Alice Austen Family Papers - Personal Correspondence and Social Materials, 1888

PI

Version: 11 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:54:24 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:18:53 PM

Added description

Description

Alice Austen Family Papers – Personal Correspondence and Social Materials, 1888

Overview

This collection contains the digitized personal correspondence, invitations, envelopes, and club‑related ephemera addressed to or from Elizabeth Alice Austen during the year 1888. The materials are presented as high‑resolution JPEG scans with accompanying OCR‑derived transcriptions, and they illustrate Austen’s social life, her involvement in local clubs, and her photographic work.

Background

Elizabeth Alice Austen (1866‑1952) was a pioneering Staten‑Island photographer whose home in Grymes Hill later became the Alice Austen House Museum. In the late‑Victorian era she was a central figure in the island’s upper‑middle‑class society, maintaining friendships with people such as Julie Marsh, Elisabeth Strong, Marie Alice Hamilton, Esther Lester, and Hetty MacFarland. The 1888 collection reflects the etiquette and leisure culture of the time, showing Austen’s participation in cooking clubs, the Ladies’ Club, the Staten Island Cricket and Baseball Club, and the Yacht Medusa.

Contents

  • Personal letters – Handwritten notes from Julie Marsh, Elisabeth Strong, Marie Alice Hamilton, Esther Lester, and Hetty MacFarland, covering topics such as cooking‑club plans, wedding announcements, photography sessions, and ticket arrangements.
  • Social invitations – Nine printed invitations to events hosted by Tiny MacGregor, the P.I.F. Club, a lunch at Grymes Hill, the “Broom Lift” charity event, Edith P. Austen’s wedding, and a Progressive Euchre evening.
  • Envelopes and address cards – Fifteen envelopes from locations across Staten Island, New Brunswick, and other New York State towns, plus a calling card titled “First Vice President.”
  • Club correspondence – Letters concerning the Ladies’ Club, yachting outings, and the Staten Island Cricket and Baseball Club.

Scope

The collection covers the calendar year 1888 and documents social, familial, and club interactions within Staten Island and surrounding regions. It provides insight into Victorian social customs, networking among women’s clubs, and the everyday life of a pioneering photographer. The materials are in English and are accessible through the Alice Austen House Museum’s digital repository.

Raw Cheimarros Data

@alice_austen_family_papers_1888:collection {title: "Alice Austen Family Papers - Personal Correspondence and Social Materials, 1888", creator: [@julie_marsh, @elizabeth_strong, @marie_alice_hamilton, @esther_lester, @hetty_macfarland, "Various"], institution: @alice_austen_house, created: @date_1888, language: "en", subjects: ["Personal correspondence","Victorian social life","Photography","Social events","Music","Family relationships","Cooking club","Atlantic City","Hotels","Family health","Seasonal activities","Invitations","Victorian-era social life","Staten Island","Upper-middle-class families","19th century social customs","Ladies' Club","Staten Island Cricket and Baseball Club","Social clubs","Club membership","Yachting","Correspondence","Envelopes","Address Cards","Victorian-era Social Practices","Staten Island History"], place: [@atlantic_city, @staten_island, @new_brunswick_nj, @grymes_hill, @brooklyn, @rosebank, @kent_brighton, @post_jefferson, @arrochar, @richmond_co, @clinton, @stapleton, @rockaway, @marvin_island] }

