The initiative of World Anthotype Day was started here by us, and the first event took place 2022. This will now (hopefully with your support) be an annual event on the 3rd Saturday in August last Saturday in October. It is a global event, and everyone who is an experienced or aspiring anthotyper is invited to take part. The FIFTH World Anthotype Day will open in August. It seems like a … Read more
The Sir John Herschel tribute journal is a daily planner and contains both pre-defined pages and blank pages for you to plan your year. The templates are there to help you focus on your art projects as well as get a balance with work, home and everything else that happens in life. The journal is a tribute to Herschel, who gave us many of our beloved alt. processes such as … Read more
Thought about visiting the Herschel Family Archives at the Harry Ransom Center? Through the lens of her own experimental cyanotype practice, Caroline Roberts explores Sir John Herschel’s original lab notes, anthotype test pieces, and poetic observations, drawing powerful connections between a 19th-century pioneer and a contemporary artist devoted to process, discovery, and wonder. Writer and photography / Caroline Roberts In June 2022, I visited the Herschel Family Papers, stored at … Read more
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 … Read more
Sir John Herschel gave us, who work in alternative photographic processes, so much. Without him would we have the anthotype, chrysotype and cyanotype? I also find it fascinating that a century and a half later his discoveries and new words are still relevant. ‘Snapshot’ and ‘negative’ are two that are still in use. Writer and photography / Malin Fabbri Many historians and researchers have written accounts of Sir John Herschel’s … Read more
Bernd Hutschenreuther shares his experiments with a two-bath cyanotype process—a rapid variation of the traditional method—using ammonium ferric citrate and potassium hexacyanidoferrate(III). The paper is coated, dried, and exposed to UV light before being developed in a red blood lye salt solution, causing the exposed areas to turn blue within seconds. A final rinse with water, optionally enhanced with hydrogen peroxide, refines the image. This minimalistic and efficient process closely … Read more
According to my research, it was Sir John Herschel who discovered the anthotype process and not Mrs Mary Somerville. As soon as I publish an article or text mentioning “Anthotype” and “Herschel”, I invariably get comments saying that it was Mrs Mary Somerville who “invented” the anthotype process. I have not seen any evidence of this in my research and share my findings here in chronological order. Writer / Malin … Read more
AlternativePhotography.com is now 23 years old. Help us make a list of birthdays for inventors of alternative photographic processes, women and men throughout history who contributed to making alt. photo. proc. to what they are today. Please note the information on this list is not verified with sources unless it states so (Wikipedia does not count as a source) and the name of the contributor is stated after each listing. … Read more
An excerpt from Anthotypes – Explore the darkroom in your garden and make photographs using plants. Sir John Herschels description of how light changes pigment to make an anthotype.
An excerpt from Anthotypes – Explore the darkroom in your garden and make photographs using plants. How the anthotype was discovered.
A brief history of the cyanotype process invented by Sir John Herschel
Clive Heritage-Tilley describes some unusual photographic applications using chemistry pioneered by Sir John Herschel.