Cyanotype is a photographic printing process that produces a cyan-blue print. Engineers used the process well into the 20th century as a simple and low-cost process to produce blueprints.
The cyanotype process, also known as the blueprint process, was first introduced by John Herschel in 1842. Sir John was an astronomer, trying to find a way of copying his notes.
One of the first people to put the cyanotype process to use wasAnna Atkins, who in October 1843 became the first person to produce and photographically illustrated a book using cyanotypes. She was a pioneering figure in photographic history, having produced the first book to use photographic illustrations.
The classical form of cyanotype is that the paper is coated with a solution of a light-sensitive mixture of two chemicals – the light-sensitive iron(III) complex with a oxidizable polybasic carboxylic acid, usually citric acid or oxalic acid, and hexacyanoferrate(III).
A number of photographers still use cyanotype photography today, including Mike Ware and John Dugdale.
How To create Cyanotypes
Pre-prepared cyanotype paper
A piece of cardboard
Acrylic or glass sheet
Bulldog clips – or you can use masking tape or sellotape instead
An interesting range of objects to create your print from
You then place your objects onto the piece of prepared paper and then place in the sun. You then leave in the sun for a couple minutes and wash the paper in water. Once the paper has dried the cyanotype is made.
Cyanotypes were a method used in the late 1800s as a way of making blueprints. The simplest kind of cyanotype print is a photogram which is made by arranging objects on sensitised paper. Fresh or pressed plants/flowers are more commonly used but any solid object will create an image.
English botanist and photographer Anna Atkins was one of the first artists to make “photograms” by placing plant specimens directly onto the surface to create an image. Although Anna Atkins was the first person to use Cyanotypes for photography, it was invented by John Herschel in 1842 in order to reproduce his notes and drawings.
English botanical artist, collector and photographer Anna Atkins was the first person to illustrate a book with photographic images. Her nineteenth-century cyanotypes used light exposure and a simple chemical process to create impressively detailed blueprints of botanical specimens.
Anna’s innovative use of new photographic technologies merged art and science, and exemplified the exceptional potential of photography in books.
Anna’s self-published her detailed and meticulous botanical images using the cyanotype photographic process in her 1843 book, Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions. With a limited number of copies, it was the first book ever to be printed and illustrated by photography.
How to make a Cyanotype…
Place items or a film negative on the cyanotype fabric/paper.
Secure with glass and or pins to hold the items still.
Expose the Cyanotype to sunlight.
Once the Cyanotype paper turns from royal blue to baby blue/white remove from sunlight to stop excess exposure. When exposing your composition to light, watch the paper slowly change from blue to almost white. This should take around 3-5 minutes in full sun but longer if it is cloudy.
We used light sensitive paper to create our cyanotypes, firstly we collected interesting objects that we could find around hamptonne. We had to work really quickly with the cyanotpye paper as is develops fast in the sun. we placed our objects onto the paper however we desired and let it develop in the sun until the paper turned into a baby blue. The objects on the paper blocked the sun from developing in those areas which leaves an imprint of the objects on the paper. once our paper had been developed we had to place the paper in water for around 2 minutes so that it stopped developing and let it dry in the sun. This process creates a beautiful pattern on paper however it is not very reliable as some factors can effect the composition of the images, such as, the wind can blow the objects off the paper or the shadow from the object could look distorted.
Hamptonne Museum is an insight into the rural life carried on in Jersey for centuries. Dating back to the 15th Century the house and farm are perfect for discovering the rural history of Jersey.
Explore the different houses which make up Hamptonne, find out more about Jersey’s history of cider making in the cider barn and wander through the cider apple orchard and meet the Hamptonne calves, lambs, chickens and piglets in the traditional farmstead.
My own edited photo of Hamptonne Farm
Discover Syvret House, a decorated and furnished farmhouse gives a unique window into 1940s rural life, including; agricultural traditions, day-to-day family life, language, religion and the experience of the German Occupation.
The Hamptonne farm is named after Laurens Hamptonne, who purchased it in 1633. The property is also called “La Patente”, and the name of a road passing through it is also the same after it was granted a patent authorization.
My own edited photo of Hamptonne Farm
Richard Langlois, the owner in 1445, was awarded to Laurens Hamptonne by King Charles II in 1649. Royal patents are granted to those who provide specific services to the monarch or close relatives.
