Alice Austen and Julia Martin Correspondence Collection
PI
Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:42:26 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:29:01 PM
Added description
Description
Correspondence between Alice Austen and Julia T. Martin (1892)
Overview
This collection comprises a series of scanned copies of handwritten letters exchanged in 1892 between Elizabeth Alice Austen, a pioneering Staten Island photographer, and her close friend Julia T. Martin of Albany, New York. The digital files include JPEG images of the original envelopes and pages, along with OCR‑derived transcriptions. The material is part of the broader Austen Family Papers (MS1) housed at the Alice Austen House Museum.Background
Alice Austen (1866‑1952) was a leading American photographer whose work and business activities were intertwined with the social circles of late‑Victorian New York. Julia T. Martin, a well‑connected resident of Albany, corresponded regularly with Austen, sharing news of family, social events, and Austen’s photographic pursuits. The letters were written during a period when Austen was expanding her studio and selling photographs from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition.Contents
The collection contains thirteen scanned images: eight letters dated March 9, 1892, and five dated April 18, 1892. Each image is accompanied by an OCR transcript that captures the content of the handwritten text. The letters discuss a range of topics, including:- Social life (skating parties, church events, whist gatherings)
- Photography business (sale of images from the Exposition)
- Personal relationships (friendship with Julia, family matters)
- Music (purchase of a Steinway piano)
- Everyday domestic concerns (dress‑making, embroidery lessons).
Scope
The collection is limited to the 1892 correspondence between Austen and Martin, covering the months of March and April. It does not include other types of materials (e.g., calling cards, negative sleeves) that appear in the larger Austen Family Papers. The documents provide a window into the social and professional life of an upper‑middle‑class Staten Island family during the late Victorian era.Raw Cheimarros Data
@alice_austen:person {full_name: "Elizabeth Alice Austen", birth_year: 1866, death_year: 1952, occupation: "photographer", residence: @staten_island_new_york}
@julia_t_martin:person {full_name: "Julia T. Martin", relationship: "close friend of Alice Austen", residence: @albany_new_york}
@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"}
@albany_new_york:place {state: @new_york, country: @united_states}
@staten_island_new_york:place {state: @new_york, country: @united_states}
@134_stan_st:place {address: "134 Stan St.", city: @albany_new_york}
@st_lukes_hospital:place {name: "St. Luke's", city: @staten_island_new_york}
@date_1892 {year: 1892}
@date_1892_03_09 {year: 1892, month: 3, day: 9}
@date_1892_04_18 {year: 1892, month: 4, day: 18}
@date_1893 {year: 1893}
@worlds_columbian_exposition_1893:event {name: "World's Columbian Exposition", year: @date_1893}
@photography_business:concept {description: "Alice Austen's sale of photographs, including images from the 1893 World's Columbian Exposition"}
@steinway_piano:object {manufacturer: "Steinway & Sons"}
@alice_austen_julia_martin_correspondence:document {title: "Alice Austen and Julia Martin Correspondence Collection", creator: [@alice_austen, @julia_t_martin], institution: "Alice Austen House", created: @date_1892, language: "en", subjects: ["Correspondence","Victorian social life","Friendship","Family relationships","Photography","Music","Fashion","Social events"], description: "Personal letters between Alice Austen and Julia T. Martin from Albany, New York, discussing social lives, family matters, and personal interests.", place: [@albany_new_york, @staten_island_new_york]}
@file_pinax:file {title: "Alice Austen and Julia Martin Correspondence Collection", type: "Metadata (PINAX)"}
@file_1892_3_9_march_3003_jtm_copy_jpg:file {description: "OCR of letter dated March 9 1892 from Julia Martin to Alice Austen"}
@file_1892_3_9_march_3004_jtm_copy_jpg:file {description: "OCR of letter dated March 9 1892 from Julia Martin to Alice Austen"}
@file_1892_3_9_march_3005_jtm_copy_jpg:file {description: "OCR of letter dated March 9 1892 from Julia Martin to Alice Austen"}
@file_1892_3_9_march_3006_jtm_copy_jpg:file {description: "OCR of letter dated March 9 1892 from Julia Martin to Alice Austen"}
@file_1892_3_9_march_3007_jtm_copy_jpg:file {description: "OCR of letter dated March 9 1892 from Julia Martin to Alice Austen"}
@file_1892_3_9_march_3008_jtm_copy_jpg:file {description: "OCR of letter dated March 9 1892 from Julia Martin to Alice Austen"}
@file_1892_4_18_april_3002_jtm_copy_jpg:file {description: "OCR of letter dated April 18 1892 from Julia Martin to Alice Austen"}
