The Bluest of Blues

July 9 - October 1, 2023 Get tickets

Learn about and experiment with cyanotypes (a photographic printing process using paper and light) in the Learning Center this summer. Original art from the enchanting picture book The Bluest of Blues: Anna Atkins and the First Book of Photographs, written and illustrated by Fiona Robinson, will be on view. This biography tells the story of botanist and photographer Anna Atkins, the first person to publish a book of photography which also combined scientific knowledge of botany and the process of cyanotype, with artistry.

For the images in The Bluest of Blues, Fiona Robinson created digital “collages” from drawings, watercolors, photographs, cyanotypes, and scans of flat materials like wallpaper and wood veneers. Fiona Robinson is an author and illustrator of books for children. Originally from the North of England, she now lives in Brooklyn, New York.

These illustrations as well as the cyanotype collages by artist Wu Chi-Tsung on view in the main galleries will be the inspiration for hands-on activities related to cyanotypes, collage art, and nature-themed projects.

Exhibition Images

picture for 1807 – The English Meadow
1807 – The English Meadow From "The Bluest of Blues: Anna Atkins and the First Book of Photographs," page 6-7. Montage of pencil drawings, watercolor paintings, and photographs, digitized in Adobe Photoshop. Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2019. © Fiona Robinson.
picture for Anna finds a poppy.
Anna finds a poppy. From "The Bluest of Blues: Anna Atkins and the First Book of Photographs," page 8-9. Montage of pencil drawings, watercolor paintings, and photographs, digitized in Adobe Photoshop. Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2019. © Fiona Robinson.
picture for 1811 – Beside the Sea
1811 – Beside the Sea From "The Bluest of Blues: Anna Atkins and the First Book of Photographs," page 14-15. Montage of pencil drawings, watercolor paintings, Saran wrap, and photographs, digitized in Adobe Photoshop. Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2019. © Fiona Robinson.
picture for 1823 – Flowers and Shells
1823 – Flowers and Shells From "The Bluest of Blues: Anna Atkins and the First Book of Photographs," page 18-19. Montage of pencil drawings, watercolor paintings, wallpapers, and photographs, digitized in Adobe Photoshop. Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2019. © Fiona Robinson.
picture for In a dark room…
In a dark room… From "The Bluest of Blues: Anna Atkins and the First Book of Photographs," page 32-33. Montage of pencil drawings, watercolor paintings, and photographs, digitized in Adobe Photoshop. Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2019. © Fiona Robinson.
picture for 1843 – Anna’s Book
1843 – Anna’s Book From "The Bluest of Blues: Anna Atkins and the First Book of Photographs," page 34-35. Montage of pencil drawings, watercolor paintings, wood veneers, and photographs, digitized in Adobe Photoshop. Photoshopped images from the collection of the New York Public Library, New York. Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2019. © Fiona Robinson.

Credits

Anna finds a poppy.
From The Bluest of Blues: Anna Atkins and the First Book of Photographs, page 8-9
Montage of pencil drawings, watercolor paintings, and photographs, digitized in Adobe Photoshop
Abrams Books for Young Readers, 2019 © Fiona Robinson

Also on view

Wu Chi-Tsung: Synchronicity

July 9 - October 1, 2023