History of Photography Podcast

The cyanotype was one of the earliest photographic processes and with its rich, blue color, remains one of the most beautiful. Invented in 1842 by the amazingly prolific Sir John Herschel, the easy-to-produce cyanotype lives on today in the darkrooms of many photographers and artists. Links for this episode: Sir John Herschel –  at the Getty Museum Anna Atkins – British Algae in the New York Public Library Alternative Photography – a how-to guide from a good source Cyanotype material from Freestyle Photo Lenscratch.com – Review of a contemporary exhibition of alternative processes, including Cyanotype My Italy Photography Workshops are being planned for May and June of 2016 – get on the Advanced Notice Mailing List here Anna Atkins (1799-1871). Papaver rhoeas. Paper watermarked 1845. Cyanotype from the Atkins-Dixon album presented by Anne Dixon to her nephew in 1861. Image from A History of Women Photographers, published by Abbeville Press.

The Kodak Brownie camera was one of the most popular cameras in the history of photography. The Brownie popularized low-cost photography and introduced the concept of the snapshot to a public eager to preserve their personal and family memories. With its simple controls and initial price of $1, it was intended to be a camera that anyone could afford and use. Links for this episode: The George Eastman House’s Brownie Collection Kodak’s Brownie History Page (a little dated, but interesting) Brownie In Motion – Stephen Takacs very cool project – also on Stephen’s website     The Kodak Brownie

When light sensitive material is exposed to light, a chemical change happens, but this change isn’t necessarily visible. This idea is perhaps part of why early photographers – and early viewers of photographic images – had a hard time with the concept of the latent image, yet it was one of the most important components of the technology of photography in its infancy.