentin Nardi, Smithsonian Magazine

“A seminal and groundbreaking illustrated biography.”
—Midwest Book Review

“A charming and informative biography of an intriguing artist.”
—Douglas Stockdale, PhotoBook Journal

“An accessible and visually enticing work that blends science, technology, and social history.”
—Kirkus Reviews

“What makes this book compelling is not only Keller’s thorough research but also her ability to weave together narrative, science, and cultural history into a seamless whole. The prose is accessible yet sophisticated, inviting both scholars and general readers to engage with Atkins’s story. While the biography is concise at 112 pages, it’s richly enhanced by 86 color illustrations—drawings, herbaria, and cyanotypes that let Atkins’s artistry speak for itself.”
—Elisabetta Sari, The Flora Journal

“A remarkable visual feast.”
—Isaac Randel, Foreword Reviews

“This nuanced and beautifully written book is an excellent introduction to one of the pioneering photographers of the nineteenth century. Keller serves up a moving personal tale of Anna Atkins’s life, work, and friendships in the context of nineteenth-century science, industry, and gender. With its beautiful drawings, herbaria, and photographs and Keller’s careful and nuanced research, this book will be as popular with scholars as it is with students.”
—Professor Kelley Wilder

“Brilliant, lively, and deeply engaging, Anna Atkins: Photographer, Naturalist, Innovator brings to life the pioneering figure behind the first photographically illustrated book. In clear, compelling prose, Keller weaves together biography, science, and cultural history to show how Atkins deftly navigated—and challenged—the gendered constraints of Victorian society to produce a quietly radical body of work. Wide-ranging yet accessible, this book sheds new light on the scientific, artistic, and social worlds that shaped Atkins’s extraordinary achievements. A must-read for anyone interested in the origins of photography, women in science, or the visual culture of the nineteenth century.”
—Sarah Kennel, Curator of Photography and Director of the Raysor Center, Virginia Museum of Fine Arts

“A pioneering botanist and one of the first photographers, Anna Atkins comes vividly to life in Corey Keller’s engaging and beautifully written portrait of a Victorian woman whose cyanotypes still inspire art, science, and environmental thought today.”
—Jennifer Tucker, Professor of History of Science & Visual Studies, Wesleyan University

112 pages
8 x 10 1/2 inches
86 color illustrations
ISBN 978-1-947440-11-1
hardcover

Getty Publications
Imprint: Getty Publications

2025