Austen Family Papers (MS1) - Correspondence and Social Materials, 1890

PI

Version: 15 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:54:39 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:18:56 PM

Added description

Description

Austen Family Papers (MS1) – Correspondence and Social Materials, 1890

Overview

This collection is the 1890 folder of the Alice Austen House Museum’s Austen Family Papers (MS1). It contains digitized personal letters, Victorian‑era calling cards, and wedding invitations written to or by members of the Austen family. Materials are presented as high‑resolution JPEG scans of the originals and accompanying plain‑text transcriptions, all in English. The collection is catalogued under the broader series that spans 1883‑1898 and is held by the Alice Austen House Museum in Staten Island, New York.

Background

Elizabeth Alice Austen (1866‑1952) was a pioneering photographer whose studio served Staten Island’s upper‑middle‑class community. The 1890 correspondence reflects her social network, business activities, and personal life during the late Victorian era. The museum acquired the papers to document Austen’s professional practice and the cultural milieu in which she worked. The collection is part of a larger digitization effort that preserves handwritten letters, envelopes, and ephemera in a searchable format.

Contents

  • Personal letters (≈ 30–40 items) from friends and relatives such as Julia T. Martin, Julia Bredt, E. Van Rensselaer, and others. Themes include skating parties, church events, photography commissions (including sales from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition), condolences for family deaths, and the purchase of a Steinway piano.
  • Calling cards (three items) bearing the names “Doris Austin,” “Mr. John Austen & Family,” and “Mrs & Miss Austin,” all addressed to Rosebank, Staten Island.
  • Wedding invitations (three items) issued by Austen family members to spouses in Moline, Illinois; New York City; and Clifton, Staten Island.
Each item is accompanied by a typed transcription, facilitating textual analysis, and metadata indicating date, sender, recipient, and place.

Scope

The collection covers the calendar year 1890 and focuses on personal, informal correspondence and social ephemera. It is geographically centered on Staten Island and Albany, with occasional references to other New York locales. The materials illuminate Victorian social customs, the business of photography, and the intimate networks that sustained Austen’s career. The collection does not include photographic negatives, prints, or other business records, which are housed separately in the Austen Family Papers series.

Raw Cheimarros Data

@file_pinax -> documents -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection {title: "Austen Family Papers (MS1) - Correspondence and Social Materials, 1890", creator: [@alice_austen, @trudie_eccleston, @will_v_batchelder, @julia_bredt, @e_van_rensseeler, @julia_martin, @eliza_snivley, @ada_c_crewe, @s_c_davis, @ed_vanrensselaer, @charles_h_deere, @henry_c_ferguson, @james_c_m_andrew, @austen_family], institution: @alice_austen_house_museum, created: @date_1890, language: "en", subjects: ["personal correspondence","victorian social life","family relationships","social events","photography business","weddings","calling cards","friendship","music","family matters"], description: "A collection of personal correspondence, calling cards, and wedding invitations from the Austen Family Papers, spanning 1890."}


@alice_austen -> contributed to -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@trudie_eccleston -> contributed to -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@will_v_batchelder -> contributed to -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@julia_bredt -> contributed to -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@e_van_rensseeler -> contributed to -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@julia_martin -> contributed to -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@eliza_snivley -> contributed to -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@ada_c_crewe -> contributed to -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@s_c_davis -> contributed to -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@ed_vanrensselaer -> contributed to -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@charles_h_deere -> contributed to -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@henry_c_ferguson -> contributed to -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@james_c_m_andrew -> contributed to -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@austen_family -> contributed to -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@trudie_eccleston_correspondence:document -> part of -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@will_v_batchelder_correspondence_collection:document -> part of -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@e_van_rensseeler_correspondence:collection -> part of -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@julia_martin_correspondence_collection:document -> part of -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@eliza_snivley_correspondence:collection -> part of -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@austen_family_wedding_invitations_collection:collection -> part of -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@austen_family_calling_cards_collection:collection -> part of -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@alice_austen_letter_transcriptions:document -> part of -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@staten_island -> related place -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@albany -> related place -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@natick -> related place -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@rosebank -> related place -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@slater_island -> related place -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@fishkill_on_hudson -> related place -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@northfield -> related place -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@sea_bright -> related place -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@moline_illinois -> related place -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@new_york_city -> related place -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@clifton_staten_island -> related place -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@williamson_town -> related place -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@nition_island -> related place -> @austen_family_papers_collection:collection


