Austen Family Papers (MS1) - Alice Austen Correspondence, 1888

PI

Version: 14 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:54:19 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:18:55 PM

Added description

Description

Envelope Dated August 22, 1888, Addressed to Mrs. Alice T. Austen

Overview

This single Victorian‑era envelope, digitized as a 214 KB JPEG image, bears the handwritten address “Mrs Alice T Austen” and is dated 22 August 1888. It is part of the Alice Austen Envelopes Collection, a subset of the Austen Family Papers (MS1) housed at the Alice Austen House Museum in Staten Island, New York. The envelope is a physical artifact that would have carried a handwritten or printed letter, invitation, or business notice.

Background

Elizabeth Alice Austen (1866‑1952) was a pioneering photographer and a prominent figure in late‑Victorian Staten Island society. The Austen Family Papers were compiled by the museum to preserve personal correspondence and related ephemera that illuminate Austen’s social network, business activities, and domestic life. Envelopes in the collection provide tangible evidence of the everyday communication that surrounded Austen’s personal and professional circles, including friends such as Julia T. Martin and business contacts like Isabella King.

Contents

  • Envelope – A plain, cream‑colored envelope with a handwritten address line: “Mrs Alice T Austen.”
  • Date – The envelope is stamped with the date 22 August 1888.
  • OCR Text – The digitized image includes machine‑readable text confirming the name and date, though no postmark or additional identifying marks are visible.
  • Contextual Links – The envelope is linked to the broader Austen Family Papers, which contain letters, calling cards, and wedding announcements from 1883‑1898, offering insight into the social and commercial interactions of the era.

Scope

The item is a standalone artifact representing a single point in Austen’s correspondence network. It does not include the letter it carried, nor any ancillary documents. The envelope is geographically tied to Staten Island and temporally confined to August 1888. While it provides a tangible link to Austen’s personal communications, its historical value is best understood in relation to the larger collection of envelopes and letters that document the social life of upper‑middle‑class Staten Island families during the late nineteenth century.

Raw Cheimarros Data

@austen_family_papers:collection {title: "Austen Family Papers (MS1) - Alice Austen Correspondence, 1888", creator: [@alice_austen, @bessie_strong, @lou_alexander, @trude_eccleston, @julia_hk_coefield, @grace, @effie, @mrs_luther_c_clark], institution: @alice_austen_house, created: @date_1888, language: "en", subjects: ["Personal correspondence","Social life","Victorian-era social customs","Photography","Family relationships","Travel","Music","Religious retreats","Weddings","Marriage announcements","Tennis tournaments","Picnics","Bathing parties","Dancing","Rowing","Christianity","Bible instruction"], description: "A collection of digitized correspondence from the Austen Family Papers, spanning the year 1888, providing insight into the social life and personal relationships of Alice Austen and her network.", places: [@staten_island, @new_brunswick, @littleton, @piermont, @southampton, @clifton, @lake_mahopac, @fishkill_on_hudson, @rosebank, @saratoga_ny, @lake_george_ny, @new_rochelle_ny, @northfield, @boston, @seabright, @morristown, @fishkill, @southfield] }




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@austen_family_papers -> includes_subject -> @photography:concept

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@grace -> wrote -> @letter_1888_08_24:document

@effie -> wrote -> @letter_1888_08_03_1:document

@mrs_luther_c_clark -> announced -> @wedding_announcement:document




@letter_1888_07_03:document -> mentions -> @photography:concept

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@letter_1888_08_24:document -> mentions -> @bella:person

@letter_1888_08_24:document -> mentions -> @claire:person

@letter_1888_08_24:document -> mentions -> @julie_bredt:person

@letter_1888_08_24:document -> mentions -> @louvie:person

@letter_1888_08_24:document -> mentions -> @dr_culliton:person

@letter_1888_08_24:document -> mentions -> @sue_cropperthwait:person

@letter_1888_08_24:document -> mentions -> @lewis_cropperthwait:person

@letter_1888_08_24:document -> mentions -> @sophie:person

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@letter_1888_08_03_4:document -> references -> @freddie:person

