Austen Family Papers (MS1) - 1897 Correspondence Collection

PI

Version: 15 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:57:38 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 6:29:33 PM

Added description

Description

Austen Family Papers (MS1) – 1897 Correspondence Collection

Overview

The 1897 Correspondence Collection is a digitized subset of the Austen Family Papers (MS1) held by the Alice Austen House Museum in Staten Island, New York. It contains scanned photographs of handwritten letters, envelopes, Victorian calling cards, and negative sleeves, accompanied by typed transcriptions in text and Word formats. The material reflects the personal, social, and professional life of Elizabeth Alice Austen (1866‑1952) and her network during the late Victorian period.

Background

Elizabeth Alice Austen was a pioneering American photographer whose home and studio served as a cultural hub for artists, writers, and upper‑middle‑class society in New York. The 1897 correspondence was compiled by the museum’s archivists to preserve Austen’s extensive personal and business networks. The collection illustrates the etiquette of the era, the commercial aspects of her photography practice, and the broader cultural milieu of the northeastern United States and Europe.

Contents

The collection comprises approximately thirty letters exchanged with friends and relatives such as Julia T. Martin, Daisy M.E., Violet Ward, Trude Eccleston, Bessie Baldwin, Charles Harris, and others. Topics include travel to Europe, the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition, golf, photography sales, family news, and social invitations. Included are Victorian calling cards, postcards, and envelopes (some with travel stamps) that document itineraries and addresses. Negative sleeves provide insight into Austen’s studio practice. Each item is preserved as a high‑resolution JPEG scan of the original, with OCR‑derived text and typed transcriptions for research accessibility.

Scope

The archive covers the calendar year 1897, with geographic references to Staten Island, New York City, Albany, New York, Santa Barbara, California, and multiple European destinations (e.g., Southampton, Munich, St. Moritz). It is valuable for scholars of Victorian social history, women’s travel, early photography, and New York cultural networks. The collection does not include Austen’s photographic prints or studio records, but it contextualizes the personal relationships that shaped her career and life. All materials are in the public domain and available for research and public use.

Raw Cheimarros Data

@file_pinax:file {title: "Austen Family Papers (MS1) - 1897 Correspondence Collection", type: "metadata", created: @date_1897, institution: @alice_austen_house, language: "en", rights: "Public domain"}

@file_pinax -> describes -> @austen_family_papers:collection

@file_pinax -> creator -> [@alice_austen, @julia_t_martin, @daisy, @violet_ward, @trude_eccleston, @lou_richards, @alice_southworth_waterman, @mary_munroe, @edwin_southworth_waterman, @bessie_baldwin, @frederick_wonham, @clarice_kennedy_ludlam, @william_l_debeck, @critten, @charles_harris, @v, @wh_wheelock, @lou_alexander_richards, @daisy_elliot, @mrs_beverley_robinson, @mr_and_mrs_george_p_ludlam, @mrs_albert_c_rupé, @rev_william_wardlaw, @mr_and_mrs_william_francis_russell, @edith_r_wright, @trude, @ed_v_rinschler, @mama, @isabella_king, @bessie_strong]

@file_pinax -> subject -> [@correspondence, @photography, @social_life, @victorian_era, @family_relationships, @travel, @golf, @worlds_columbian_exposition, @staten_island, @california, @europe, @switzerland, @italy, @france, @golf_tournaments, @weddings, @calling_cards, @photography_business, @personal_correspondence, @victorian_social_life, @social_invitations, @marriage_announcements, @health_and_illness, @music, @nineteenth_century, @staten_island_social_events, @bicycling, @envelopes, @north_sea, @southampton, @bremen, @cassel, @munich, @nuremberg, @salzburg, @jehl_austria, @martinsbruck, @tyrol, @cambridge_massachusetts, @southport, @fishkill_on_hudson, @yonkers, @long_island]

@file_pinax -> mentions -> [@staten_island, @albany, @santa_barbara, @europe, @switzerland, @italy, @france, @haines_falls, @westhampton, @bay_head, @fishkill, @st_augustine, @st_moritz, @lucerne, @paris, @cherbourg, @bremen, @cassel, @geneva, @lyon, @orleans, @cambridge_ma, @new_brighton, @fort_wadsworth, @clifton, @new_york_city, @newark_nj, @southampton, @munich, @nuremberg, @salzburg, @jehl_austria, @tarasp, @southport, @yonkers, @long_island]

