The entries for the 2025 (2026 calendar) event. After the event, the Calendar and Journal for 2026 was created themed A Tribute to Sir John Herschel, and artists created images of his life, work and discoveries using alternative photographic processes.
The artists are now selected for the calendar and journal. Check them out!
To see the creator and title of an image, click on it and read the text below. The contributions so far:
Artists taking part in our calendar & journal event
➥ Adley Rochelle, Herschel Crest. Cyanotype. The crest was designed using Herschel’s fathers 40 foot telescope and the astronomical symbol of Uranus which was discovered by Sir John Herschel’s father. | Instagram: @silverlensbyadleyrochelle | https://www.facebook.com/silverlensbyadleyrochelle
➥ Alyssa McKenna, Egyptian Avenue. Bronzed chrysotype. Herschel discovered the range of colors and luxury of printing in gold. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/alyssa-mckenna | Instagram: @alyssa_k.m
➥ Amy Heller, Heart of Orion. Collaged cyanotype on fabric sculpture. Honoring Herschel with astronomy, constellation of Orion, Greek mythology, and depicting Cupid piercing Orion’s heart. | Instagram: @amyhellerartist | facebook.com/amy.heller.9659 | BlueSky: @amyhellerartist.bsky.social
➥ Anne Guest, Cygnus. Cyanotype. Herschel, a prominent astronomer, discovered numerous double star systems, including some in the constellation Cygnus, the Swan. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/anne-guest | Instagram: @anneguest.artist
➥ Bernd Hutschenreuther, Maple leaf. Cyanotype. Cyanotype using an adption of the first cyanotype processes of Herschel-chemigram with two-bath process. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/bernd-hutschenreuther | Instagram: @hutschinetto
➥ Bonnie O. App, Orion and Herschel. Encaustic cyanotype and lumen print. Herschel was the first to describe and illustrate, in great detail, the Orion Nebula. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/bonnie-o-app | Instagram: @bonoapp
➥ Brian K. Edwards, Sun. Cyanotype. John Herschel invented the Herschel Wedge which is used by people to observe and photograph the sun and invented the Cyanotype. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/brian-edwards | Instagram: @bkedwardsphoto and @briankedwards | https://www.facebook.com/bkedwards
➥ Bridget Arnold, Partial Solar Eclipse. Wet Cyanotype. Herschel coined the term Photography, Drawing with light. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/bridget-arnold | Instagram: @Bridget9696 | facebook.com/bridget.arnold.186
➥ Caroline Roberts, Daybook 1842-2025. Cyanotype. The Daybook combines Herschel’s notes with my own research notes, using my more fluid cyanotype process. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/caroline-roberts | Instagram: @carolinesroberts
➥ Christiane Casas, Gratitude – Reverence. Cyanotype. I love starry skies and Herschel planets make me dream. | Instagram: @christiane.casasart
➥ Christiane Schatz, Positiv – negativ. Cyanotype. The terms positive and negative, which Herschel coined for photography, are translated into mathematical language and shown as symbols, placed on “stripes” that imitate the movement of the stars in the night sky and create a link to his astronomical work. | Instagram: @trennbild
➥ Clara M Prieto, Amor del hortelano. Cyanotype. Amor del hortelano (Love of the gardener) honors Sir John Herschel, weaving his love for botany with his contributions to chemistry and astronomy through the cyanotype process he created – a union of light, science, and the natural world.
➥ Claudia Soiget, Solar Explotions. Cyanotype. As Herschel was an astronomer, I refer to the sun as the nesrest star to the earth that keeps us alive. | Instagram: @claudiasoiget and @casa_cian
➥ Clive Pigott, Herschel Tribute 7 Moons. Positive and negative linocut in cyanotype. This linocut image recognises Herschel as a serious contributor to astronomy chemistry and photography, and also, is a subtle nod towards his interest in botany. | Instagram: @artfuldodgephoto
➥ Dalene Marais, Sir John Herschel’s discovery 9t the icy blue planet Uranus. Cyanotype. Sir John Herschel’s portrait alongside imagery of Uranus—discovered by his father—and its rings. The cyanotype is developed under the South African sun in tribute to Herschel’s scientific and artistic legacy.