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@northfield_retreat:event -> took_place_at -> @northfield:place

@northfield_retreat:event -> led_by -> @dwight_moody:person

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@alice_austen_house -> holds -> @collection_lou_alexander:document

@alice_austen_house -> holds -> @correspondence_collection:document

@alice_austen_house -> holds -> @alice_austen_envelopes_collection:collection

Metadata

Title
Austen Family Papers (MS1) - Alice Austen Correspondence, 1888
Type
Collection
Creator
Alice AustenBessie StrongLou AlexanderTrude EcclestonJulia H.K. CoefieldGrace (correspondent)Effie (correspondent)Mrs. Luther C. Clark
Institution
Alice Austen House
Created
1888
Language
en
Subjects
Personal correspondence, Social life, Victorian-era social customs, Photography, Family relationships, Travel, Music, Religious retreats, Weddings, Marriage announcements, Tennis tournaments, Picnics, Bathing parties, Dancing, Rowing, Christianity, Bible instruction
Place
Staten Island, NY, New Brunswick, Littleton, Piermont, Southampton, Clifton, Staten Island, Lake Mahopac, Fishkill-on-Hudson, New York, Rosebank, New York, NY, Saratoga, NY, Lake George, NY, New Rochelle, NY, Northfield, Boston, Seabright, Morristown, Fishkill, Southfield, Orange Co., N.Y.
Source
PINAX

Version History (10 versions)

  • ✓ v14 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:54:19 PM
    "Added description"
  • v13 · 12/9/2025, 9:14:05 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v12 · 12/9/2025, 7:58:36 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v11 · 12/9/2025, 7:22:27 PM · View this version
    "Reorganized into 9 groups"
  • v10 · 12/9/2025, 7:22:26 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC29187Z0VKQB6CCMME95GRS"
  • v9 · 12/9/2025, 7:22:25 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC2916WABCBX54M01G1TX6KG"
  • v8 · 12/9/2025, 7:22:23 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC2915JQAVDJVHJF53HNG414"
  • v7 · 12/9/2025, 7:22:22 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC2913W7QEHHFYSRT2S69E16"
  • v6 · 12/9/2025, 7:22:20 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC2912J2WCAY9EK35XD2JBBS"
  • v5 · 12/9/2025, 7:22:19 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC29117QW3MG7CQXVQZKEYBS"

More versions available (pagination not yet implemented)

Additional Components

reorganization-description.txt
# Reorganization Summary

Files were organized primarily by correspondent, with secondary grouping by content type (personal correspondence vs. formal announcements). The Trude Eccleston correspondence was kept together despite spanning multiple dates due to the continuous nature of the Lake Mahopac visit discussion. Wedding announcements and religious retreat letters were separated into their own groups due to their distinct content types.

## Groups Created

- **Correspondence_Bessie_Strong**: Letters from Bessie Strong discussing summer plans, photography, and social activities
- **Correspondence_Lou_Alexander**: Letters from Lou Alexander discussing Southampton social activities and club membership
- **Correspondence_Trude_Eccleston**: Letters from Trude Eccleston about Lake Mahopac activities and plans for Alice's visit
- **Correspondence_Julia_Scofield**: Invitation from Julia Scofield for a bathing party
- **Correspondence_Grace**: Letter from Grace updating Alice about mutual friends and summer activities
- **Correspondence_Effie**: Letter from Effie about social activities and dances
- **Religious_Retreat**: Letters discussing religious retreats and Moody's teachings
- **Wedding_Announcement**: Formal wedding announcement
- **Envelopes**: Standalone envelopes without accompanying letters

Parent

↑ 01KC2611Q524NV696HFESDJ3K9

Children (9)