Austen Family Papers (MS1) - Alice Austen Correspondence Collection, 1883-1898

PI

Version: 16 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:56:48 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:30:03 PM

Added description

Description

Wedding Announcement of Alys Louise Mercer and Easton M. Mahon Davell (1898)

Overview

This collection preserves a single printed wedding announcement issued on February 14, 1898, announcing the marriage of Alys Louise Mercer to Easton M. Mahon Davell. The item is digitized as a high‑resolution JPEG scan, accompanied by an OCR‑derived text file and a JSON metadata record. It is housed in the Alice Austen House Museum’s digital repository and is part of the broader Austen Family Papers (MS1) that document the personal and professional life of photographer Elizabeth Alice Austen.

Background

The announcement was printed by the parents of the bride, Mr. and Mrs. Frederick Frelinghuysen Mercer, in Newark, New Jersey. It reflects the social customs of late‑Victorian upper‑middle‑class families in the northeastern United States. The Alice Austen House, located on Staten Island, NY, maintains the document as a witness to the social networks that surrounded Austen and her contemporaries.

Contents

  • Printed announcement – a single page listing the parents’ names, the bride and groom’s full names, the wedding date, and the venue.
  • JPEG scan – a faithful digital reproduction of the original printed page.
  • OCR text – a machine‑readable transcription of the announcement’s wording, facilitating keyword searches.
  • JSON metadata – structured data describing the event (type, date, place), participants (parents, bride, groom), and provenance (Alice Austen House).
  • Linked‑data entities – representations of the people and places involved, enabling semantic queries.

Scope

The collection covers only this one printed wedding announcement dated February 14, 1898, issued in Newark, New Jersey. It contains no additional correspondence, photographs, or related documents. The digital representations are limited to the scanned image, OCR text, and metadata. The item is valuable for researchers of late‑19th‑century social history, genealogical studies of the Mercer and Davell families, and scholars examining the archival practices of the Alice Austen House.

Raw Cheimarros Data

@austen_family_papers:collection {title: "Austen Family Papers (MS1) - Alice Austen Correspondence Collection", creator: [@alice_austen, @daisy, @elizabeth_strong, @trude, @alice_wheelock, @caroline_sweet, @malvina_martin, @elizabeth_jenkins, @ed_van_dusenlan, @mr_white, @c_w_osgood, @frederick_frelinghuysen_mercer, @alys_louise_mercer, @easton_m_mahons_davell], institution: @alice_austen_house, start_date: @date_1883, end_date: @date_1898, language: "en", subjects: ["Correspondence","Personal letters","Victorian social life","Family relationships","Health","Social events","Travel","Photography","Wedding announcements","Marriage","Music","Staten Island","New York","Brooklyn","New Brunswick","New York City","Washington, DC","Bostonville, Staten Island, NY","Clifton, Staten Island, NY","Rosebank, Staten Island, New York","Newburgh, NY","Bronxville, NY","New Brighton, Staten Island","Newark, New Jersey","Carnegie Hall","World's Columbian Exposition"], description: "A collection of personal correspondence, calling cards, and photography‑related materials spanning 1883‑1898, documenting Alice Austen’s social, family, health, and business networks.", places: [@staten_island, @new_york, @brooklyn, @new_brunswick, @new_york_city, @washington_dc, @bostonville, @clifton, @rosebank, @newburgh, @bronxville, @new_brighton, @newark_nj, @carnegie_hall, @worlds_columbian_exposition_1893]}

@file_pinax:file {title: "pinax.json", type: "metadata"} 

@file_pinax -> documents -> @austen_family_papers

@austen_family_papers -> includes -> [@daisy_correspondence_collection, @strong_to_austen_collection, @alice_wheelock_correspondence_collection, @caroline_sweet_correspondence, @ed_van_dusenlan_correspondence, @m_r_white_correspondence, @jenkins_correspondence, @malvina_martin_to_alice_austen, @letter_osgood_to_austen, @wedding_announcement_1898:event]

@alice_austen -> primary_subject_of -> @austen_family_papers

@daisy -> contributor_to -> @austen_family_papers

@elizabeth_strong -> contributor_to -> @austen_family_papers

@trude -> contributor_to -> @austen_family_papers

@alice_wheelock -> contributor_to -> @austen_family_papers

@caroline_sweet -> contributor_to -> @austen_family_papers

@malvina_martin -> contributor_to -> @austen_family_papers

@elizabeth_jenkins -> contributor_to -> @austen_family_papers

@ed_van_dusenlan -> contributor_to -> @austen_family_papers

@mr_white -> contributor_to -> @austen_family_papers

@c_w_osgood -> contributor_to -> @austen_family_papers

@frederick_frelinghuysen_mercer -> contributor_to -> @austen_family_papers

@alys_louise_mercer -> contributor_to -> @austen_family_papers

@easton_m_mahons_davell -> contributor_to -> @austen_family_papers

@austen_family_papers -> mentions_event -> @worlds_columbian_exposition_1893:event

