1892_5-27-May 9001-de-la-sarna copy.jpg

Alice Austen Correspondence with J. A. La Femme

PI

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:43:03 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:29:19 PM

Added description

Description

Alice Austen Correspondence with J. A. La Femme

Overview

This collection comprises the digitized correspondence between Elizabeth Alice Austen (1866‑1952), a pioneering Staten Island photographer, and her friend J. A. La Femme. The material centers on a single letter dated May 27, 1902, which was sent from New York to Staten Island. The collection includes high‑resolution JPEG scans of the original letter, OCR‑derived transcriptions, and associated metadata that record provenance, dates, and contextual notes.

Background

The letter is held by the Alice Austen House Museum in Staten Island, New York, and was digitized as part of the museum’s effort to preserve Austen’s personal papers. J. A. La Femme was a contemporary of Austen’s, and their correspondence offers insight into the social networks of upper‑middle‑class Victorians in the New York metropolitan area. The document reflects the informal, family‑centric communication typical of the era, highlighting concerns about health, travel, and mutual support.

Contents

  • Letter (May 27, 1902) – A handwritten note from J. A. La Femme to Alice Austen, requesting her visit to attend to his sister Rose, who is ill. The letter also thanks Austen for a previous correspondence about Greece and expresses affection.
  • Digital images – Two JPEG scans of the original letter, each accompanied by OCR text that captures the handwritten content.
  • Metadata – Structured data (JSON) detailing the letter’s creation date, sender and recipient, locations (New York and Staten Island), and subject tags such as “Correspondence,” “Victorian‑era social life,” and “Family relationships.”

Scope

The collection covers a single, dated letter and its digital representations. It provides a snapshot of personal communication in the early 20th century, illustrating the close ties among friends and family in the New York area. The material is limited to the letter’s content and its archival documentation; it does not include additional letters, photographs, or broader contextual documents from the Austen archives.

Raw Cheimarros Data

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

@j_a_la_femme:person {full_name: "J. A. La Femme"}

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

@alice_austen_house:organization {name: "Alice Austen House Museum", location: @staten_island}

@alice_austen_correspondence_collection:collection {title: "Alice Austen Correspondence with J. A. La Femme", creator: @j_a_la_femme, institution: @alice_austen_house, created: @date_1892_05_27, language: "en", subjects: ["Correspondence","Personal letters","Victorian-era social life","Family relationships"], description: "A collection of correspondence between Alice Austen and J. A. La Femme, including a letter dated May 27, 1892, discussing family health and social visits.", place: [@staten_island, @new_york]}

@letter_may_27_1892:document {date_written: @date_1902_05_27, date_metadata: @date_1892_05_27, sender: @j_a_la_femme, recipient: @alice_austen, type: "letter", location_sent: @new_york, location_received: @staten_island, content_summary: "J. A. La Femme writes to Alice about sister Rose's illness and asks her to visit."}

@rose:person {full_name: "Rose", relation: "sister of J. A. La Femme"}

@file_pinax:file {type: "Metadata (PINAX)"}

@file_1892_5_27_may_9001_de_la_sarna_copy_jpg:file {type: "Image/Asset with OCR"}

@file_1892_5_27_may_9002_de_la_sarna_copy_jpg:file {type: "Image/Asset with OCR"}

@date_1866

@date_1952

@date_1892_05_27

@date_1902_05_27


@alice_austen_house -> holds -> @alice_austen_correspondence_collection

@file_pinax -> documents -> @alice_austen_correspondence_collection

@file_1892_5_27_may_9001_de_la_sarna_copy_jpg -> contains -> @letter_may_27_1892

@file_1892_5_27_may_9002_de_la_sarna_copy_jpg -> contains -> @letter_may_27_1892

@j_a_la_femme -> corresponded with -> @alice_austen {when: @date_1892_05_27}

@alice_austen -> received -> @letter_may_27_1892

@letter_may_27_1892 -> mentions -> @rose

@letter_may_27_1892 -> mentions -> @alice_austen {relation: "mother"}

Metadata

Title
Alice Austen Correspondence with J. A. La Femme
Type
Collection
Creator
La Femme, J. A.
Institution
Alice Austen House
Created
1892-05-27
Language
en
Subjects
Correspondence, Personal letters, Victorian-era social life, Family relationships
Place
Staten Island, NY, New York, NY
Source
PINAX

Files (2)

1892_5-27-May 9001-de-la-sarna copy.jpgJPEG
499.56 KB
OCR Text

Miss Alice Austin Postbank Rd. Staten Island h. J. NEW YORK MAY 27 4 PM

1892_5-27-May 9002-de-la-sarna copy.jpgJPEG
1.48 MB
OCR Text

43 WEST 19TH STREET. W.T. May 27th, 1902. My dearest Alice, I arrived here last Sunday, with my sister Rose who is quite ill & has come to be treated. I write these few lines, to ask you to come & see me, as she is not allowed to go out & of course, I never leave her, so I could not go to see you. Thank you very much for the sweet & interesting letter you wrote to me to Greece—as I was very busy at that time, & knew, that I was coming to New York. I thought it was no use to answer it, but it gave me great pleasure when I received it. Hoping that you will come to see me very soon, & with best regards to your mother. Believe me darling, with profound love. Trulyly your friend, J. A. La Femme

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:43:03 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/9/2025, 8:40:16 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:50:17 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:29:19 PM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: Correspondence_J_La_Femme"

Parent

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