@file_1892_4_18_april_3003_jtm_copy_jpg:file {description: "OCR of letter dated April 18 1892 from Julia Martin to Alice Austen"}
@file_1892_4_18_april_3004_jtm_copy_jpg:file {description: "OCR of letter dated April 18 1892 from Julia Martin to Alice Austen"}
@file_1892_4_18_april_3005_jtm_copy_jpg:file {description: "OCR of letter dated April 18 1892 from Julia Martin to Alice Austen"}
@julia_t_martin -> wrote -> @file_1892_3_9_march_3003_jtm_copy_jpg {when: @date_1892_03_09, where: @albany_new_york}
@julia_t_martin -> wrote -> @file_1892_3_9_march_3004_jtm_copy_jpg {when: @date_1892_03_09, where: @albany_new_york}
@julia_t_martin -> wrote -> @file_1892_3_9_march_3005_jtm_copy_jpg {when: @date_1892_03_09, where: @albany_new_york}
@julia_t_martin -> wrote -> @file_1892_3_9_march_3006_jtm_copy_jpg {when: @date_1892_03_09, where: @albany_new_york}
@julia_t_martin -> wrote -> @file_1892_3_9_march_3007_jtm_copy_jpg {when: @date_1892_03_09, where: @albany_new_york}
@julia_t_martin -> wrote -> @file_1892_3_9_march_3008_jtm_copy_jpg {when: @date_1892_03_09, where: @albany_new_york}
@julia_t_martin -> wrote -> @file_1892_4_18_april_3002_jtm_copy_jpg {when: @date_1892_04_18, where: @albany_new_york}
@julia_t_martin -> wrote -> @file_1892_4_18_april_3003_jtm_copy_jpg {when: @date_1892_04_18, where: @albany_new_york}
@julia_t_martin -> wrote -> @file_1892_4_18_april_3004_jtm_copy_jpg {when: @date_1892_04_18, where: @albany_new_york}
@julia_t_martin -> wrote -> @file_1892_4_18_april_3005_jtm_copy_jpg {when: @date_1892_04_18, where: @albany_new_york}
@alice_austen -> received -> @file_1892_3_9_march_3003_jtm_copy_jpg {when: @date_1892_03_09}
@alice_austen -> received -> @file_1892_3_9_march_3004_jtm_copy_jpg {when: @date_1892_03_09}
@alice_austen -> received -> @file_1892_3_9_march_3005_jtm_copy_jpg {when: @date_1892_03_09}
@alice_austen -> received -> @file_1892_3_9_march_3006_jtm_copy_jpg {when: @date_1892_03_09}
@alice_austen -> received -> @file_1892_3_9_march_3007_jtm_copy_jpg {when: @date_1892_03_09}
@alice_austen -> received -> @file_1892_3_9_march_3008_jtm_copy_jpg {when: @date_1892_03_09}
@alice_austen -> received -> @file_1892_4_18_april_3002_jtm_copy_jpg {when: @date_1892_04_18}
@alice_austen -> received -> @file_1892_4_18_april_3003_jtm_copy_jpg {when: @date_1892_04_18}
@alice_austen -> received -> @file_1892_4_18_april_3004_jtm_copy_jpg {when: @date_1892_04_18}
@alice_austen -> received -> @file_1892_4_18_april_3005_jtm_copy_jpg {when: @date_1892_04_18}
@alice_austen -> discussed -> @photography_business {when: @date_1892_03_09}
@alice_austen -> sold photographs from -> @worlds_columbian_exposition_1893 {when: @date_1892_03_09}
@alice_austen -> purchased -> @steinway_piano {when: @date_1892_04_18, context: "correspondence about music"}Metadata
Files (10)
OCR Text
how few things you had of hers & what they were—the others being mine for you to keep, so do not on any account let one single thing of mine leave your possession. Did you see Mamma? I know they are going to housekeeping & will be if everything is missing. Please as easy the next time you tell me such news as of Julia Lord. My heart was clean knocked out of my body. What an excitement it must *NOT in "Merchants Speller." 134 Stan St. Albany Nov. 8th Dear Alice: As usual a day or two behind but I have not had one minute in which to write a line since Sunday. Taking all things into consideration I think our letter rack has worked very well don't you? And let me tell you that I have written to Mamma & told her
OCR Text
have caused. Please give Julia my best love—do not forget it will you? I was so much amused for reading the account of the "Charity" in the Staten Islander. It is so kind in Mrs. Miller to send them to me & please tell her how much I enjoy reading the accounts of the Staten Island belles such as Annie Ripley etc., etc. Mrs. Cooper is not going away after all till the 1st of April—oh dear! oh dear! Mrs. Lively went home last week & the house seems for-saken in every sense of the word. Mrs. Thompson is coming for the rest of this month on Monday. The days go by very fast & my life goes on as usual. In the morning I do all Mrs. Cooper's shopping getting back in time to drive with her
OCR Text
stairs? that is why I am writing. I told her what I was going to do & she sent her undying love. She is a regular shy cat. Her house is right opposite Mrs Cooper's & I have seen her blinds so that she can look over here to see what is going on & not be seen—All my friends except May Cooper & John Walsh are away & it being Lent Albany is very quiet. I have been busy making ging ham shirts, have on Then the afternoon I have to sit with her unless someone comes in, then I skip out to church or to see some of the girls. She is a woman who does not like to be alone an hour of the day. Yesterday morning I got up early and he went over to Mrs M. Hargo for breakfast half past seven!!! and had a grand feast of buckwheat & sausages. Miss Lester is down.
