1892_10-9-Oct 2002-Sarah-Martin copy.jpg

Alice Austen Correspondence with Sarah Schuyler Martin

PI

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:40:46 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:26:51 PM

Added description

Description

Correspondence between Alice Austen and Sarah Schuyler Martin (1892)

Overview

This collection comprises two handwritten letters written by Sarah Schuyler Martin to Elizabeth Alice Austen, dated October 4 and October 9, 1892. The letters are preserved as digitized JPEG scans (≈1.5 MB each) and accompanied by metadata that records the authorship, dates, and place of origin (16 E Westervelt Ave, Staten Island, NY). The correspondence reflects everyday concerns of a late‑Victorian social circle, including lost household items and invitations to social visits.

Background

Alice Austen (1866‑1952) was a pioneering American photographer based in Staten Island. Sarah Schuyler Martin was a close friend and neighbor, residing on Westervelt Avenue. The letters were created during a period when Austen was actively engaged in her photography business and maintaining a network of friends and clients. The collection is housed at the Alice Austen House Museum and was digitized by the museum’s archival team, making the documents accessible for research and public interest.

Contents

  • Letter dated October 4, 1892 – Martin complains about missing personal items (a plant pot and a bronze coffee plaque) that she believes Austen has misplaced, and invites Austen to lunch.
  • Letter dated October 9, 1892 – Martin reiterates her request for the lost items, references Julia T. Martin and Julia’s uncle, and expresses frustration over the loss of belongings.
  • Digitized JPEG scans – High‑resolution images of the handwritten letters, each annotated with OCR text for accessibility.
  • Metadata – Includes creator, institution, creation date, language, subjects (e.g., “Victorian social life,” “lost items”), and place information.

Scope

The collection covers a narrow temporal window (October 1892) and a single geographic location (Staten Island, NY). It focuses exclusively on personal correspondence between two individuals and does not include other types of documents such as photographs, business records, or broader archival materials. The content is limited to the two letters and their digitized representations, offering insight into the social dynamics and everyday concerns of Austen’s contemporary circle.

Raw Cheimarros Data

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

@sarah_schuyler_martin:person {full_name: "Sarah Schuyler Martin"}

@julia_martin:person {full_name: "Julia T. Martin", relationship: "friend of @sarah_schuyler_martin"}

@julia_uncle:person {relationship: "uncle of @julia_martin"}

@westervelt_avenue:place {address: "16 E Westervelt Ave", city: @staten_island, state: @new_york, country: @united_states}

@plant_pot:item {description: "plant pot"}

@bronze_coffee_plaque:item {material: "bronze", description: "coffee plaque"}

@lost_items:concept {description: "items reported missing"}

@file_pinax:file {title: "Alice Austen Correspondence with Sarah Schuyler Martin", creator: @sarah_schuyler_martin, institution: "Alice Austen House", created: @date_1892_10_09, place: @westervelt_avenue}

@letter_1892_10_09_1:document {date: @date_1892_10_09, from: @sarah_schuyler_martin, to: @alice_austen, content: "request for plant pot and bronze coffee plaque"}

@letter_1892_10_04_2:document {date: @date_1892_10_04, from: @sarah_schuyler_martin, to: @alice_austen, content: "complaint about lost items and invitation to lunch"}

@file_1892_10_9_oct_2002_sarah_martin_copy_jpg:file -> digitized version of -> @letter_1892_10_09_1

@file_1892_10_9_oct_2003_sarah_martin_copy_jpg:file -> digitized version of -> @letter_1892_10_04_2

@sarah_schuyler_martin -> wrote -> @letter_1892_10_09_1

@sarah_schuyler_martin -> wrote -> @letter_1892_10_04_2

@sarah_schuyler_martin -> requested -> @plant_pot {status: "lost"}

@sarah_schuyler_martin -> requested -> @bronze_coffee_plaque {status: "lost"}

@sarah_schuyler_martin -> mentions -> @julia_martin

@sarah_schuyler_martin -> mentions -> @julia_uncle

@sarah_schuyler_martin -> concerns -> @lost_items

@letter_1892_10_09_1 -> mentions -> @plant_pot

@letter_1892_10_09_1 -> mentions -> @bronze_coffee_plaque

@letter_1892_10_04_2 -> mentions -> @lost_items

@letter_1892_10_04_2 -> invites -> @alice_austen {event: "lunch"}

Metadata

Files (2)

1892_10-9-Oct 2002-Sarah-Martin copy.jpgJPEG
1.42 MB
OCR Text

16 E Westervelt Ave Dear Alice, I fear you think me a great nuisance, but I will not trouble you much more with questions. I understood from Julia she had left with you a plant pot & a bronze coffee plaque belonging to me. Will you be kind enough to leave them when I can get them some day when in your neighborhood. I have lost so very many things I am naturally trying

1892_10-9-Oct 2003-Sarah-Martin copy.jpgJPEG
1.42 MB
OCR Text

to get together those few friends & so have to trouble my friends more than otherwise should. I find Julia's uncle a misapprehension, thinking I would never require them, gave away some things belonging to me. Can you not come over soon & lunch with me? I should enjoy seeing you very much. Very sincerely yours, Sarah Schuyler Martin October 4/92

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:40:46 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/9/2025, 8:31:55 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:48:52 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:26:51 PM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: Correspondence_Sarah_Schuyler_Martin"

Parent

01KC28TPDYRTR6DTTFE9GZE3FA

No children (leaf entity)