@alice_austen -> discussed -> @photography:concept {when: @date_1890}


@alice_austen -> sold photographs at -> @worlds_columbian_exposition:event {year: @date_1893, location: @chicago}


@alice_austen -> purchased -> @steinway_piano:concept {when: @date_1894, context: "correspondence about buying a piano"}

Metadata

Title
Austen Family Papers (MS1) - Correspondence and Social Materials, 1890
Type
Collection
Creator
Alice AustenTrudie EcclestonWill V. BatchelderJulia BredtE. Van RensselaerJulia J. WestonEliza SnivleyAda C. CreweS. C. DavisE.D. VanRensselaerCharles H. DeereHenry C. FergusonJames C. M. AndrewAusten Family
Institution
Alice Austen House
Created
1890
Language
en
Subjects
Personal correspondence, Victorian social life, Family relationships, Social events, Photography business, Weddings, Calling cards, Friendship, Music, Family matters
Rights
Copyright Alice Austen House Museum
Place
Staten Island, NY, Albany, NY, Natick, Rosebank, Slater Island, Fishkill on Hudson, NY, Northfield, Sea Bright, Moline, Illinois, New York City, Clifton, Staten Island, Williamson town, Niton Island, NY
Source
PINAX

Version History (10 versions)

  • ✓ v15 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:54:39 PM
    "Added description"
  • v14 · 12/9/2025, 9:13:46 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v13 · 12/9/2025, 7:59:04 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v12 · 12/9/2025, 7:24:42 PM · View this version
    "Reorganized into 10 groups"
  • v11 · 12/9/2025, 7:24:41 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC295BVPTBDQ84X7M2NJZM1E"
  • v10 · 12/9/2025, 7:24:39 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC295ACD4R6AGJGGT6D2X39N"
  • v9 · 12/9/2025, 7:24:38 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC295913HDMQYGNX79A3R3G1"
  • v8 · 12/9/2025, 7:24:37 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC2957NF7R6EZP3PFMCSKH01"
  • v7 · 12/9/2025, 7:24:35 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC29565P7MS3HG160TWGMF3X"
  • v6 · 12/9/2025, 7:24:34 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC2954TTCHK17ZGG7Z2B4HRX"

More versions available (pagination not yet implemented)

Additional Components

reorganization-description.txt
# Reorganization Summary

The files were organized primarily by correspondent, with separate groups created for each individual who exchanged letters with Alice Austen. Additional groups were created for wedding invitations and calling cards based on their distinct content types. The organizational strategy prioritizes thematic consistency while maintaining clear distinctions between different correspondents and document types.

## Groups Created

- **Trudie_Eccleston_Correspondence**: Letters from Trudie Eccleston to Alice Austen, primarily discussing social activities and personal matters in May 1890
- **Will_V_Batchelder_Correspondence**: Letters from Will V. Batchelder to Alice Austen in November 1890, discussing personal matters and social engagements
- **Julia_Bredt_Correspondence**: Letters from Julia Bredt to Alice Austen in November 1890
- **E_Van_Rensselaer_Correspondence**: Letters from E. Van Rensselaer to Alice Austen in November 1890
- **Julia_Martin_Correspondence**: Letters from Julia Martin to Alice Austen in September 1890
- **Eliza_Snivley_Correspondence**: Letters from Eliza Snivley to Alice Austen in September 1890
- **E_D_VanRensselaer_Correspondence**: Letters from E.D. VanRensselaer to Alice Austen in September 1890
- **Wedding_Invitations**: Wedding invitations and announcements from various events in 1890
- **Calling_Cards**: Standalone calling cards and address labels
- **Letter_Transcriptions**: Document containing transcriptions of letters from 1890

Parent

↑ 01KC2612RZK08FQGTK4ZGS8THX

Children (10)