➥ Daniel Rothenberg, Island. Chemigram. Honors Sir John Herschel by blending science, light, and art into a poetic, transformative image—echoing his curiosity and innovations. | Instagram: @danielrothenbergart
➥ J. David Whitehead, I am Superhero! Classic cyanotype. A tribute to Herschel’s 1842 experiments with Prussian Blue and other materials to create positive, non-reversed prints—testing variations on small sensitized paper squares.
➥ David Symonds, Observing the Planets. Cyanotype. In tribute of Herschel as an astronomer and inventor of the cyanotype process. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/dave-symonds
➥ Ellen J. Craft, Portrait of Young John Herschel. Pastel painting on cyanotype. My portrait is after the painting, “Portrait of a Young Herschel,” by Alfred Edward Chalon. | Instagram: @ellenjcraft
➥ Émilie Léger, Correspondances. Cyanotype. This cyanotype honours Sir John Herschel by blending natural materials with excerpts from his scientific letters. Using light-sensitive processes, it evokes his legacy in photography, his role in knowledge exchange, and his exploration of the invisible—mirroring his early mappings of the sky. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/emilie-leger | Instagram: @emilie.leger.art
➥ Graham Zimmermann, Herschel as young man. Cyanotype. A portrait of Herschel as young man.
➥ Gregory E. Roth, Colored Wheelbarrow. Tin type. Demonstrates wet-plate techniques Herschel guided, akin to Talbot’s Lacock Abbey images, showcasing early photographic fixing and coloring methods. | facebook.com/geroth
➥ Jane Linders, Mima’s Moon. Cyanotype. Herschel named the moons of Saturn. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/jane-a-linders | Instagram: @janeannlinders
➥ Jen Perena, Desert Garden. Marigold Anthotype. Herschel studied the effects of the sun on various vegetable pigments, including Marigold, while in South Africa. This composition features cacti native to South Africa. | Instagram: @kallitypegirl
➥ John Ansell. Herschel Tribute to his studies in color blindness. Cyanotype.
➥ Josephine Schreibers, Floris. Cyanotype. Herschel was the inventor of the anthotype.
➥ Judy Seigel (1930-2017), Hommage to Herschel ( 37.1677° N, 95.0242° W). Gum bichromate. With its circulate black frame and shimmering tone, this black and silver gum bichromate of the NYC skyline created in 1995 was inspired by Herschel’s 1839 wet collodion plate “snapshot” of his father’s 40-foot telescope-the earliest surviving photograph on glass. | Instagram: @judyseigelestate
➥ Julie McMahon, Snapshot! Herschel’s Cosmic Mind Garden. Cyanotype. Sir John Herschel’s restless, curious mind inspired my Cyanotype photogram—a cosmic garden of plants and stars. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/julie-mcmahon | Instagram: @juliemcmahonart | https://www.facebook.com/JulieMcMahonArt
➥ Karin Matter-Locher, Science in Blue. Cyanotype. A Tribute to John Herschel – Scientist, Mathematician, Inventor, and Explorer.
➥ Katarzyna Lesniewska, Sir John Hershel. Cyanotype. Capturing Saturn near the moon – honoring Herschel’s discovery of Saturn’s moon Enceladus. The red dot beneath the moon marks Saturn, photographed during its closest approach on February 9, 2025, linking contemporary observation to Herschel’s astronomical legacy.
