Alice Austen Calling Cards Collection
PI
Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:39:47 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:27:12 PM
Added description
Description
Alice Austen Calling Cards Collection
Overview
This collection consists of digitized photographs of Victorian‑era calling cards that were part of the personal papers of Elizabeth Alice Austen (1866‑1952), a pioneering photographer from Staten Island. The cards were created in 1892 by Miss Barton, a close friend of Austen, and were used to invite Austen to social events such as meetings of the Zard Club. The collection is housed in the Alice Austen House Museum and is available online as JPEG scans and accompanying transcriptions.Background
The Alice Austen House, now a museum, preserves Austen’s extensive photographic and documentary legacy. The calling cards reflect the social customs of the late nineteenth‑century upper‑middle class in Staten Island. Miss Barton’s invitation to the Zard Club meeting on January 8, 1892, is a representative example of the type of correspondence preserved in this collection. The cards were produced by Miss Barton and addressed to Austen, indicating a close friendship and active participation in local social clubs.Contents
The collection contains scanned images of the calling cards, each accompanied by a typed transcription. The primary example is a card dated January 8, 1892, inviting Austen to the Zard Club meeting at Chilton, scheduled for Friday evening at 8 p.m. The card’s text reads: “Miss Barton requests the pleasure of Miss Austins company at the next meeting of the Zard Club. Friday evening January eighth, at eight o’clock. Chilton 1892.” Additional cards in the collection follow the same format, featuring invitations to skating parties, sleigh rides, church events, and whist parties, illustrating the breadth of Austen’s social engagements.Scope
The collection covers the year 1892 and focuses on social invitations within the Staten Island community. It includes only the calling cards sent by Miss Barton to Austen; other correspondence, such as letters or envelopes, is not part of this collection. The material is relevant to scholars of Victorian social history, photography, and the cultural life of late‑nineteenth‑century New York, providing insight into the social networks and customs that shaped Austen’s personal and professional life.Raw Cheimarros Data
@file_pinax:file {title: "Alice Austen Calling Cards Collection", type: "Metadata (PINAX)", created: @date_1892, institution: @alice_austen_house, language: "en", subjects: ["Calling cards", "Social events", "Zard Club", "Victorian social customs"], description: "Collection of calling cards from Alice Austen's personal papers, including invitations to social events.", place: ["Chilton", @staten_island]}
@file_1892_1_8_jan_7001_barton_copy_jpg:file {description: "Scanned calling card invitation from Miss Barton to Alice Austen", date: @date_1892_01_08, source: "OCR"}
@alice_austen:person {full_name: "Elizabeth Alice Austen", birth: @date_1866, death: @date_1952, occupation: "photographer", residence: @staten_island}
@miss_barton:person {full_name: "Miss Barton", role: "friend of Alice Austen"}
@zard_club:organization {type: "social club", era: "Victorian"}
@chilton:place {city: "Chilton", borough: "Staten Island", country: @united_states}
@zard_club_meeting:event {description: "Meeting of the Zard Club", when: @date_1892_01_08, time: "20:00", location: @chilton}
@invitation_card_1892_jan_8:document {type: "calling card", sender: @miss_barton, recipient: @alice_austen, about: @zard_club_meeting, date: @date_1892_01_08, location: @chilton}
@alice_austen_house:organization {type: "museum", location: @staten_island}
@alice_austen_calling_cards_collection:collection {title: "Alice Austen Calling Cards Collection", creator: @miss_barton, institution: @alice_austen_house, created: @date_1892, subjects: ["Calling cards", "Social events", "Zard Club", "Victorian social customs"]}
@file_pinax -> documents -> @alice_austen_calling_cards_collection
@file_1892_1_8_jan_7001_barton_copy_jpg -> depicts -> @invitation_card_1892_jan_8
@invitation_card_1892_jan_8 -> sent by -> @miss_barton
@invitation_card_1892_jan_8 -> addressed to -> @alice_austen
@invitation_card_1892_jan_8 -> about -> @zard_club_meeting
@zard_club_meeting -> held at -> @chilton
@zard_club_meeting -> organized by -> @zard_club
@alice_austen -> associated with -> @alice_austen_calling_cards_collection
@date_1866
@date_1952
@date_1892
@date_1892_01_08Metadata
Files (1)
1892_1-8-Jan 7001-barton copy.jpgJPEG
OCR Text
Miss Barton requests the pleasure of Miss Austins company at the next meeting of the Zard Club. Friday evening January eighth, at eight o'clock. Chilton 1892
Version History (4 versions)
- ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:39:47 PM
"Added description" - v3 · 12/9/2025, 8:30:21 PM · View this version
"Added knowledge graph extraction" - v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:48:04 PM · View this version
"Added PINAX metadata" - v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:27:12 PM · View this version
"Reorganization group: Calling_Cards"
Parent
No children (leaf entity)