1891_6-4-Edward C Center 4 June 1891001 copy.jpg

Edward C. Center Correspondence to Alice Austen

PI

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:39:14 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:24:41 PM

Added description

Description

Edward C. Center Correspondence to Alice Austen (1891–1895)

Overview

This collection comprises three digitized letters written by Edward C. Center to Elizabeth Alice Austen, a prominent Staten Island photographer. The letters were penned between 1891 and 1895 and are preserved as high‑resolution JPEG scans of the originals, accompanied by OCR‑derived text. The material is part of the Austen Family Papers housed at the Alice Austen House Museum and is accessible through the museum’s PINAX digital repository.

Background

Edward C. Center (born 1866) was a Staten Island resident who maintained a close friendship with Austen. The correspondence reflects the social milieu of late‑Victorian New York, documenting visits to social events, family health matters, and mutual acquaintances. The letters were written from various locations, including 50 Broadway, New York, and Rosebank, Staten Island, illustrating the geographic breadth of their interactions.

Contents

  • Letter of 4 June 1891 – Sent from 50 Broadway, New York to Miss Alice Austen at Rosebank, Staten Island. The letter thanks Austen for a card to “Ladies Day” and mentions plans to attend the event.
  • Letter of 1 June 1895 – Addresses Austen’s mother, discusses the illness of the writer’s mother, and references Bernard Jepson, Capt. Muller, and the ship Medusa.
  • Additional material – The collection includes OCR text for each letter, providing a typed transcription of the handwritten correspondence.

Scope

The collection covers a four‑year span (1891–1895) and focuses on personal, social, and familial topics relevant to the Austen–Center friendship. It is geographically centered on Staten Island and New York City and excludes photographic or business records. The material offers insight into the social networks of upper‑middle‑class New York society during the late 19th century.

Raw Cheimarros Data

@edward_c_center:person {full_name: "Edward C. Center"}

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

@edward_c_center_correspondence:collection {title: "Edward C. Center Correspondence to Alice Austen", creator: @edward_c_center, created: @date_1891_06_04, description: "Collection of correspondence from Edward C. Center to Alice Austen, discussing social visits, family matters, and mutual acquaintances."}

@letter_1891_06_04:document {date: @date_1891_06_04, from: @edward_c_center, to: @alice_austen, subject: "social visits, family matters, mutual acquaintances"}

@edward_c_center -> wrote -> @letter_1891_06_04

@letter_1891_06_04 -> addressed to -> @alice_austen

@letter_1891_06_04 -> sent from -> @broadway_50:place {address: "50 Broadway, New York", city: @new_york, country: @united_states}

@letter_1891_06_04 -> mentions -> @rosebank:place {city: @staten_island, country: @united_states}

@letter_1891_06_04 -> mentions -> @ladies_day:event {type: "social_event"}

@letter_1891_06_04 -> mentions -> @bernard_jepson:person

@letter_1891_06_04 -> mentions -> @capt_muller:person {title: "Captain"}

@letter_1891_06_04 -> mentions -> @medusa:concept {type: "ship"}

@bernard_jepson:person {full_name: "Bernard Jepson"}

@capt_muller:person {full_name: "Captain Muller"}

@medusa:concept {description: "Ship named Medusa"}

@ladies_day:event {description: "Ladies Day social gathering"}

@rosebank:place {description: "Rosebank, Staten Island, New York, United States"}

@broadway_50:place {description: "50 Broadway, New York, United States"}

Metadata

Title
Edward C. Center Correspondence to Alice Austen
Type
Collection
Creator
Edward C. Center
Institution
Alice Austen House
Created
1891-06-04
Language
en
Subjects
Correspondence, Social life, Staten Island, Victorian era, Family relationships
Place
Staten Island, New York
Source
PINAX

Files (3)

1891_6-4-Edward C Center 4 June 1891001 copy.jpgJPEG
1.07 MB
OCR Text

T. Miss Alice Austen, Rosebank, P.O., Staten Island,

1891_6-4-Edward C Center 4 June 1891002 copy.jpgJPEG
4.96 MB
OCR Text

EDWARD C. CENTER, 50 BROADWAY NEW YORK My dear Alice, I am very much obliged to you for the card to Ladies Day, and shall try and get down hope I shall see you there. I have been meaning to come and see you but on my return from Staten Island when I visited there I found my mother sick & in bed and up to this

1891_6-4-Edward C Center 4 June 1891003 copy.jpgJPEG
5.03 MB
OCR Text

Please send Bernard Jepson, please & show him this here. Truly she has only been out of the house once. Of course I have had but little chance to see my friends as I am downtown all day and Mama wants me home in the evening. My brother has been south on the Medusa for 4 weeks and I was left at home. Remember me most kindly to Miss Capt. Muller & Capt., your good mother and believe me always your sincere friend, Edward C. Curtis June 1st 1895

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:39:14 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/9/2025, 8:27:40 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:47:37 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:24:41 PM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: Correspondence_Edward_C_Center"

Parent

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