What is a Cyanotype?

A cyanotype of a woman sitting on a porch.

What is a Cyanotype?

The early days of photography seem exciting today. It’s full of secretive processes, patents, and intellectual property disputes. Add a love story, and you’ve got yourself a mini-series. The story has two main opposing characters: William Henry Fox Talbot, inventor of the salted paper and calotype process, and Louis Daguerre, inventor of the daguerreotype. If this were a mini-series, I think the quirky, brilliant side character would be Sir John Herschel, astronomer, scientist, and inventor of the cyanotype.

Herschel had a small but vital role in the photographic process. Even though Talbot and Daguerre tried to keep their processes under wraps, Herschel learned about both experiments and uncovered that each had three components: “(1) Very susceptible paper; (2) Very perfect camera; (3) Means of arresting the further action.” Herschel used this formula to begin his own experiment, which led to discovering “hypo”–also known as sodium thiosulphate–a fixing technique that removes unexposed silver salts and stabilizes the image. 

When Talbot learned of this process, he met with Herschel and asked for permission to publish these findings. According to Beaumont Newhall, “Almost all subsequent photographic processes rely upon Herschel’s discovery.” Naomi Rosenblum writes, “Herschel’s contributions to the chemistry of photography reveal both scientific brilliance and disinterested generosity.” While others like Talbot were secretive or patent-hungry, Herschel wanted to share his discoveries for others to use. (See why he would be so interesting to watch?) He again showed this generosity with the cyanotype.

The Cyanotype

A cyanotype of two girls outside.

Herschel’s experiments led him to invent the cyanotype in 1842. Unlike other processes, a photographer doesn’t need silver or a dark room to create the print. Bertrand Lavédrine describes a cyanotype as “a photographic print on a piece of plain (uncoated) paper, on which the image is composed of a blue pigment. The paper is sensitized with ferric (iron) salts. A yellow-brown image prints out during exposure to the light; during the subsequent washing and drying, the image intensifies and is converted to Prussian blue pigment.”

While Herschel created the cyanotype, his friend, neighbor, and botanist Anna Atkins used his discovery to create British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions in 1843, also known as the “first book to be illustrated entirely with photographs.” Atkins created impressions of plants by laying them on sensitized paper and used the sun to print gorgeous cyanotypes–no camera needed. Despite this, Atkins is largely known as the first female photographer.

Cyanotypes were cheap and easy to make with a unique look. However, these prints were only used occasionally in the 19th century compared to other photographic processes. They didn’t become popular until the twentieth century when architects used cyanotypes to duplicate blueprints.

How to Care for Cyanotypes

A cyanotype of a man with horse on a postcard.

Antique cyanotypes suffer from many of the same issues as other types of photography. Fading is their most common problem. Cyanotypes are very susceptible to UV damage–even with UV protectant glazing–and can fade when stored in an alkaline (buffered) environment. Unlike other prints, some cyanotypes can recover when placed in a dark, non-alkaline (unbuffered) environment. Since this type of photography was so cheap to print, many people used poor backing material for their photos. Like albumen prints, this backing can suffer deterioration and breakage due to age and environmental factors.

The National Park Service recommends these storing tips:

  • Place each print in its own folder or separated by unbuffered tissue (no more than three to a folder).
  • Keep the prints flat in each folder. The prints are too fragile to roll and can easily crack or tear. However, do not unroll and flatten if the print is too brittle or unstable. You risk tearing or breaking the piece.
  • Do not use plastic for long-term storage. It traps the acid next to the paper and causes deterioration.
  • Control your humidity. The Library of Congress recommends keeping documents at around 35% humidity.

If you have an antique cyanotype that seems too fragile to unroll or handle, a professional conservator will help you preserve your original prints. Beware of online do-it-yourself solutions. Most of the information provided online such as applying wax, washing, etc. pertains to modern cyanotypes, not antique prints. You could cause irreparable damage to your photos if you try to flatten or stabilize your images yourself. It’s always best to consult a pro before trying a method.

Many artists still use cyanotypes to create their own nature art. Craft companies sell kits for children and do-it-yourself enthusiasts who want a fun project or a new hobby. Fine art photographers use digital and darkroom methods to create modern cyanotype photographs. The blue tone is extremely artistic and evokes a cold, mysterious feeling in the subject.

Cyanotypes are one of the longest-surviving photographic processes since the advent of photography. It’s an interesting format that delights our customers when they discover one among their photos. While Herschel didn’t seek notoriety like his contemporaries, he made small, powerful impacts on photography, and we have him to thank for this brilliant blue format. It’s important to note that we also have him to thank for the terms “photography,” “positive,” and “negative.” Without those contributions, we’d be stuck using Talbot’s unfortunate terms “photogenic drawing,” “reverse copy,” and “re-reversed copy.” Hooray for the side character!