@westhampton:place {description: "Westhampton, New York"}

@bay_head:place {description: "Bay Head, New Jersey"}

@fishkill:place {description: "Fishkill, New York"}

@st_augustine:place {description: "St. Augustine, Florida"}

@st_moritz:place {description: "St. Moritz, Switzerland"}

@lucerne:place {description: "Lucerne, Switzerland"}

@cherbourg:place {description: "Cherbourg, France"}

@bremen:place {description: "Bremen, Germany"}

@cassel:place {description: "Cassel, Germany"}

@geneva:place {description: "Geneva, Switzerland"}

@lyon:place {description: "Lyon, France"}

@orleans:place {description: "Orleans, France"}

@cambridge_ma:place {description: "Cambridge, Massachusetts"}

@new_brighton:place {description: "New Brighton, Staten Island"}

@fort_wadsworth:place {description: "Fort Wadsworth, Staten Island"}

@newark_nj:place {description: "Newark, New Jersey"}

@tarasp:place {description: "Tarasp, Switzerland"}

@fishkill_on_hudson:place {description: "Fishkill-on-Hudson, New York"}

@martinsbruck:place {description: "Martinsbrück, Germany"}

@tyrol:place {description: "Tyrol region, Austria"}

@critten:person {full_name: "Critten"}

@v:person {full_name: "V."}

@albany:place {description: "Albany, New York"}

@europe:place {description: "Europe (continent)"}

@north_sea:place {description: "North Sea"}

@southampton:place {description: "Southampton, England"}

@jehl_austria:place {description: "Jehl, Austria"}

@long_island:place {description: "Long Island, New York"}

@southport:place {description: "Southport, New York"}

@yonkers:place {description: "Yonkers, New York"}

@california:place {description: "California, United States"}

@victorian_era:concept {description: "Historical period in the United Kingdom and its cultural influence (1837–1901)"}

@nineteenth_century:concept {description: "The 1800s"}

@social_invitations:concept {description: "Invitations to social events"}

@marriage_announcements:concept {description: "Public notices of upcoming marriages"}

@health_and_illness:concept {description: "Topics related to health, disease, and medical conditions"}

@music:concept {description: "Musical activities and related correspondence"}

@bicycling:concept {description: "Cycling activities and related social events"}

@envelopes:concept {description: "Physical mail envelopes used in correspondence"}

@calling_cards:concept {description: "Victorian-era social calling cards"}

@photography_business:concept {description: "Commercial aspects of photography"}

@personal_correspondence:concept {description: "Private letters between individuals"}

@victorian_social_life:concept {description: "Social customs and activities in the Victorian era"}

@staten_island_social_events:concept {description: "Social gatherings specific to Staten Island in the late 19th century"}

@golf_tournaments:concept {description: "Competitive golf events"}

@travel:concept {description: "Journeys and trips discussed in correspondence"}

@worlds_columbian_exposition:concept {description: "World's Columbian Exposition (Chicago, 1893)"}

Metadata

Version History (10 versions)

  • ✓ v15 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:57:38 PM
    "Added description"
  • v14 · 12/9/2025, 9:26:01 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v13 · 12/9/2025, 8:08:13 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v12 · 12/9/2025, 7:30:09 PM · View this version
    "Split into 2 alphabetical chunks"
  • v11 · 12/9/2025, 7:30:06 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC29F94T5KBTKNAB5HVR251Z"
  • v10 · 12/9/2025, 7:30:01 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC29F44VZQYSDBNMSRBY37NN"
  • v9 · 12/9/2025, 7:16:17 PM · View this version
    "Added OCR to 3 files"
  • v8 · 12/9/2025, 7:16:07 PM · View this version
    "Added OCR to 10 files"
  • v7 · 12/9/2025, 7:15:52 PM · View this version
    "Added OCR to 10 files"
  • v6 · 12/9/2025, 7:15:42 PM · View this version
    "Added OCR to 10 files"

More versions available (pagination not yet implemented)

Additional Components

chunking-description.txt
# Alphabetical Chunking

Directory split into 2 alphabetical chunks for processing.

Total files: 64
Files per chunk: up to 40

## Organization Strategy

Organize by document type and correspondent. Use these groups: 1) Correspondence (personal letters), 2) Social Invitations (wedding announcements, calling cards, at-home notices), 3) Travel Letters (Daisy Elliot's travelogues), 4) Envelopes (standalone addressed envelopes), 5) Clippings (newspaper articles), 6) Business/Transportation (train schedules, business notes).

Parent

01KC25ZJ5BGKTRSFQCX4KBYHJK

Children (2)