OCR Text
don't on an other now. Yesterday Mrs. McVarg gave me a lovely dress I enclose the sample & Mrs. Cooper has given me a "Phalais" in Adam of hers, but I think I can make something of it so I have not got to buy any dresses. I think I am going to hear Path on Friday evening. Some friends have an extra ticket & if their friend who is visiting them does not remain over Friday, I am to go - so it is to be hoped their friend will go home. I must tell of these friends - Miss Libbitts & Miss Richards, age questionable, commonly known as "The Two Marys." They aren't a good many years back, & took the greatest fancy to one and an other, so decided to try living together & to meet with so much success that they have lived with each other ever since. Both have a little money & they keep house.
OCR Text
fond of me & all during his visit made things so pleasant for me. I do not know Mrs. Thompson as well, but well enough to know she is not one bit like Mrs. Lively. "Little Jim" has been away nearly all winter—sad isn't it not? Well I have written quite a letter have I not? Give my love to all at your house including the men part & with lots & lots for yourself, believe me Affectionately, Julia Martin. in a most delightful way. I have been to one or two of their small lunches, which are always most pleasant. They are always to-gather & I believe slip in each others arms—and that are great friends of Mrs. Leapers. Perhaps you and I might sometime set up such an establishment. Their friend visiting them is Miss Crosby, Mr. Howard Crosby's daughter about my age. I met her on Sunday & liked her family. I speak for a bit for myself.
OCR Text
quite well. She declared then that she could not stay longer than to-day, but she keeps putting off going & I am deathly afraid she will remain over Friday. Please remember there "two Marrys" as you may hear of them later. When I have time I go & sing for them & we have great fun - & in many ways they are very kind to me. Count days before Oath's young Miss will return. I miss her so much, & I used to say she would probably return just when Mrs Cooper does from New York. It would be so pleasant if she only were here while I am at Mrs Mr Diggs. Seems to me I have said very little about Mrs Lively in my letters. Will it be not because I am any less proud of her. She is as pretty as ever & just the same half-fellow. Well met & I think she is really very
OCR Text
wanted to do, and a good deal of dress-making which had to be double for Mrs Cooper comes back, & I also had engaged a woman to give her embroidery lessons, so all together I decided to give up going away. I fear I shall be old and grey haired when you see me again, for it will certainly be a year and more before you see me unless you take a trip to Albany, which you Monday 92 Dear Alice, A happy Easter, old lady, and very many thanks for your kind letter. I am sorry I could not send you word that I was "sensible" but it could not be—I thought the matter over sometime ago and decided for many reasons it was best not to have Albany now. I had a good deal I
OCR Text
your Mother might easily do— I am truly sorry to disappoint you in so many ways, but I have not any thing to tell you. "He" has been congratulated & so have I & we have been engaged for many years, so report goes. Whether I am quite hardened—but how it reached me I do not know. When I know or rather set my marriage day, I will let you know in time to get to Albany. You are a brick Alice. You gave Marmaduke just the right answers. You know I packed all her clothes & she has them all—with her. Mrs. Hilarian saw her in New York & said she seemed very contented & happy. Walton came up to see me. He took me my surprise on Thursday & I
OCR Text
When I learn to do it nicely, I have a number of orders and I work for a couple of hours every day. Then I am deep in dress making. Have finished two Quigham skirts and am now on a waist. Mary Cooper has helped me with the waist. She knows quite a good deal about such things. We and myself are getting to be great friends. Every Saturday afternoon never was so glad to see anyone. There was so much to talk over and about. He passed four in the hospital examinations and has a place in St. Luke's for two years—so he is taken care of. Mrs. Cooper left a week ago, so I am on Elk St. and very busy. I am taking embroidery lessons. The filling in of letters
OCR Text
I go over there & take a cup of tea with her. Yesterday morning I went in early to see the "Two Marias" they seemed so pleased. Be sure Alice & write to me—this week. I love to hear from you. My best love to you & all & with many thanks for your always kindness believe me Lovingly Julia S. Martin
Version History (4 versions)
- ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:42:26 PM
"Added description" - v3 · 12/9/2025, 8:38:38 PM · View this version
"Added knowledge graph extraction" - v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:49:53 PM · View this version
"Added PINAX metadata" - v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:29:01 PM · View this version
"Reorganization group: Correspondence_Julia_Martin"
Parent
No children (leaf entity)