This poster will describe an affordable outreach activity conducted by Library staff in collaboration with the Chemistry department as part of the Atlanta Science Festival. For less than $50, we helped over 130 kids and parents make cyanotypes during the science festival event. The poster will describe how we gathered all of the necessary materials, how we prepared for a rainy day, how we coordinated with the chemistry department, and some of the lessons we learned. Cyanotype photograms are a great activity for kids of all ages that allows them to blend science and art. The science festival participants were able to create cyanotype photograms through the threedimensional arrangement of objects, e.g., plants, feathers, buttons, and other found objects. After less than a minute of exposure to light from the sun, participants were able to observe the chemical processes taking place on the cyanotype paper. In direct sunlight the exposure process takes 3 to 5 minutes to reach completion. An additional minute or two is needed to develop the paper in water and treat it with hydrogen peroxide. During this time, we were able to describe the iron-based chemistry taking place on the fibers of the paper and discuss some of the early history of photography. We were also able to introduce a little-known English scientist named Anna Atkins, a botanist who in 1843 selfpublished the first book illustrated with photographic images, Photographs of British Algae: Cyanotype Impressions.
