Anna Atkins and blue photographs without a camera
Read a B1 Spanish article about Anna Atkins, algae and the sunlight process behind early blue cyanotype photographs.
Anna Atkins y las fotografías azules sin cámara
Tap any word to see its translation
. . .
1843 . . , .
. . .
. . , .
. , . .
. , , .
1843 1853. , .
. , , . .
¿ ? ¿ ? ¿ ?
Keep reading with translations
Create a free account: 7 days of Pro, then 20 word translations a day or a paid plan.
About this article
What you'll learn
cyanotype vocabulary, photography processes, botany terms and past narration
Anna Atkins used algae, treated paper, sunlight and water to make detailed blue cyanotypes. The article explains how her work became the first photographically printed and illustrated book.
After reading
Article learning block
Phrases, words, grammar, and quick practice from this text.
Phrases for training
Add useful phrases to SRS or mark them as already known.
sin usar una cámara
newwithout using a camera
The preposition sin followed by an infinitive expresses that an action happens without another action.
Useful for explaining methods and alternatives.
se publicaba por partes
newwas published in installments
Por partes means that the complete work appeared in separate installments rather than all at once.
Useful when reading about books, magazines and serialized works.
entre la ciencia y el arte
newbetween science and art
This phrase describes something that combines features from two different fields.
Useful for discussing interdisciplinary work.
Key words
Vocabulary that carries the school-day topic.
algae
algas
algae
Simple aquatic organisms that can form many shapes and sizes.
Central vocabulary for understanding Atkins's botanical subject.
silhouette
silueta
silhouette
The visible outline or flat shape of a person or object.
Useful for describing images with a clear contour.
iron salts
sales de hierro
iron salts
Iron compounds used in the light-sensitive coating for cyanotype paper.
Explains the material that makes the blue process possible.
rinsed
enjuagaba
was rinsing
Enjuagar means to wash something briefly with clean water.
Useful in instructions and descriptions of practical processes.
specimen
ejemplar
specimen
Here ejemplar means one individual sample collected for study.
Important in texts about botany, museums and scientific collections.
plate
lámina
illustrated plate
In a book, a lámina is a separate page or sheet carrying an image.
Useful when discussing illustrated and scientific books.
Grammar in context
Patterns from the text worth noticing after reading.
Earlier past with había aprendido
había aprendido
had learned
The pluperfect marks an action completed before another past situation.
It keeps the order of two past events clear.
Beginning an action with empezó a
empezó a publicar
began to publish
Empezar a followed by an infinitive marks the beginning of an action.
Useful for timelines and changes.
Passive meaning with fue inventado
fue inventado
was invented
Fue inventado is a past passive form that puts the invention in the subject position.
Useful when the result matters as much as the person who created it.
Repeated past process with colocaba
colocaba las algas directamente sobre el papel
placed the algae directly on the paper
The imperfect colocaba presents a repeated step in a past process.
Useful for explaining how someone regularly did something.
Read a book in Spanish
All B1 books
Comments
Log in to leave a comment
LoginNo comments yet. Be the first!