Anna Atkins Symposium

Anna Atkins’s role in the narrative of early photography has been widely acknowledged only within the last 40 years. Since the publication of Larry J. Schaaf’s Sun Gardens: Victorian Photograms by Anna Atkins, scholars have built on this groundbreaking research and fortified the larger context of her work. Although now famous for being the first book produced with photographic illustrations, Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions has been viewed as an artwork, a scientific document, a rare book, and more. This multi-faceted appeal has helped to ensure Atkins's enduring legacy.

On the occasion of the exhibition Blue Prints: the Pioneering Photographs of Anna Atkins, The New York Public Library has invited distinguished scholars in the fields of photography, conservation, natural history, and rare books to discuss her photography and its resonance. During this symposium panelists and speakers will discuss this broader context in which she created her momentous production, as well as characteristics unique to Atkins's pioneering work.

Schedule

9:30 AM - Coffee Reception

10:00 AM - Welcome / Introduction
William P. Kelly, Andrew W. Mellon Director of the Research Libraries, NYPL
Joshua Chuang, Miriam & Ira D. Wallach Associate Director for Art, Prints and Photographs, and The Robert B. Menschel Senior Curator of Photography, NYPL

10:15 AM - Anna Atkins, Her Life and Legacy
Rose Teanby, historian of early women photographers, Associate of the Royal Photographic Society

10:50 AM - Anna Atkins and the Making of Books
Richard Ovenden, Bodley’s Librarian, Bodleian Library, Oxford

11:25 AM - Back to the Roots: On Early Photography
Steffen Siegel, Professor of Theory & History of Photography at Folkwang University of Arts, Essen, Germany in conversation with Jessica McDonald, The Nancy Inman and Marlene Nathan Meyerson Curator of Photography, Harry Ransom Center

12:15-1:15 PM - Lunch break

1:15 PM - Plant Leaves to Book Leaves: Materials and Methods
Mary Oey, Head of Conservation and Collections Care, NYPL; Jessica Keister, Associate Conservator for Photographs, NYPL; Kenneth Karol, Cullman Associate Curator, Cullman Program for Molecular Systematics, New York Botanical Garden

2:00 PM - Atkins in Collections: A Panel on Stewardship
 Normand Trudel, Librarian for Rare Books, University of Montreal; Alice Lemaire, Conservator, Muséum national d’histoire naturelle, Paris; Nancy Barr, Curator of Photographs, Detroit Institute of Arts; Julia Van Haaften, founding Curator, Photography Collection, NYPL; Jessica McDonald, The Nancy Inman and Marlene Nathan Meyerson Curator of Photography, Harry Ransom Center; Joshua Chuang, Miriam & Ira D. Wallach Associate Director for Art, Prints and Photographs, and The Robert B. Menschel Senior Curator of Photography, NYPL

3:00 PM - Closing Remarks

4:00 PM - Reception at Penumbra Foundation, 36 East 30th Street, New York, NY

FIRST COME, FIRST SEATED
For free events, we generally overbook to ensure a full house. Priority will be given to those who have registered in advance, but registration does not guarantee admission. All registered seats are released shortly before start time, and seats may become available at that time. A standby line will form one hour before the program.