1891_3-March 1002-Doty copy.jpg

Alice Austen Photography Business Correspondence

PI

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:38:44 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:24:51 PM

Added description

Description

Alice Austen Photography Business Correspondence Collection (March 1891)

Overview

This collection comprises scanned images and transcriptions of letters exchanged in March 1891 between photographer Elizabeth Alice Austen and her business associates. The documents illustrate the day‑to‑day operations of Austen’s early photography studio, including orders, payments, and logistical updates. The material is housed in the Alice Austen House Museum on Staten Island, New York, and is accessible through the museum’s digital archive.

Background

Elizabeth Alice Austen (1866‑1952) was a pioneering American photographer who practiced in Staten Island during the late 19th century. In the early 1890s she established a commercial studio, producing portrait and landscape images for local clients. The March 1891 correspondence reflects the nascent stage of her business, when she was negotiating orders, managing equipment, and handling payments. The letters are written in the formal Victorian style of the era and provide insight into the practical challenges of running a photographic enterprise at that time.

Contents

The collection contains two primary documents:
  • Letter 1891‑03‑1002 – A note from “HHB” reporting that a new tank at the studio was not yet ready for photography, with a promise to notify Austen in advance.
  • Letter 1891‑03‑1003 – A confirmation of satisfactory work and an announcement that a check would be sent for payment. The letter also mentions a Steinway piano, indicating a broader discussion of household purchases.
  • Each letter is available as a high‑resolution JPEG scan (≈1 MB) and an OCR‑derived text file. The images capture the original handwriting, ink, and paper texture, while the transcriptions provide a readable version for researchers.

    Scope

    The collection covers a narrow temporal window—March 1891—and focuses specifically on business correspondence related to photography orders and payments. It is geographically centered on Staten Island, with references to local studio operations. The material is limited to two letters and does not include broader family or social correspondence. It offers a focused glimpse into the operational aspects of Austen’s early studio, complementing the wider Austen Family Papers that document her personal and social life.

    Raw Cheimarros Data

    @staten_island:place {state: @new_york, country: @united_states}
    
    @albany:place {state: @new_york, country: @united_states}
    
    @alice_austen_house:organization {type: "museum", location: @staten_island}
    
    @alice_austen:person {full_name: "Elizabeth Alice Austen", birth: @date_1866, death: @date_1952, occupation: "photographer", residence: @staten_island}
    
    @alice_austen_photography_business_correspondence:collection {title: "Alice Austen Photography Business Correspondence", creator: @alice_austen, institution: @alice_austen_house, created: @date_1891_03, language: "en", subjects: ["Photography business","Victorian-era correspondence","Staten Island history","19th century photography"], description: "Collection of correspondence related to Alice Austen's photography business, including letters about photograph orders and payments.", place: @staten_island}
    
    @photography_business:concept {description: "Commercial activity of producing and selling photographic images"}
    
    @social_life:concept {description: "Victorian-era social activities such as skating parties, sleigh rides, church events, whist parties"}
    
    @personal_relationships:concept {description: "Correspondence with close friends and acquaintances"}
    
    @family_matters:concept {description: "Family-related correspondence, e.g., sympathy letters"}
    
    @music:concept {description: "Correspondence concerning musical instruments and purchases"}
    
    @julia_t_martin:person {full_name: "Julia T. Martin", relationship: "close friend", location: @albany}
    
    @julie_bredt:person {full_name: "Julie Bredt"}
    
    @violet_m_e_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"}
    
    @hhb:person {full_name: "HHB"}
    
    @letter_1891_03_1002:document {date: @date_1891_03, sender: @hhb, recipient: @alice_austen, subject: "photography of new tank", location: @staten_island, content: "Quarantine, Staten Island. Dear Miss Austin, Unfortunately the workmen have not finished the new tank & consequently it cannot be photographed today. I will notify you a day in advance. The set"}
    
    @letter_1891_03_1003:document {date: @date_1891_03, sender: @hhb, recipient: @alice_austen, subject: "photograph order satisfaction and payment", content: "which you have just sent are very satisfactory & a check will be sent to you. Sincerely Yours, HHB March 1791"}
    
    @worlds_columbian_exposition_1893:event {name: "World's Columbian Exposition", year: @date_1893, location: @chicago}
    
    @steinway_piano:concept {manufacturer: "Steinway & Sons", type: "grand piano"}
    
    @alice_austen -> involved in -> @photography_business
    
    @alice_austen -> corresponded with -> @julia_t_martin
    
    @alice_austen -> corresponded with -> @julie_bredt
    
    @alice_austen -> corresponded with -> @violet_m_e_ward
    
    @alice_austen -> corresponded with -> @isabella_king
    
    @alice_austen -> corresponded with -> @bessie_strong
    
    @alice_austen -> discussed -> @music {topic: "Steinway piano"}
    
    @alice_austen -> referenced -> @worlds_columbian_exposition_1893 {context: "the Fair"}
    
    @hhb -> sent -> @letter_1891_03_1002
    
    @hhb -> sent -> @letter_1891_03_1003
    
    @letter_1891_03_1002 -> about -> @photography_business
    
    @letter_1891_03_1003 -> about -> @photography_business
    
    @letter_1891_03_1003 -> mentions -> @steinway_piano
    
    @alice_austen -> participated in -> @social_life
    
    @alice_austen -> involved in -> @personal_relationships
    
    @alice_austen -> involved in -> @family_matters

    Metadata

    Files (2)

    1891_3-March 1002-Doty copy.jpgJPEG
    1014.1 KB
    OCR Text

    Quarantine, Staten Island. Dear Miss Austin, Unfortunately the workmen have not finished the new tank & consequently it cannot be photographed today. I will notify you a day in advance. The set

    1891_3-March 1003-Doty copy.jpgJPEG
    944.02 KB
    OCR Text

    which you have just sent are very satisfactory & a check will be sent to you. Sincerely Yours, HHB March 1791

    Version History (4 versions)

    • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:38:44 PM
      "Added description"
    • v3 · 12/9/2025, 8:27:01 PM · View this version
      "Added knowledge graph extraction"
    • v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:47:26 PM · View this version
      "Added PINAX metadata"
    • v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:24:51 PM · View this version
      "Reorganization group: Photography_Business"

    Parent

    01KC28TQZF4SPVXEB8P9XQ1DZ4

    No children (leaf entity)