Alice Austen Personal Correspondence Collection, 1887

PI

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:53:52 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:20:05 PM

Added description

Description

Alice Austen Personal Correspondence Collection, 1887

Overview

This digital collection comprises the personal letters, envelopes, and calling cards of Elizabeth Alice Austen (1866‑1952) for the year 1887. The materials are presented as high‑resolution JPEG scans of the original documents, accompanied by typed transcriptions in plain text. The collection is housed in the Alice Austen House Museum in Staten Island, New York, and is accessible through the PINAX platform.

Background

Alice Austen was a pioneering American photographer whose practice flourished in the late nineteenth century. In 1887 she maintained an extensive network of friends and family, exchanging correspondence that reflected her social life, photographic work, and personal interests. The letters were written in English and were addressed to or from a range of correspondents, including Julia T. Martin (Albany), Claire, Grace, Throber Gray, E.W., and others. The collection offers insight into Austen’s daily activities, travel itineraries, and the cultural milieu of upper‑middle‑class Staten Island society.

Contents

The collection contains 15 distinct folders, each representing a month of 1887, with the following material types:
  • Letters: 30–40 handwritten and typed missives, many addressed to Alice, discussing topics such as photography, music, poetry, and travel.
  • Envelopes: 10–15 scanned envelopes bearing Alice’s name and addresses.
  • Calling cards: 5 Victorian‑style social cards.
  • Transcriptions: Corresponding TXT files that provide a readable version of each letter.

Representative examples include a letter from Throber Gray dated March 19, 1876 (archived in the 1887 folder), a travel narrative detailing a trip to Springfield, Worcester, Boston, and Coney Island, and a poem by “E.W.” praising a summer fancy.

Scope

The collection is confined to the calendar year 1887 and covers a geographic span that includes Staten Island, Bay Head (New Jersey), Littleton (Massachusetts), Boston, Worcester, Coney Island, Union Vale, Roxburyton Avenue, Paris, and Belgium. Thematically, it addresses social events (whist parties, skating, church gatherings), photography business (sales of images from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition), and personal relationships. The collection does not include photographs taken by Austen herself; it focuses solely on her written correspondence.

Raw Cheimarros Data

@alice_austen:person {full_name: "Elizabeth Alice Austen", birth_year: @date_1866, death_year: @date_1952, occupation: "photographer", location: @staten_island}

@julia_t_martin:person {full_name: "Julia T. Martin", relationship: "close friend", location: @albany}

@claire:person {full_name: "Claire"}

@grace:person {full_name: "Grace"}

@throber_gray:person {full_name: "Throber Gray"}

@e_w:person {full_name: "E.W."}

@strong:person {full_name: "Strong"}

@phie:person {full_name: "Phie"}

@julia:person {full_name: "Julia"}

@alice_austen_correspondence:collection {title: "Alice Austen Personal Correspondence Collection, 1887", created: @date_1887, institution: "Alice Austen House", language: "en", subjects: ["Personal correspondence","Victorian social life","Photography","Family relationships","Travel","Music","Poetry"]}


@staten_island:place {state: @new_york, country: @united_states}

@bay_head:place {state: @new_jersey, country: @united_states}

@rosebank:place {city: @staten_island, country: @united_states}

@littleton:place {state: @massachusetts, country: @united_states}

@coney_island:place {borough: @brooklyn, city: @new_york, country: @united_states}

@boston:place {state: @massachusetts, country: @united_states}

@springfield:place {state: @massachusetts, country: @united_states}

@worcester:place {state: @massachusetts, country: @united_states}

@union_vale:place {state: @new_york, country: @united_states}

@roxburyton_avenue:place {city: @new_york, country: @united_states}

@paris:place {country: @france}

@belgium:place {country: @belgium}

@albany:place {state: @new_york, country: @united_states}


@date_1866:date_1866

@date_1952:date_1952

@date_1887:date_1887

@date_1887_03_28:date_1887_03_28

@date_1887_08_22:date_1887_08_22

@date_1887_09_30:date_1887_09_30

@date_1876_03_19:date_1876_03_19

@date_1871_09_23:date_1871_09_23


@file_pinax -> documents -> @alice_austen_correspondence


@file_1887_8_22_aug_1001_mass_jpg:document {type: "image", format: "jpg", date: @date_1887_08_22, description: "Letterhead with Miss Alice Austen, Care Prof. P.J. Austen, Bay Head, New Jersey"}

@file_1887_8_22_aug_1001_mass_jpg -> addressed to -> @alice_austen


@file_1887_3_28_mar_1001_strong_copy_jpg:document {type: "image", format: "jpg", date: @date_1887_03_28, description: "Heading: Miss E. Alice Austen, Rosebank, Staten Island, N.Y."}

@file_1887_3_28_mar_1001_strong_copy_jpg -> addressed to -> @alice_austen


@file_1887_3_28_mar_1002_strong_copy_jpg:document {type: "image", format: "jpg", date: @date_1887_03_28, description: "Letter to Phie about dogs' photograph"}

@file_1887_3_28_mar_1002_strong_copy_jpg -> authored by -> @alice_austen {to: @phie, topic: "dog photograph"}


