Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:39:26 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:24:46 PM

Description

Correspondence between Henry Welsh and Alice Austen (1891)

Overview

This collection comprises a single Victorian‑era letter written by Henry Welsh to Elizabeth Alice Austen, dated 2 July 1891. It is preserved as a scanned JPEG image of the original paper and a typed transcription. The material is housed in the Alice Austen House Museum’s archival holdings and represents a personal exchange between a photographer from Staten Island and a contemporary patron from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania.

Background

Elizabeth Alice Austen (1866‑1952) was a pioneering American photographer whose work documented late‑Victorian society and the burgeoning field of portrait photography. Henry Welsh, a resident of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, was a friend and patron of Austen’s work. The letter was written at the Eagle Hotel in Bethlehem and reflects the social practice of exchanging photographic prints and compliments among the upper‑middle‑class circles of the era.

Letter (1891‑07‑02) – A handwritten note addressed to “Miss Austen” expressing gratitude for photographs received and praising her photographic skill.
Image File – JPEG scan of the original letter (file name: 1891_7‑2‑July 2001‑henry‑welsh.jpg), including the Eagle Hotel’s header and the signature of Henry Welsh.
Transcription – A typed version of the letter’s text, preserving the content for research and preservation purposes.
Metadata – Digital records indicating the letter’s provenance, date, place of origin (Bethlehem, PA), and the institution (Alice Austen House).

Scope

The collection covers a single correspondence dated 2 July 1891, originating from Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, and addressed to Alice Austen in Staten Island, New York. It focuses on themes of photography appreciation, social courtesy, and the exchange of photographic prints among Victorian‑era acquaintances. The material is limited to this one letter and its digital representations; it does not include additional correspondence, photographs, or related documents.

Raw Cheimarros Data

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

@henry_welsh:person {full_name: "Henry Welsh"}

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

@bethlehem_pa:place {state: @pennsylvania, country: @united_states}

@eagle_hotel:place {city: @bethlehem_pa}

@letter_1891_07_02:document {type: "letter", content: "Thank you very much for the pictures, and allow me to congratulate on your skill displayed as a photographer. It was extremely kind of you, to remember us, and I thoroughly appreciate it."}

@austen_welsh_correspondence:collection {description: "Collection containing a letter from Henry Welsh to Alice Austen"}

@henry_welsh -> wrote -> @letter_1891_07_02 {when: @date_1891_07_02, where: @bethlehem_pa}

@letter_1891_07_02 -> addressed to -> @alice_austen

@letter_1891_07_02 -> originated from -> @eagle_hotel

@file_pinax -> documents -> @austen_welsh_correspondence:collection

@file_1891_7_2_july_2001_henry_welsh_jpg -> image of -> @letter_1891_07_02:document

Alice Austen Correspondence with Henry Welsh

Description

Correspondence between Henry Welsh and Alice Austen (1891)

Overview

Background

Contents

Scope

Raw Cheimarros Data

Metadata

Files (1)

Version History (4 versions)

Parent