Tuesday, February 15, 2011

A Very Quaint Object: A Ferroprussiate Photo Booklet

Front cover: Our Kitten

Interior Right: Cactus Hedge at San Gabriel

Interior Left: Some of the Natives

Back Cover: An Old Maid & Her Cat

We need to note a few things here:
1. Is this the most stylish little handmade photo book ever? It is only two pages with four images tied with a pale blue silk cord. Also - kittens!
2.How awesome is the handwriting? It was done using a fountain pen and blue (cyan) ink. I find the liberal use of dashes jaunty.
3. Cyanotypes were first used for photography by Anna Atkins who is considered the first female photographer!
4. Cyanotypes are also referred to as ferroprussiate or blueprints 
5. Why is the old maid an old maid? Did she have a love affair end tragically? Was she a hermit, swearing off men (or women?) for a life a kittens and cacti cultivation? 

What do you think???

2 comments:

Jennifer Black Reinhardt said...

Oh this is lovely! What amazing "deco" handwriting-- I'm thinking spinster sisters?

Heather said...

Spinster TWIN sisters! They lived in the South - it is all very Joyce Carol Oates.