➥ Kathy Vukasovich, Uranus Rising. Cyanotype Collage. My cyanotype speaks to Sir John Herschel’s interest in Astronomy and his discovery of the blue planet Uranus. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/kathleen-vukasovich | Instagram: @kvukasovich_artist
➥ Kazimierz Biernat, Inside cosmos. Cyanotype. Herschel observed Saturn, among other things. One of the craters on the moon bears his name. | Instagram: @mr.chlorophyll.art | https://www.facebook.com/MrChlorophyllArt
➥ Kevin Rose Schultz, The Stereoscope. Cyanotype. Many of Herschel’s Cyanotypes were negatives so I selected a photo of my niece appearing to look like an old time photo using the same technique. | Instagram: @kevin.rose.schultz
➥ Kirsten Murphy, Snowy Birch. Mixed Media Cyanotype. John Herschel was just one of many trees in the forest of science, but his roots ran deep, shaping the landscape of photography for future generations. | Instagram: @murphykirstenm
➥ Kit Martin, 40 foot telescope. Cyanotype. Made by his father William and aunt Caroline, John Herschel dismantled it in 1839, fearing it would collapse due to rot. The star shape is a playful way of alluding to the telescope’s astronomical function. | instagram: @kitmartinphoto
➥ Laura Bridges, Lacock Abbey. Wet Cyanotype on paper. John Herschel and William Henry Fox Talbot were close friends who collaborated on scientific research, especially in the field of optics and photography. Talbot, who owned and lived at Lacock Abbey, developed the first photographic negative and paper prints, and his work was significantly impacted by his interactions with Herschel. | Instagram: @indigo_creatives
➥ Laurinda Bellew, Nebula. Cyanotype. The image is inspired by Sir John Herschel’s observations and cataloging of nebula and star clusters | Instagram: @bluelumiere.art | https://www.facebook.com/bluelumiereart | BlueSky: @bluelumiereart
➥ Lesley Duxbury, Another World. Selectively toned cyanotype. Herschel discovered Uranus, another world in our solar system. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/lesley-duxbury | Instagram: @lesley.duxbury
➥ Libby Mornement, Having Explored the Stars. Cyanotype Telescope. The words a translated part of the inscription on Herschel’s Grave in Westminster Abbey: a decade later Darwin was buried next to him. A 3D Photographic tribute to Sir John Hershel, the lesser known Polymath: Astrologer, Photographer, Mathematician and Chemist. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/libby-mornement | Instagram: @bloemen_and_blue | BlueSky: @bloemen-and-blue
➥ Mac Cosgrove-Davies, Dagsboro Space Program. Cyanotype. This cyanotype of a wet plate collodion negative honors Herschel, who invented cyanotype and advanced silver-based photography. The rocket sculpture nods to his astronomical contributions, linking science and photographic history.
➥ Malin Fabbri, Herschel and friends. Wet cyanotype with negative. Combines portraits of Herschel, Somerville, and Atkins, honouring their joint contributions to photographic processes. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/malin-fabbri | Instagram: @malin.fabbri.photo | facebook.com/AlternativePhotographyCom | Bluesky: @malinfabbri
➥ Mary T. Davenport, Celery Forest Moon. Cyanolumen. Exploration of chemical reactions in cyanolumens inspired by Herschel’s curiosity. | Instagram: @marytdav | facebook.com/@marytdavenportjewelry
➥ Montserrat Rodríguez aka nyx10110, Crossing skies and seas. Cyanotype. Reading about Herschel makes me think of a bird that soars across the vast skies and seas of knowledge and wisdom. | Instagram: @nyx10110 | https://www.facebook.com/nyx10110 | BlueSky: @nyx10110.bsky.social
➥ Muffin Bernstein, NGC 5128, Telescope, Nebula, John Herschel. Cyanotype. Herschel’s drawings and a portrait of him are combined with NASA Hubble’s image of a Nebula.
➥ Nan Wollman, Revealed. Cyanotype. I used a leaf to get most of the image, as Herschel used plants in some of his images. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/nan-wollman | Instagram: @nanwollman | BlueSky: @nanwollman
➥ Natalia Tcherniak, Sir Dionysius Herschel. Cyanotype. Drawn by Sir John Herschel, a doodle of Dionysius, a god of functions, surrounded by his ruling domains. Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/natalia-tcherniak | Instagram: @nattchbob
➥ Paige Billin-Frye, Botanical Wonders. Toned Cyanotypes. Documenting how the plants can be used for toning cyanotypes, just as Herschel and his wife documented the plants in Cape Town, South Africa. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/paige-billin-frye | Instagram: @paigebfillustration_com
➥ Palle Lindgaard-Joergensen, John Herschell blueprint, cyanotype. Herschel developed the cyanotype method, which enabled the reproduction of architectural drawings. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/palle-lindgaard-jorgensen | Instagram: @lindgaardpalle
➥ Patricia Gordon, We are stardust. Cyanotype. As an astronomer, I want to believe Hershel saw the connection between universal energy and life on earth.