In Hampton’s case, this was due to his loyalty to the royalist cause during the English Civil War, when he was a viscount or executive officer of the Royal Court of Jersey.
It was in this role that Hampton made a famous announcement on February 17, 1649 in the Royal Plaza of Saint Helier. After the news of Charles I’s execution spread to the island, he declared Charles II as king.
Click on the link to find out more about Tom Kennedy and his professional practice as a photographer and film-maker.
As Tom discussed with us on the visit…he is influenced by “painting with light” and the Dutch Masters paintings of the 17th Century including such masters as Rembrandt and Vermeer.
In 1767, people protested about the export of grain from the Island. Anonymous threats were made against shipowners and a law was passed the following year to keep corn in Jersey. In August 1769 the States of Jersey repealed this law, claiming that crops in the Island were plentiful. There was suspicion that this was a ploy to raise the price of wheat, which would be beneficial to the rich, many of whom had ‘rentes’ owed to them on properties that were payable in wheat. As major landowners, the Lemprière family stood to profit hugely.
On Thursday 28 September 1769, a Court called the Assize d’Héritage was sitting, hearing cases relating to property disputes. The Lieutenant Bailiff, Charles Lemprière, sat as the Head of the Court. Meanwhile, a group of disgruntled individuals from Trinity, St Martin, St John, St Lawrence and St Saviour marched towards Town where their numbers were swelled by residents of St Helier. The group was met at the door of the Royal Court and was urged to disperse and send its demands in a more respectful manner. However, the crowd forced its way into the Court Room armed with clubs and sticks. Inside, they ordered that their demands be written down in the Court book. Although the King later commanded that the lines be removed from the book , a transcription survives that shows the crowd’s demands.
The demands of the Corn Riots protestors included:
• That the price of wheat be lowered and set at 20 sols per Cabot.
• That foreigners be ejected from the Island.
• That his Majesty’s tithes be reduced to 20 sols per vergée.
• That the value of the liard coin be set to 4 per sol.
• That there should be a limit on the sales tax.
• That seigneurs stop enjoying the practice of champart (the right to every twelfth sheaf of corn or bundle of flax).
• That seigneurs end the right of ‘Jouir des Successions’(the right to enjoy anyone’s estate for a year and a day if they die without heirs).
• That branchage fines could no longer be imposed.
• That Rectors could no longer charge tithes except on apples.
• That charges against Captain Nicholas Fiott be dropped and that he be allowed to return to the Island without an inquiry.
In 1769, landowners were exporting wheat from Jersey to England, where a bad harvest had driven up the price.
Frustrated with the resulting food shortages, rising prices, the unfair taxation system and Jersey’s power structure, around 500 hundred islanders stormed the Royal Court with 13 demands to alleviate their struggles on September 28th 1769.
Though there was no known loss of life, many came armed with sticks and clubs, and an usher was thrown over the court railing during the disturbance.
The event paved the way for major political reform on the island. In the reform, known as the Code of 1771, the Royal Court was stripped of its legislative powers, meaning that from 1771, only the States Assembly could create laws.
The Corn Riots was essentially a time when in Jersey the majority of land was owned by a family called the Lempriere family. In power, was the Lieutenant Bailiff Charles Lempriere. Among his 12 Jurats in control of the Island were Charles’ father, father-in-law, cousin and two brothers. So… of 12, five were from the Lempriere family.
In 1767 protests raged against the exportation of grain from the Island. Anonymous threats were made against shipowners and a law was passed the following year so that all available corn was kept in Jersey. In August 1769 the States repealed this law, claiming that crops in the Island were plentiful and this meant that the Act was no longer necessary.
There was suspicion in the Island that this was a ploy to raise the price of wheat, which would be beneficial to the rich, many of whom had wheat rentes owed to them on properties. This would especially be true of the Lemprières who not only owned a large amount of land in the Island but also had control of the Receiver-General post and so stood to profit the most with rentes going up.
Acts of resistance started taking place. A corn ship about to export goods was raided by a group of women who demanded that the sailors unload their cargo and set about selling it on the Harbour, giving the proceeds to the owner of the vessel. Other disturbances took place, leading to the events of 28 September 1769.