@austen_family_papers -> covers_place -> @staten_island

@austen_family_papers -> covers_place -> @new_york_city

@austen_family_papers -> covers_place -> @brooklyn

@austen_family_papers -> covers_place -> @new_brunswick

@austen_family_papers -> covers_place -> @newburgh

@austen_family_papers -> covers_place -> @bronxville

@austen_family_papers -> covers_place -> @newark_nj

@austen_family_papers -> covers_place -> @carnegie_hall

@austen_family_papers -> covers_place -> @rosebank

@austen_family_papers -> covers_place -> @clifton

@austen_family_papers -> covers_place -> @new_brighton

@alice_austen -> corresponded_with -> @daisy

@alice_austen -> corresponded_with -> @elizabeth_strong

@alice_austen -> corresponded_with -> @trude

@alice_austen -> corresponded_with -> @alice_wheelock

@alice_austen -> corresponded_with -> @caroline_sweet

@alice_austen -> corresponded_with -> @malvina_martin

@alice_austen -> corresponded_with -> @elizabeth_jenkins

@alice_austen -> corresponded_with -> @ed_van_dusenlan

@alice_austen -> corresponded_with -> @mr_white

@alice_austen -> corresponded_with -> @c_w_osgood

@alice_austen -> corresponded_with -> @frederick_frelinghuysen_mercer

@alice_austen -> corresponded_with -> @alys_louise_mercer

@alice_austen -> corresponded_with -> @easton_m_mahons_davell

Metadata

Version History (10 versions)

  • ✓ v16 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:56:48 PM
    "Added description"
  • v15 · 12/9/2025, 9:22:18 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v14 · 12/9/2025, 8:06:01 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v13 · 12/9/2025, 7:41:49 PM · View this version
    "Reorganized into 11 groups"
  • v12 · 12/9/2025, 7:41:48 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC2A4PRDNN2HP03QK1J0B11Q"
  • v11 · 12/9/2025, 7:41:46 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC2A4N9NZ3R7884GX7GQ3AF5"
  • v10 · 12/9/2025, 7:41:45 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC2A4KG1J1QV971VCQYS93GT"
  • v9 · 12/9/2025, 7:41:43 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC2A4J2827MKG6WF2549RME2"
  • v8 · 12/9/2025, 7:41:42 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC2A4GN71ZGK97YV4TQ029WG"
  • v7 · 12/9/2025, 7:41:40 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC2A4EYWS03BHWQH6WATZ2PE"

More versions available (pagination not yet implemented)

Additional Components

reorganization-description.txt
# Reorganization Summary

The files were organized primarily by correspondent, as most letters are from distinct individuals discussing personal matters with Alice Austen. This approach maintains consistency with the existing year-based folder structure while providing meaningful thematic groupings based on the relationships and topics evident in the correspondence. Each group represents a different correspondent or significant event (like the wedding announcement), ensuring clarity and ease of access for researchers interested in specific relationships or topics.

## Groups Created

- **Daisy_Correspondence**: Letters from Daisy, showing a close personal relationship with Alice Austen, including discussions about Alice's mother's illness and Daisy's offers of support.
- **Elizabeth_Strong_Correspondence**: Letters from Elizabeth B.V. Strong, discussing personal matters including Alice's mother's illness and social updates.
- **Trude_Correspondence**: Letters from Trude, discussing Alice's mother's illness and social activities.
- **Alice_Wheelock_Correspondence**: Letters from Alice S. Wheelock, discussing personal matters and congratulations.
- **Caroline_Sweet_Correspondence**: Letters from Caroline M. Sweet, discussing Alice's mother's illness and offers of assistance.
- **Malvina_Martin_Correspondence**: Letter from Malvina Martin discussing Julia's appendicitis operation.
- **Elizabeth_Jenkins_Correspondence**: Letter from Elizabeth E. Jenkins expressing concern for Alice's mother's illness.
- **E_D_Van_Dusenlan_Correspondence**: Letter from E.D. Van Dusenlan, a cousin, thanking Alice for a calendar and wishing her a happy New Year.
- **M_R_White_Correspondence**: Letter from M.R. White discussing health matters and social updates.
- **C_W_Osgood_Correspondence**: Letter from C.W. Osgood proposing a change in plans for a social gathering.
- **Wedding_Announcement**: Wedding announcement for Alys Louise Mercer and Easton M. Mahon Davell.

Parent

01KC260NRT5CT0JJNXBYT511ND

Children (11)