1891_7-2-July 1001-chapman-quarries copy.jpg

C. R. Chapman Correspondence Collection

PI

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:39:08 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:24:44 PM

Added description

Description

C. R. Chapman Correspondence Collection (1891)

Overview

This collection comprises the surviving correspondence sent by C. R. Chapman to Elizabeth Alice Austen in July 1891. It includes two handwritten letters—one from Chapman Quarries, Pennsylvania, and one from Chapman Quarries, Florida—along with their scanned photographs and a brief mention of a paper‑weight project. The materials are digitized as JPEG images and are accompanied by transcriptions in plain‑text format.

Background

C. R. Chapman was a resident of the Chapman Quarries, a family‑owned quarrying operation in Pennsylvania that also maintained a site in Florida. In 1891, he corresponded with Alice Austen, a prominent Staten Island photographer and socialite, to express gratitude for photographs she had sent and to discuss a paper‑weight he was crafting. The letters illustrate the trans‑regional social network of late‑Victorian America and provide insight into the business and personal relationships that underpinned Austen’s photographic practice.

Contents

  • Two handwritten letters (July 2, 1891):
    • - Pennsylvania version addressed to “Miss Alice Preston, Clifton, Staten Island N.Y.”, dated “JUL 2 1891 PA.” - Florida version addressed to “Mrs. Austin” (a variant of Austen’s name), dated “Chapman Quarries, Fla., July 2 1891.”
  • Photographic scans: Five photographs sent by Austen to Chapman, referenced in the Florida letter.
  • Transcriptions: Typed, plain‑text versions of both letters, preserving the original wording.
  • Metadata: Subject tags (Correspondence, Photography, Victorian social life, Chapman Quarries) and provenance information linking the items to the Alice Austen House Museum.

Scope

The collection covers a single date—July 2, 1891—across three geographic locations: Staten Island (New York), Chapman Quarries (Pennsylvania), and Chapman Quarries (Florida). It documents a brief exchange between a quarry owner and a photographer, highlighting the circulation of photographic images and the collaborative creation of decorative objects (paper weight) in the late 19th‑century United States. The materials are limited to the two letters and associated photographs; no additional business records or personal diaries are included.

Raw Cheimarros Data

@file_pinax -> documents -> @c_r_chapman_correspondence_collection:document {title: "C. R. Chapman Correspondence Collection", creator: @c_r_chapman, institution: @alice_austen_house, created: @date_1891_07_02, language: "en", subjects: ["Correspondence","Photography","Victorian social life","Chapman Quarries"]}

@c_r_chapman:person {full_name: "C. R. Chapman"}

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

@alice_austen_house:organization {type: "Museum", location: @staten_island}

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

@chapman_quarries_pa:place {state: @pennsylvania, country: @united_states, name: "Chapman Quarries, PA"}

@chapman_quarries_fla:place {state: @florida, country: @united_states, name: "Chapman Quarries, FL"}

@date_1891_07_02

@letter_1891_07_02_pa:document {from: @c_r_chapman, to: @alice_austen, date: @date_1891_07_02, location: @chapman_quarries_pa, type: "letter"}

@letter_1891_07_02_fla:document {from: @c_r_chapman, to: @alice_austen, date: @date_1891_07_02, location: @chapman_quarries_fla, type: "letter"}

@file_1891_7_2_july_1001_chapman_quarries_copy_jpg -> depicts -> @letter_1891_07_02_pa

@file_1891_7_2_july_1002_chapman_quarries_copy_jpg -> depicts -> @letter_1891_07_02_fla

@c_r_chapman -> wrote -> @letter_1891_07_02_pa

@c_r_chapman -> wrote -> @letter_1891_07_02_fla {content: "Thank you for the five beautiful pictures you sent; they will adorn me during many happy evenings. I am working on a paper weight which I will send to you soon."}

@letter_1891_07_02_fla -> mentions -> @photographs:concept {quantity: 5, description: "beautiful pictures"}

@letter_1891_07_02_fla -> mentions -> @paper_weight:concept {status: "in progress"}

Metadata

Title
C. R. Chapman Correspondence Collection
Type
Collection
Creator
C. R. Chapman
Institution
Alice Austen House
Created
1891-07-02
Language
en
Subjects
Correspondence, Photography, Victorian social life, Chapman Quarries
Place
Staten Island, NY, Pennsylvania, Florida
Source
PINAX

Files (2)

1891_7-2-July 1001-chapman-quarries copy.jpgJPEG
483.04 KB
OCR Text

C. R. CHAPMAN, CHAPMAN QUARRIES, PA. Miss Alice Preston Clifton Staten Island N.Y. Pennsylvania Ave CHAPMAN QUARRIES JUL 2 1891 PA.

1891_7-2-July 1002-chapman-quarries copy.jpgJPEG
1.2 MB
OCR Text

C. R. CHAPMAN. Chapman Quarries, Fla., July 2, 1891 My dear Mrs. Austin, On returning home this morning I was very much surprised and delighted to find the five beautiful pictures you so kindly sent me. They will adorn me—during many a happy evening—of a delightfully spirit day! After seeing your anxiously pretty work—I am not afraid you will not think much of the paper weight I have been working on—and which you will receive as soon as finished. Many thanks for the beauties. Very sincerely yours, C. R. Chapman

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:39:08 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/9/2025, 8:27:19 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:47:38 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:24:44 PM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: Correspondence_C_R_Chapman"

Parent

↑ 01KC28TT5KXGCKTCP8DD89H1NR

No children (leaf entity)