1892_7-22-July 4002-munroe copy.jpg

Alice Austen Correspondence with Mary Munroe

PI

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:43:59 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:29:15 PM

Added description

Description

Correspondence between Mary Munroe and Alice Austen (July 1892)

Overview

This collection comprises a pair of scanned letter copies sent by Mary Munroe of Concord, Massachusetts to photographer Elizabeth Alice Austen of Staten Island on 22 July 1892. The materials are digital images of the original handwritten correspondence, accompanied by machine‑readable OCR text. The collection is held by the Alice Austen House Museum and is part of its broader archival holdings on Austen’s personal and professional networks.

Background

Mary Munroe was a resident of Concord, a town noted for its literary heritage and horticultural pursuits. The letters were produced during a period when Austen was establishing her photography business and maintaining a network of friends and patrons across New England. The correspondence reflects the social and cultural milieu of late‑Victorian America, illustrating how personal networks extended across state lines and how horticultural interests intersected with artistic practice.

Contents

  • Letter 22 July 1892 (Munroe → Austen) – Two scanned pages (image 4002 and image 4003) of the original letter, reproduced in high resolution.
  • OCR Text – Machine‑generated transcription of the letter’s content, including references to:
  • - Seeds of the Oriental Poppy and plans for sowing in Concord. - Local events such as the death of Judge Hoar’s wife and the loss of a child of the Hudsons. - Visits by friends (Kate Macfarlane, Mrs. Fulton, Florence) and upcoming trips to the White Mountains. - General well‑being and social customs of the period.
  • Metadata – Provenance details (creator, date, places, subjects) and links to related entities (e.g., World’s Columbian Exposition and Austen’s photography business).

Scope

The collection covers a single date (22 July 1892) and documents a personal exchange between two individuals from Concord, Massachusetts, and Staten Island, New York. It focuses on gardening, local social life, and the intersection of personal correspondence with Austen’s emerging photographic career. The materials are limited to the two pages of the letter and their digital reproductions; they do not include other correspondence, photographs, or ancillary documents from the broader Austen or Munroe archives.

Raw Cheimarros Data

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

@mary_munroe:person {full_name: "Mary Munroe", residence: @concord_massachusetts}

@concord_massachusetts:place {state: @massachusetts, country: @united_states}

@staten_island:place {city: "Staten Island", borough_of: @new_york, country: @united_states}

@file_pinax:document {title: "Alice Austen Correspondence with Mary Munroe", creator: @mary_munroe, institution: "Alice Austen House", created: @date_1892_07_22, language: "en", subjects: ["Correspondence","Gardening","Social life and customs","Photography"], places: [@concord_massachusetts, @staten_island]}

@letter_1892_07_22_munroe:document {author: @mary_munroe, recipient: @alice_austen, date: @date_1892_07_22, location: @concord_massachusetts}

@image_4002_munroe_copy:asset {filename: "1892_7-22-July 4002-munroe copy.jpg.ref.json"}

@image_4003_munroe_copy:asset {filename: "1892_7-22-July 4003-munroe copy.jpg.ref.json"}

@oriental_poppy:concept {type: "plant"}

@judge_hoar:person {title: "Judge"}

@mr_hudson:person {full_name: "Mr. Hudson"}

@mrs_hudson:person {full_name: "Mrs. Hudson"}

@nellie:person {first_name: "Nellie"}

@kate_macfarlane:person {full_name: "Kate Macfarlane"}

@mrs_fulton:person {full_name: "Mrs. Fulton"}

@florence:person {first_name: "Florence"}

@fair_1893:event {name: "World's Columbian Exposition", year: @date_1893}

@photography_business:concept {description: "Alice Austen's professional photography activities"}

@gardening:concept {description: "Cultivation of plants, referenced in correspondence"}

@social_life_and_customs:concept {description: "Victorian-era social activities"}

@correspondence:concept {description: "Personal letters exchanged"}

@alice_austen -> corresponded with -> @mary_munroe {when: @date_1892_07_22}

@mary_munroe -> sent -> @letter_1892_07_22_munroe {to: @alice_austen}

@file_pinax -> documents -> @letter_1892_07_22_munroe

@letter_1892_07_22_munroe -> includes asset -> @image_4002_munroe_copy

@letter_1892_07_22_munroe -> includes asset -> @image_4003_munroe_copy

@letter_1892_07_22_munroe -> mentions -> @oriental_poppy

@letter_1892_07_22_munroe -> mentions -> @judge_hoar {event: "death of wife"}

@letter_1892_07_22_munroe -> mentions -> @mr_hudson

@letter_1892_07_22_munroe -> mentions -> @mrs_hudson

@letter_1892_07_22_munroe -> mentions -> @nellie

@letter_1892_07_22_munroe -> mentions -> @kate_macfarlane

@letter_1892_07_22_munroe -> mentions -> @mrs_fulton

@letter_1892_07_22_munroe -> mentions -> @florence

@alice_austen -> occupation -> @photography_business

@alice_austen -> interest -> @gardening

@alice_austen -> interest -> @social_life_and_customs

@mary_munroe -> interest -> @gardening

@alice_austen -> lived in -> @staten_island

@mary_munroe -> lived in -> @concord_massachusetts

@fair_1893:event -> referenced in -> @photography_business

@date_1866

@date_1952

@date_1892_07_22

@date_1893

Metadata

Files (2)

1892_7-22-July 4002-munroe copy.jpgJPEG
904.13 KB
OCR Text

Concord Mass. July 22, 1892 Dear Miss Alice, I enclose the seeds of the Oriental Poppy of which I spoke to you when here. I gathered them yesterday. I think I should sow a few now, and the rest next spring, and hope you will succeed in having a bright array of blossoms perhaps next year. We are all quite well and enjoying beautiful clear skies and cool air. I trust your views of Concord scenes have come

1892_7-22-July 4003-munroe copy.jpgJPEG
875.48 KB
OCR Text

out well, and you are often led to think of us as you look at them. I suppose you see Nellie often, so know of some of the things which have transpired in our immediate neighborhood since you left—such as the death of the wife of Judge Hoar and the dear little son of Nellie's friend, Mr. & Mrs. Hudson. We have had a week's visit from Miss Kate Macfarlane, and expect soon to see Mrs. Fulton and Florence on their way to the White Mountains. Other friends have announced their intentions to visit us next month. With love from sister and brother—yours most truly, Mary Munroe

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:43:59 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/9/2025, 8:44:36 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:50:51 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:29:15 PM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: Correspondence_Mary_Munroe"

Parent

01KC28V3CW01JEVRNQYZBKPV7Q

No children (leaf entity)