➥ Paul Ligas, Organic Beach Sand, Anthotype. Herschel discovered the anthotype process, and Anna Atkins made prints of sea algae using Herschel’s cyanotype process. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/paul-ligas | instagram: @paulligasphotography | facebook.com/paulligasphotography
➥ Paula Pink, Star Sprinkles. Cyanotype over Palladium. A layered photographic tribute to Sir John Herschel, honoring his innovations in chemistry, light, and early botanical imaging. | Instagram: @paulapinkphotography | BlueSky: @paulapink
➥ Pedro Mendes Leal, New Experiences. Vertotype. Like Sir John Herschel, I am also dedicated to improving my work in sustainable and creative ways. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/pedro-leal | Instagram: @pedromendesleal | facebook.com/pedromendesleal/
➥ Ralph Rinke, Sir John. Cyanotype. A contemporary portrait of Sir John Herschel. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/ralph-rinke | Instagram: @ralphrinke
➥ Richard Bailey, Homage to Herschel. Photomontage, including scan of wetplate and duotone cyanotype. The moon is an emblem of Herschel’s groundbreaking contributions to astronomy. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/richard-bailey
➥ Rita Boon, Sir John Herschel tribute – a revelation during corona times. Cyanotype. Combining images of Sir John Herschel, his architectural blueprints, Anna Atkins, and her botanical cyanotypes. As a woman artist, I felt it important to honour not just Herschel’s invention, but also Atkins’ overlooked contributions. | Instagram: @boonritabo
➥ Rita Mungiardi, Hot Peppers, Cyanotype mixed with anthotype, reprint on silver halide. Herschel was a botanist and these flowers represent his work. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/rita-mungiardi
➥ Robert A. Schaefer Jr., Night Sky. Cyanotype. Abstract night sky alludes to Herschel’s work as an astronomer. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/robert-a-schaefer-jr | Instagram: @ras2pro | facebook.com/rasjrpro
➥ Ruchita Madhok, Natural Philosopher. Cyanotype. From a flower to the stars, Herschel held all of Nature in the same wonder. | Instagram:@ruchitamadhok
➥ Sharlene Holliday, Infinity and Beyond. Cyanotype. Represents Herschel as scientist, astronomer, mathematician, photographer and the cyanotype process. | Instagram: @colormineblue
➥ Sue Ridge, Still Life of Still Life. Cyanotype. Referencing Herschel’s interest in chemistry, the glass laboratory objects symbolize his contributions. He coined “negative” for photography.
➥ Sue Bradshaw, A sky full of wonder. Wet Cyanotype. Herschel at the Cape of Good Hope observing southern skies. | Instagram: @theverandahstudio | https://ww.facebook.com/Theverandahstudio
➥ Susan Chainey. Sir John Herschel, Polymath. Herschel was a man of many talents: astronomer, mathematician, photographer, and much more. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/susan-chainey
➥ Suzanne Izzo, Tarantula Nebula. Gum Bichromate. While working in South Africa, Herschel observed the Tarantula Nebula which he considered “one of the most singular and extraordinary objects which the heavens present”. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/suzanne-izzo
➥ Teresa Guxens, Cyanotype over Cyanotype. Wet Cyanotype with negative. In 1848, Sir John Herschel drafted a letter to François Arago on an experimental cyanotype with a fern leaf. In it, he thanks the academy for their interest in his Cape Town observations and discusses “star equalizations.” Look closely—the fern appears beneath his writing. Instagram: @artinteresa | https://www.facebook.com/teresa.guxens
➥ Tim Rahrer, Whiteout. Cyanotype on handmade paper. Using Herschel’s cyanotype process for scientific visualization as done by Anna Atkins in the first photo-based book. | Instagram: @trahrer
➥ Tuula Pystynen, Under the Firmament. Gum bichromate over cyanotype. Herschel observed the skies and saw the creation of God.
➥ Wendy Currie, Old Pathology Staircase, University of Melbourne. Cyanotype. Herschel was on selection committee for the first professors of the University. | Gallery: www.AlternativePhotography.com/wendy-currie | Instagram: @wmc999 | facebook.com/wendy.currie
World Anthotype Day
World Cyanotype Day