1892_5-22-May 6001-minnie-wolf copy.jpg

Alice Austen Correspondence with Minnie Wolf

PI

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:43:01 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:29:16 PM

Added description

Description

Alice Austen – Minnie Wolf Correspondence Collection

Overview

This collection comprises a single handwritten letter from Minnie Wolf to Elizabeth Alice Austen, dated May 22, 1882, and its digitized reproductions. The material is housed at the Alice Austen House Museum in Staten Island, New York. The collection is presented in two high‑resolution JPEG scans of the original paper letter, accompanied by a brief metadata record that notes the correspondence’s subject matter—family illness and Sunday School attendance.

Background

Elizabeth Alice Austen (1866‑1952) was a pioneering American photographer and a prominent figure in late‑Victorian Staten Island society. Her personal papers, including letters, calling cards, and photographic negatives, are preserved at the Alice Austen House. Minnie Wolf, a correspondent from Concord, South Dakota, wrote to Austen to explain her recent absences from Sunday School and to inform her of a family illness. The letter reflects the social and religious concerns of the era and illustrates the geographic reach of Austen’s personal network.

Contents

  • Letter (May 22, 1882) – A handwritten missive from Minnie Wolf to Alice Austen, addressed as “My Dear Miss Austin.” The letter discusses the Wolf family’s health problems, the author’s own sickness, and her inability to attend Sunday School.
  • Digitized Scans – Two JPEG files (≈2 MB each) provide faithful reproductions of the original letter, preserving its layout, ink, and marginalia.
  • Metadata Record – A JSON document summarizing the collection’s provenance, subjects, and institutional affiliation.

Scope

The collection covers a single, narrowly focused personal correspondence dated May 22, 1882, originating in Concord, South Dakota, and addressed to Alice Austen in Staten Island. It addresses themes of family health, religious education, and personal communication. The collection does not include additional letters, photographs, or broader contextual materials. It offers a concise glimpse into the domestic concerns of a 19th‑century Midwestern family and the trans‑regional ties of Austen’s social 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}

@staten_island:place {state: @new_york, country: @united_states}

@minnie_wolf:person {full_name: "Minnie Wolf", relationship: "correspondent of Alice Austen"}

@concord_sd:place {state: @south_dakota, country: @united_states}

@family_illness:concept {description: "illness affecting members of a family"}

@sunday_school:concept {description: "religious education institution for children"}

@letter_1882_05_22_minnie_to_alice:document {title: "Letter from Minnie Wolf to Alice Austen", when: @date_1882_05_22, where: @concord_sd, subject: [@family_illness, @sunday_school]}

@minnie_wolf -> wrote -> @letter_1882_05_22_minnie_to_alice

@letter_1882_05_22_minnie_to_alice -> addressed to -> @alice_austen

@letter_1882_05_22_minnie_to_alice -> mentions -> @family_illness

@letter_1882_05_22_minnie_to_alice -> mentions -> @sunday_school

@alice_austen_house:organization {location: @staten_island}

@alice_austen_correspondence_with_minnie_wolf:document {title: "Alice Austen Correspondence with Minnie Wolf", created: @date_1892_05_22, creator: @minnie_wolf, institution: @alice_austen_house}

@file_pinax -> documents -> @alice_austen_correspondence_with_minnie_wolf

@alice_austen_correspondence_with_minnie_wolf -> includes -> @letter_1882_05_22_minnie_to_alice

@file_1892_5_22_may_6001_minnie_wolf_copy_jpg -> contains -> @letter_1882_05_22_minnie_to_alice

@file_1892_5_22_may_6002_minnie_wolf_copy_jpg -> contains -> @letter_1882_05_22_minnie_to_alice

Metadata

Title
Alice Austen Correspondence with Minnie Wolf
Type
Collection
Creator
Minnie Wolf
Institution
Alice Austen House
Created
1892-05-22
Language
en
Subjects
Correspondence, Personal letters, Family matters, Health
Place
Concord, South Dakota
Source
PINAX

Files (2)

1892_5-22-May 6001-minnie-wolf copy.jpgJPEG
2.17 MB
OCR Text

Concord, S.D., May 22, 1882. My Dear Miss Austin:— Your letter was received and I was very sorry to put you to that trouble. My staying away is due to sickness in our family, not any contagious diseases, but it seemed as though there couldn't be a Sunday without some one was sick. I have been sick myself, as was very sick on Easter Sunday. Mamma is seriously ill now, and therefore I could not come today, but I shall try and come as regularly as possible.

1892_5-22-May 6002-minnie-wolf copy.jpgJPEG
2.28 MB
OCR Text

hereafter. I have not only been home from Sunday School, but from school too. Hoping to see you next Sunday, I remain as ever your scholar. Minnie Wolf.

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:43:01 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/9/2025, 8:40:09 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:50:16 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:29:16 PM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: Correspondence_Minnie_Wolf"

Parent

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