Field notes: fumigation, herbs and alternative photographic processes

Inspired by historical fumigation and herbal remedies, I’m currently experimenting with developing different botanical cyanotype toners using the recipe books in the Wellcome Collection (including Lady Ann Fanshawe). I’m then using these toners to produce unique toned cyanotype artworks. I’m also creating some anthotypes, using herbal emulsions. You can see some examples below. With thanks to Julia Nurse (Research Development Lead at the Wellcome Collection) for support with identification of historical herbal recipes.

I’ll continue to update this page to share my findings and process.

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Herb tried: Camomile

Toning rating: Excellent

Colour: Greeny-yellow

Historical complaint: Melancholy

Recipe: Sr Myrrice Williams directions & course of physick (?) curedy (?) Lady Hubbert of Mellaneholy. Shefumemge Lack for the heade.

Method: Take Manorum Mint, stachodos & cowslipps of each one handfull; Camomil & bettauy flowers as much as you can how betweene twoe fingers, & a thumbe, of Calamses aromanticey and Cypresse roote of each twoe drachmes; enfuse & boile theise in white wine & sage water each a quart till the third part bee consumed; then straine it and forment the party with a spange.

Wellcome Collection reference: Sarah Hughes, Ms.363

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Herb tried: Rosemary

Toning rating: Average

Colour: Grey-purple

Historical complaint: Headache

Recipe: A fume for the head

Method: Take Rosemary, sage and wormewood of each a good handfull boile them in a pottle of redeowes milke till it come to a quart then put in a handfull of Cummin seeds, bruised and stirre it about, put it into a narrow mouthed pot, and hold the mouth of the pot close to your Eare, an hower at night when you goe to bead, use it 6 . or 7 nights together, the same liquor will serue.

Wellcome Collection reference: Sarah Hughes, Ms.363

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Herb tried: Green Tea

Toning rating: Excellent

Colour: Purple

Historical complaint: Brain stimulant

Recipe: Attend a coffee house!

Method: Drink green tea

Wellcome Collection reference: Some observations on the medicinal and dietetic properties of green tea

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Herb tried: Sage

Toning rating: Excellent

Colour: Grey-purple

Historical complaint: Headache

Recipe: A fume for the head

Method: Take Rosemary, sage and wormewood of each a good handfull boile them in a pottle of redeowes milke till it come to a quart then put in a handfull of Cummin seeds, bruised and stirre it about, put it into a narrow mouthed pot, and hold the mouth of the pot close to your Eare, an hower at night when you goe to bead, use it 6 . or 7 nights together, the same liquor will serue.

Wellcome Collection reference: Sarah Hughes, Ms.363

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Herb tried: Thyme

Toning rating: Excellent

Colour: Dark grey-black (similar to coffee toner)

Historical complaint: Wandering womb

Recipe: A possett to be made for the wynde that fumes vpp into the Head that proseedete from the Mother

Method: Make a pint of Cleane possett Ale and boile therein a good handfull of mother Time and when it is half boyled away straine owt the time and seasen it with sugar and drinke therof a god drafte morning and Evning when yow find your self grived.

Wellcome Collection reference: Lady Frances Catchmay Ms.184a.

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Image credits (above):

1) Six flowering plants, including mugwort (Artemisia vulgaris) and wormwood (Artemisia absinthium). Chromolithograph by W. Dickes & co., c. 1855. Wellcome Collection.

2) A foppish fumigator holding a print of a birthing chair question mark. Etching, 1772. Wellcome Collection

3) A woman with some flowers; representing the sense of smell. Engraving, 16--. Wellcome Collection.

4) Five types of iris Iris species flowering stems. Coloured lithograph. Wellcome Collection.

5) Mugwort Artemisia vulgaris flowering stem. Watercolour. Wellcome Collection

6) Pennyroyal Mentha pulegium and creeping thyme Thymus serpyllum entire flowering plants. Coloured etching by C. Pierre, c. 1865, after P. Naudin. Wellcome Collection.

7) Instrumenta chyrurgiae et icones anathomicae [Ambroise Paré]]. Public Domain Mark. Source Wellcome Collection.

Image credits (below):

1) Unique cyanotype (detail from large piece) of colour etching digital image, toned in rosemary. Two flowering plants burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis) and lady’s mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris). Coloured etching by C. Pierre, c. 1865, after P. Naudin. Source: Wellcome Collection.

2) Unique cyanotype (detail) of coloured etching digital image from the collection, half toned in camomile, the other half with green tea. [Digital image: Two flowering plants burnet (Sanguisorba officinalis) and lady’s mantle (Alchemilla vulgaris). Coloured etching by C. Pierre, c. 1865, after P. Naudin. Source: Wellcome Collection.]

3) Unique cyanotype toned in rosemary using original digital image: Obstetric speculum, Coxeter. Wellcome Collection.

4) Experimenting with different toners using a small cyanotype made from a digital image from ‘Portrait of Louisa Martindale. President of the Med. Womens Fed. (1930-1932)’. Wellcome Collection.

5) Experimenting with pomegranate emulsion anthotype using a single dandelion clock. Testing exposure time.