Alice Austen Correspondence Collection, 1881-1898

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Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:57:55 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:20:42 PM

Added description

Description

Alice Austen Correspondence Collection, 1881‑1898

Overview

The Alice Austen Correspondence Collection is a digitized archive of personal letters, calling cards, and photography‑related ephemera belonging to Elizabeth Alice Austen (1866‑1952), a pioneering American photographer from Staten Island. The collection spans 17 years (1881‑1898) and is organized into fifteen year‑based folders. Each folder contains JPG scans of handwritten letters, envelopes, and Victorian‑era calling cards, accompanied by TXT files with typed transcriptions. The material is housed in the Alice Austen House Museum and is part of the Austen Family Papers (MS1).

Background

Alice Austen, a self‑taught photographer, built a successful portrait studio in the late nineteenth century. Her correspondence offers insight into her professional activities—such as selling photographs from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago—and her social life among Staten Island’s upper‑middle‑class families. The collection was compiled by the museum to preserve Austen’s personal network, which included close friends Julia T. Martin (Albany), Julie Bredt, Violet M.E. Ward, Isabella King (a photography buyer), and Bessie Strong.

Contents

  • Personal Letters: Letters from friends and family discussing social events (skating parties, sleigh rides, church gatherings, whist parties), family matters (sympathy letters concerning Austen’s grandfather’s death in April 1894), and business affairs (purchasing a Steinway piano).
  • Calling Cards: Victorian‑era social cards that illustrate Austen’s social circle and the etiquette of the period.
  • Negative Sleeves & Photography Materials: Photographic accessories and references to Austen’s studio operations.
  • Transcriptions: Typed versions of the handwritten correspondence, facilitating research and accessibility.

Representative examples include a 1894 letter from Julia Martin detailing a skating party, a 1893 note from Isabella King purchasing a portrait, and a 1894 sympathy letter about Austen’s grandfather.

Scope

The collection covers the years 1881‑1898, focusing on correspondence that reflects Austen’s personal, social, and professional life. Geographically, the material references Staten Island, Albany, and Chicago (World’s Columbian Exposition). The archive excludes non‑correspondence items such as photographs themselves, studio ledgers, or unrelated family documents. It provides a window into late Victorian social customs, the role of women in early photography, and the cultural milieu of New York’s upper‑middle class during the period.

Raw Cheimarros Data

@date_1866

@date_1952

@date_1881

@date_1898

@date_1893

@date_1894_04


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


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


@chicago:place {state: @illinois, country: @united_states}


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


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


@julie_bredt:person {full_name: "Julie Bredt"}


@violet_ward:person {full_name: "Violet M.E. Ward"}


@isabella_king:person {full_name: "Isabella King", role: "photograph buyer"}


@bessie_strong:person {full_name: "Bessie Strong"}


@worlds_columbian_exposition:event {year: @date_1893, location: @chicago}


@grandfather_death:event {when: @date_1894_04, related_to: @alice_austen, type: "sympathy letter"}


@steinway_piano:concept {type: "musical instrument"}


@alice_austen_correspondence:collection {title: "Alice Austen Correspondence Collection, 1881-1898", creator: [@alice_austen, @julia_martin, @julie_bredt, @violet_ward, @isabella_king, @bessie_strong], institution: "Alice Austen House", start: @date_1881, end: @date_1898, subjects: ["Correspondence","Personal letters","Calling cards","Photography","Social life","Victorian era","Staten Island","Skating parties","Sleigh rides","Church events","Whist parties","World's Columbian Exposition","Steinway piano","Family matters","Sympathy letters"]}


@file_pinax -> documents -> @alice_austen_correspondence


@alice_austen -> corresponded with -> @julia_martin


@alice_austen -> corresponded with -> @julie_bredt


@alice_austen -> corresponded with -> @violet_ward


@alice_austen -> corresponded with -> @isabella_king


@alice_austen -> corresponded with -> @bessie_strong


@alice_austen -> sold photographs from -> @worlds_columbian_exposition {type: "photographs"}


@alice_austen -> purchased -> @steinway_piano {when: @date_1894_04}


@alice_austen -> received sympathy letters regarding -> @grandfather_death {type: "sympathy letter"}

Metadata

Title
Alice Austen Correspondence Collection, 1881-1898
Type
Collection
Creator
Austen, Elizabeth AliceMartin, Julia T.Bredt, JulieWard, Violet M.E.King, IsabellaStrong, Bessie
Institution
Alice Austen House
Created
1881-1898
Language
en
Subjects
Correspondence, Personal letters, Calling cards, Photography, Social life, Victorian era, Staten Island, Skating parties, Sleigh rides, Church events, Whist parties, World's Columbian Exposition, Steinway piano, Family matters, Sympathy letters
Rights
Rights information not specified in the provided content
Place
Staten Island, NY, Albany, NY, Chicago, IL (World's Columbian Exposition)
Source
PINAX

Files (1)

AAH MS1 finding aid.pdfPDF
431.88 KB

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:57:55 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/9/2025, 9:25:43 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/9/2025, 8:07:56 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:20:42 PM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: Correspondence_1881-1898"

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