The Lempriere family were exporting corn (main source of food for Jersey) over what they needed (greedy guts) which meant that the people of Jersey were going hungry. The price of corn was increased and the price of rent was increased… the monopoly of the Lempriere family was in full force.
But the people in Jersey had had enough, they decided to Riot! So, they marched from Trinity, picking up parishioners along the way, to the Royal Square where they marched into the Royal Court and demanded change, armed with clubs and sticks.
They ordered that their demands be written in the Court book of the time. The Greffier obliged (although afterward, their demands were literally deleted from the book by being torn out, so the Lempriere could keep their monopoly on the Island!) and their orders included (basically demanding a fair price for food and living)
• That grain and wheat was too expensive and that the price of wheat be lowered and set at 20 sols per cabot.
• That foreigners be ejected from the Island.
• That his Majesty’s tithes be reduced to 20 sols per vergée.
• That the value of the liard coin be set to 4 per sol. • That there should be a limit on the sales tax.
• That seigneurs stop enjoying the practice of champart, (the right to every twelfth sheaf of corn or bundle of flax)
. • That seigneurs stop the right of ‘Jouir des Successions’, (the right to enjoy anyone’s estate for a year and a day after they died without heirs).
• That branchage fines could no longer be imposed.
• That Rectors could no longer charge tithes except on apples.
• The lowering of a money rente due by tenants on a fief.
• That Philippe Larbalestier, who had been sent to prison on 23 September, be released without having to pay a fine.
• That the charges against Captain Nicholas Fiott be dropped and that he be allowed to return to the Island without an inquiry.
• That the Customs’ House officers be ejected.
Once the rioters had left the Royal Court, there was relative peace. It was like they’d said what they needed and now felt that they’d be heard and helped.
However Lempriere family decided they didn’t want to make any of these changes, so they went to London to present the rioters problems to the King. This was done… albeit not exactly truthfully, so the King said that all the demands should be erased from the Court records (eg now the Lempriere family didn’t actually have to change anything).
Locals were obviously furious. But £100 was offered to any rioters who turned another in… so things started turning!
But Colonel Bentinck was unsure whether the Lempriere family had been entirely honest, and after he visited Jersey, he reported to the King that ‘we have been represented as enemies’ – therefore it was made illegal to export crops, and a committee was set up in order to regulate the distribution of grains and food to the market. Colonel Bentinck lay down the ‘code of 1771’ where basically it meant the Law would be as fair as possible. The Lempriere family were slowly loosing their power, and soon one of the family retired as Jurat which further helped.
The Corn Riots were the beginning of making the Law fairer for the people of Jersey.
Extension Task
George Floyd’s murder has sparked global protests against racism, inequality, and police brutality. Here, we compile a growing list of books, articles, and initiatives to learn from and support
At the time of writing, people in all 50 states in the US, and 18 countries worldwide, are protesting for the Black Lives Matter movement. The demonstrations follow the murder of George Floyd at the hands of a police officer in Minneapolis, Minnesota, on 25 May 2020, and have amplified the anger and outrage at the racism and inequality that continue to pervade all aspects of society, including the creative industries.
‘The ground breaking work of the acclaimed photographer (Gorden Parks) is being celebrated at a new two-part exhibition showcasing black American life’
Camera obscura, meaning darkened room in Latin, is a device in a shape of a box or a room that lets the light through a small opening on one side and projects it on the other. In this simple variant, image that is outside of the box is projected upside-down. More complex cameras can use mirrors to project image upwards and right-side up and they can also have lenses. Camera obscura is used as an aid for drawing and entertainment.
Nicephore Niepce
Nicephore niepce was the first person to make a photographic image.To make the heliograph, Niépce dissolved light-sensitive bitumen in oil of lavender and applied a thin coating over a polished pewter plate. Heinserted the plate into a camera obscura and positioned it near a window in his second-story workroom.
Louis Daguerre
Louis Daguerre called his invention “daguerreotype.” His method, which he disclosed to the public late in the summer of 1839, consisted of treating silver-plated copper sheets with iodine to make them sensitive to light, then exposing them in a camera and “developing” the images with warm mercury vapor.
Daguerreotype
The daguerreotype was the first commercially successful photographic process (1839-1860) in the history of photography. Named after the inventor, Louis Jacques Mandé Daguerre, each daguerreotype is a unique image on a silvered copper plate. A daguerreotype is not flexible and is rather heavy. The daguerreotype is accurate, detailed and sharp. It has a mirror-like surface and is very fragile. Since the metal plate is extremely vulnerable, most daguerreotypes are presented in a special housing.