@julie_marsh -> contributed to -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@elizabeth_strong -> contributed to -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@marie_alice_hamilton -> contributed to -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@esther_lester -> contributed to -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@hetty_macfarland -> contributed to -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@alice_austen -> subject of -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@letter_mar_1_1888 -> part of -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@letter_mar_2_1880 -> part of -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@letter_1888_03_16 -> part of -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@letter_1888_06_23 -> part of -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@letter_1888_07_15 -> part of -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@letter_may_1888_hetty_to_alice -> part of -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@letter_may_1888_hetty_to_alice_2 -> part of -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@envelope_1888_04_11 -> part of -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@envelope_1888_04 -> part of -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@envelope_1888_05_29 -> part of -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@envelope_1888_05_07_1001 -> part of -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@envelope_1888_05_07_4001 -> part of -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@envelope_1888_05 -> part of -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@envelope_1888_06_13 -> part of -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@envelope_1888_06_23 -> part of -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@event_tiny_macgregor -> documented in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@event_pif_club_april2 -> documented in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@event_lunch_may11 -> documented in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@event_broom_lift -> documented in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@event_progressive_euchre -> documented in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@event_austen_wedding -> documented in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@cooking_club -> mentioned in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@ladies_club -> mentioned in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@si_cricket_baseball_club -> mentioned in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@yacht_medusa -> mentioned in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@photograph -> mentioned in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@atlantic_city -> featured in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@staten_island -> featured in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@new_brunswick_nj -> featured in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@grymes_hill -> featured in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@brooklyn -> featured in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@rosebank -> featured in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@kent_brighton -> featured in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@post_jefferson -> featured in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@arrochar -> featured in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@richmond_co -> featured in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@clinton -> featured in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@stapleton -> featured in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@rockaway -> featured in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

@marvin_island -> featured in -> @alice_austen_family_papers_1888

Metadata

Title
Alice Austen Family Papers - Personal Correspondence and Social Materials, 1888
Type
Collection
Creator
Julie MarshElisabeth StrongVariousMarie Alice HamiltonEsther LesterHetty MacFarland
Institution
Alice Austen House
Created
1888
Language
en
Subjects
Personal correspondence, Victorian social life, Photography, Social events, Music, Family relationships, Cooking club, Atlantic City, Hotels, Family health, Seasonal activities, Invitations, Victorian-era social life, Staten Island, Upper-middle-class families, 19th century social customs, Ladies' Club, Staten Island Cricket and Baseball Club, Social clubs, Club membership, Yachting, Correspondence, Envelopes, Address Cards, Victorian-era Social Practices, Staten Island History
Place
Atlantic City, NJ, Staten Island, NY, New Brunswick, NJ, Grymes Hill, Brooklyn, Rosebank, Kent, Brighton, Post Jefferson, Arrochar, Richmond Co., Clinton, Stapleton, Rockaway, Marvin Island
Source
PINAX

Version History (10 versions)

  • ✓ v11 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:54:24 PM
    "Added description"
  • v10 · 12/9/2025, 9:14:15 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v9 · 12/9/2025, 7:58:33 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v8 · 12/9/2025, 7:22:16 PM · View this version
    "Reorganized into 6 groups"
  • v7 · 12/9/2025, 7:22:15 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC290XK978H2HZJ353HDAAW2"
  • v6 · 12/9/2025, 7:22:14 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC290W6VM3BKCKA5KMHW6E61"
  • v5 · 12/9/2025, 7:22:12 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC290TM0F5YTG69YFN6XGSA1"
  • v4 · 12/9/2025, 7:22:11 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC290S9G79HAB7S7SXFAVH46"
  • v3 · 12/9/2025, 7:22:09 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC290Q9RYPYAD28FYVH78JT1"
  • v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:22:06 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC290MYVVG3MYYBZTJYRMDNK"

Additional Components

reorganization-description.txt
# Reorganization Summary

Files were organized primarily by correspondent and content type, with special attention given to distinguishing personal correspondence from formal invitations and club-related materials. The extensive correspondence from Elisabeth Strong was kept together as it forms a continuous narrative thread. Envelopes and address cards without substantive content were grouped separately. All files were successfully categorized based on their content and relationships.

## Groups Created

- **Personal_Correspondence_Julie_Marsh**: Letters from Julie Marsh discussing social activities and travel
- **Personal_Correspondence_Elisabeth_Strong**: Letters from Elisabeth Strong discussing social events and photography
- **Invitations_Social_Events**: Formal invitations to social gatherings and club events
- **Club_Related_Correspondence**: Letters related to club memberships and activities
- **Envelopes_Address_Cards**: Envelopes and address cards without accompanying letter content
- **Personal_Correspondence_Hetty_MacFarland**: Letters from Hetty MacFarland regarding tickets and social matters

Parent

↑ 01KC2611Q524NV696HFESDJ3K9

Children (6)