Alice Austen Photography Business Correspondence Collection
PI
Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:36:01 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:21:13 PM
Added description
Description
Alice Austen Photography Business Correspondence Collection
Overview
The Alice Austen Photography Business Correspondence Collection is a digitized assemblage of personal and professional letters written by and to Elizabeth Alice Austen, a pioneering American photographer from Staten Island. The collection is organized by date, with the earliest item dated September 19, 1888. It comprises scanned JPEG images of handwritten letters, accompanying OCR‑transcribed text, and metadata describing the provenance and context of each document. The collection is housed in the archives of the Alice Austen House Museum in Staten Island, New York.Background
Alice Austen (1866‑1952) operated a modest photography studio in the late Victorian era, selling portraits and scenic images to the upper‑middle‑class residents of Staten Island and the surrounding region. The correspondence in this collection reflects her early efforts to establish a commercial presence, negotiate studio space, and market her work. The documents were originally preserved in Austen’s personal papers and later digitized by the museum’s archival team, providing insight into her business strategies and professional network.Contents
- Letter 1888‑09‑19 (from Lota to Alice) – A handwritten note praising Lota’s photography and quoting Mr. Browne’s commendation of an interior design, with advice that Austen’s photographs should “pay for a studio.”
- JPEG scan of the letter – High‑resolution image (≈1.5 MB) with embedded OCR text.
- Metadata – Creator, date, subject tags (Photography, Business, Correspondence, Victorian era, Photography studios), and provenance information linking the item to the Alice Austen House.
Scope
The collection covers a narrow temporal window (late 1888) and a single geographic focus—Staten Island, New York. It documents the early commercial activities of Austen’s photography studio, including client interactions, studio procurement, and marketing advice. Items outside this business context, such as personal family letters or later career developments, are not represented in the current collection.Raw Cheimarros Data
@alice_austen:person {full_name: "Elizabeth Alice Austen", birth_year: @date_1866, death_year: @date_1952, occupation: "photographer", location: @staten_island}
@staten_island:place {state: @new_york, country: @united_states}
@alice_austen_house:organization {type: "museum", location: @staten_island}
@alice_austen_photography_business_correspondence_collection:collection {creator: @alice_austen, institution: @alice_austen_house, created: @date_1888_09_19, description: "Collection of correspondence related to Alice Austen's photography business, including letters discussing her work, studio, and sales."}
@file_pinax -> documents -> @alice_austen_photography_business_correspondence_collection
@file_1888_9_19_sept_3002_copy_jpg:file {description: "Scanned letter (JPEG) with OCR text dated 1888-09-19"} {when: @date_1888_09_19}
@file_1888_9_19_sept_3002_copy_jpg -> part of -> @alice_austen_photography_business_correspondence_collection
@lota:person {role: "correspondent"}
@mr_browne:person {role: "commenter"}
@letter_1888_09_19:document {date: @date_1888_09_19, from: @lota, to: @alice_austen, type: "letter"}
@letter_1888_09_19 -> contains -> @file_1888_9_19_sept_3002_copy_jpg
@mr_browne -> praised -> @photography {subject: "interior of the chosen", comment: "one of the best interiors he ever saw"}
@mr_browne -> advised -> @alice_austen {advice: "make her work pay for a studio; her photographs would pay well and satisfy any customer"}Metadata
Files (1)
1888_9-19-Sept 3002 copy.jpgJPEG
OCR Text
My Dear Lota, Your beautiful photography arrived safely and were immediately submitted to a most appreciative set of spectators who admired them very much. Mr. Browne says without any flattery the interior of the chosen is one of the best interiors he ever saw and would be proud to have done any as well—and that the artist must be permitted indeed to be entrusted with such a duty. I was telling him of your small accommodation and he said tell Miss Austin she ought to make her work pay for a studio, that her photographs would pay well and satisfy any customer. If by this way we gather,
Version History (4 versions)
- ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:36:01 PM
"Added description" - v3 · 12/9/2025, 8:19:20 PM · View this version
"Added knowledge graph extraction" - v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:45:27 PM · View this version
"Added PINAX metadata" - v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:21:13 PM · View this version
"Reorganization group: Photography_Business"
Parent
No children (leaf entity)