Henry Fox Talbot
Fox Talbot went on to develop the three primary elements of photography: developing, fixing, and printing. Although simply exposing photographic paper to the light produced an image, it required extremely long exposure times. By accident, he discovered that there was an image after a very short exposure. Although he could not see it, he found he could chemically develop it into a useful negative. The image on this negative was then fixed with a chemical solution. This removed the light-sensitive silver and enabled the picture to be viewed in bright light. With the negative image, Fox Talbot realised he could repeat the process of printing from the negative. Consequently, his process could make any number of positive prints, unlike the Daguerreotypes. He called this the ‘calotype’ and patented the process in 1841.
Richard Maddox
In 1871 Richard Leach Maddox, an English physician, suggested suspending silver bromide in a gelatine emulsion, an idea that led, in 1878, to the introduction of factory-produced dry plates coated with gelatine containing silver salts. This event marked the beginning of the modern era of photography.
George Eastman
In 1880 he perfected a process of making dry plates for photography and organized the Eastman Dry Plate and Film Company for their manufacture. The first kodak (a name he coined) camera was placed on the market in 1888. It was a simple handheld box camera containing a 100-exposure roll of film that used paper negatives. Consumers sent the entire camera back to the manufacturer for developing, printing, and reloading when the film was used up; the company’s slogan was “You press the button, we do the rest.” In 1889 Eastman introduced a roll film on a transparent base, which has remained the standard for film. In 1892 he reorganized the business as the Eastman kodak company . Eight years later he introduced the brownie camera , which was intended for use by children and sold for one dollar. By 1927 Eastman Kodak had a virtual monopoly of the photographic industry in the United States, and it has continued to be one of the largest American companies in its field.
print/film photography
print and film photography is where you print physical images that are taken on old fashioned cameras.
Digital photography
digital photography uses modern day cameras and sd cards to take state of the art photos with expensive and clever cameras.
The angle that Newman photographs Krupp is a close up shot.
Newman has photographed Krupp looking sturdy and strong by the way his hands are clasped.
There are warm and cool tones in this image creating a sense of a dark and gloomy atmosphere. This brings more attention towards his face and his facial expression.
The quality of the photo makes it clearer to see the detail in the photograph making the image more sharp and eye catching.
In 1767, people protested about the export of grain from the Island. Threats were made against shipowners and a law was passed the following year to keep corn in Jersey. In August 1769 the States of Jersey repealed this law, claiming that crops in the Island were plentiful. There was suspicion that this was a ploy to raise the price of wheat, which would be beneficial to the rich, many of whom had ‘rentes’ owed to them on properties that were payable in wheat. As major landowners, the Lemprière family stood to profit hugely.
On Thursday 28 September 1769, a Court called the Assize d’Héritage was sitting, hearing cases relating to property disputes. The Lieutenant Bailiff, Charles Lemprière, sat as the Head of the Court. Meanwhile, a group of disgruntled individuals from Trinity, St Martin, St John, St Lawrence and St Saviour marched towards Town where their numbers were swelled by residents of St Helier. The group was met at the door of the Royal Court and was urged to disperse and send its demands in a more respectful manner. However, the crowd forced its way into the Court Room armed with clubs and sticks. Inside, they ordered that their demands be written down in the Court book. Although the King later commanded that the lines be removed from the book (image 3), a transcription survives that shows the crowd’s demands.
The demands of the Corn Riots protestors included:
• That the price of wheat be lowered and set at 20 sols per cabot.
• That foreigners be ejected from the Island.
• That his Majesty’s tithes be reduced to 20 sols per vergée.
• That the value of the liard coin be set to 4 per sol.
• That there should be a limit on the sales tax.
• That seigneurs stop enjoying the practice of champart (the right to every twelfth sheaf of corn or bundle of flax).
• That seigneurs end the right of ‘Jouir des Successions’(the right to enjoy anyone’s estate for a year and a day if they die without heirs).
• That branchage fines could no longer be imposed.
• That Rectors could no longer charge tithes except on apples.
• That charges against Captain Nicholas Fiott be dropped and that he be allowed to return to the Island without an inquiry.