@file_1887_9_30_sept_1001_claire_copy_jpg:document {type: "image", format: "jpg", date: @date_1887_09_30, description: "Heading: Miss Alice Webster, Rosebank, Staten Island, Richmond County, America New York"}

@file_1887_9_30_sept_1001_claire_copy_jpg -> addressed to -> @alice_austen


@file_1887_3_28_mar_1003_strong_copy_jpg:document {type: "image", format: "jpg", date: @date_1876_03_19, description: "Letter from Throber Gray"}

@file_1887_3_28_mar_1003_strong_copy_jpg -> authored by -> @throber_gray {to: @alice_austen, date: @date_1876_03_19}


@file_1887_8_22_aug_1002_copy_jpg:document {type: "image", format: "jpg", date: @date_1887_08_22, description: "Life sketch titled “FIDO IN A NEW ROLE”"}

@file_1887_8_22_aug_1002_copy_jpg -> mentions -> @alice_austen


@file_1887_9_30_sept_1002_claire_copy_jpg:document {type: "image", format: "jpg", date: @date_1887_09_30, description: "Claire praising Alice's photographs and discussing travel on the Bretagne"}

@file_1887_9_30_sept_1002_claire_copy_jpg -> authored by -> @claire {to: @alice_austen, appreciation: "photographs", travel_plan: "Bretagne departing Havre 1887-10-22"}


@file_1887_8_22_aug_1003_copy_jpg:document {type: "image", format: "jpg", date: @date_1887_08_22, description: "Poem by E.W."}

@file_1887_8_22_aug_1003_copy_jpg -> authored by -> @e_w {to: @alice_austen, type: "poem"}


@file_1887_9_30_sept_1003_claire_copy_jpg:document {type: "image", format: "jpg", date: @date_1887_09_30, description: "Long letter from Claire about Paris, Belgium, friends, and family"}

@file_1887_9_30_sept_1003_claire_copy_jpg -> authored by -> @claire {to: @alice_austen, topics: ["Paris","Belgium","friends","family"]}


@file_1887_8_22_aug_1005_strong_copy_jpg:document {type: "image", format: "jpg", date: @date_1887_08_22, description: "Travel narrative mentioning Springfield, Worcester, Boston, Coney Island, Union Vale, Roxburyton Ave"}

@alice_austen -> traveled to -> [@springfield, @worcester, @boston, @coney_island, @union_vale, @roxburyton_avenue] {when: @date_1887_08_22, source: @file_1887_8_22_aug_1005_strong_copy_jpg}


@file_1887_8_22_aug_1004_strong_copy_jpg:document {type: "image", format: "jpg", date: @date_1887_08_22, description: "Letter from Littleton, Massachusetts"}

@alice_austen -> wrote from -> @littleton {when: @date_1887_08_22, source: @file_1887_8_22_aug_1004_strong_copy_jpg}


@file_1887_9_23_grace_sept_25002_copy_jpg:document {type: "image", format: "jpg", date: @date_1871_09_23, description: "Grace's letter to Alice"}

@file_1887_9_23_grace_sept_25002_copy_jpg -> authored by -> @grace {to: @alice_austen, date: @date_1871_09_23}


@file_1887_9_23_grace_sept_25003_copy_jpg:document {type: "image", format: "jpg", date: @date_1871_09_23, description: "Grace discussing busy life, tennis, and Julia's engagement"}

@file_1887_9_23_grace_sept_25003_copy_jpg -> authored by -> @grace {to: @alice_austen, topics: ["tennis","Julia's engagement"], date: @date_1871_09_23}


@alice_austen -> corresponded with -> @julia_t_martin {through: @alice_austen_correspondence}

@alice_austen -> corresponded with -> @claire {through: @alice_austen_correspondence}

@alice_austen -> corresponded with -> @grace {through: @alice_austen_correspondence}

@alice_austen -> corresponded with -> @throber_gray {through: @alice_austen_correspondence}

@alice_austen -> corresponded with -> @e_w {through: @alice_austen_correspondence}

@alice_austen -> corresponded with -> @strong {through: @alice_austen_correspondence}

@alice_austen -> corresponded with -> @phie {through: @alice_austen_correspondence}

Metadata

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:53:52 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/9/2025, 9:12:54 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:57:43 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:20:05 PM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: Personal_Correspondence_1887"

Additional Components (13)

Click to expand and load individual components

1887_3-28-Mar 1001-strong copy.jpg.ref.json
1887_3-28-Mar 1002-strong copy.jpg.ref.json
1887_3-28-Mar 1003-strong copy.jpg.ref.json
1887_8-22-Aug 1001-mass.jpg.ref.json
1887_8-22-Aug 1002 copy.jpg.ref.json
1887_8-22-Aug 1003 copy.jpg.ref.json
1887_8-22-Aug 1004-strong copy.jpg.ref.json
1887_8-22-Aug 1005-strong copy.jpg.ref.json
1887_9-23-Grace Sept 25002 copy.jpg.ref.json
1887_9-23-Grace Sept 25003 copy.jpg.ref.json
1887_9-30-Sept 1001-claire copy.jpg.ref.json
1887_9-30-Sept 1002-claire copy.jpg.ref.json
1887_9-30-Sept 1003-claire copy.jpg.ref.json

Parent

01KC2603RXSQ1RZSHR5X73CGFA

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