Alice Austen Family Papers (MS1) - Correspondence and Related Materials, 1883-1898

PI

Version: 13 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:55:55 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:30:08 PM

Added description

Description

Alice Austen Family Papers (MS1) – Correspondence and Related Materials, 1883‑1898

Overview

This digitized collection preserves the personal and professional papers of Elizabeth Alice Austen (1866‑1952), a pioneering Staten‑Island photographer. Spanning 1883‑1898, it contains scanned images of handwritten letters, envelopes, Victorian‑era calling and business cards, and typed transcriptions. The materials are organized into thematic sub‑collections (e.g., correspondence with Ralph Munroe, photography‑business correspondence, invitations, envelopes, miscellaneous letters, and business cards) and are hosted by the Alice Austen House Museum in Staten Island.

Background

Alice Austen’s practice extended beyond portraiture to include commercial work for events such as the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition. Her papers document her active social network among upper‑middle‑class families in New York, New Jersey, California, and Florida, as well as her entrepreneurial activities in the photographic trade. The collection offers insight into Victorian social customs, postal practices, and the business strategies of a woman photographer in the late nineteenth century.

Contents

  • Personal correspondence: Letters to and from friends (Julia T. Martin, Elisabeth Strong, Lucy E. Law Hunt) and relatives, covering topics such as skating parties, church events, family news, and holiday celebrations.
  • Business correspondence: Orders and negotiations for photographs taken at the 1893 Exposition, client payments, and marketing communications.
  • Calling and invitation cards: Victorian‑era social invitations, boarding cards, and lecture tickets received by Austen.
  • Business cards and advertisements: Commercial ephemera from local merchants, including a dressmaker’s card and other fashion‑related items.
  • Envelopes: Postal artifacts showing routes, postmarks, and handwritten addresses from Santa Barbara, New Brunswick, and Staten Island.
Each item is presented as a high‑resolution JPEG scan with an accompanying OCR‑derived text file.

Scope

The collection covers the years 1883‑1898, focusing on personal and business documents in English. It includes correspondence, invitations, envelopes, and commercial ephemera but does not contain the photographs themselves. The materials are geographically diverse—Staten Island, New York, New Jersey, California, and Florida—reflecting Austen’s extensive social and professional network. The collection is valuable for researchers of Victorian social history, postal studies, and the commercial history of photography.

Raw Cheimarros Data

@date_1883

@date_1898


@alice_austen_family_papers:collection {title: "Alice Austen Family Papers (MS1) - Correspondence and Related Materials, 1883-1898", creator: [@alice_austen, @julia_t_martin, @elisabeth_strong, @ralph_munroe, @frederick_l_lehmann, @julia_j_martin, @r_j_evans, @lalla_baldwins_morton, @lucy_e_law_hunt, @madame_k_rowe], institution: "Alice Austen House", created: @date_1883, end: @date_1898, language: "en", subjects: ["Personal correspondence","Victorian social life","Photography business","Family relationships","Music","Social invitations","Calling cards","Weddings","Entertainment","Victorian-era postal history","Business cards","Advertisements","Fashion","World's Columbian Exposition","Photograph orders","Photograph sales","Christmas celebrations","Gifts and presents","Engagements","Health","Housekeeping","Family visits","Skating","Sleigh rides","Church events","Whist parties","Sympathy letters","St. Peter's choir"], description: "Digitized content spanning 1883-1898, providing a window into late Victorian social life among upper‑middle‑class Staten Island families.", place: [@staten_island, @santa_barbara_ca, @albany_ny, @new_brunswick_nj, @new_york, @chicago_illinois, @poromont_grove_florida, @church_of_the_heavenly_rest, @new_brighton]}


@file_pinax -> documents -> @alice_austen_family_papers:collection


@alice_austen_family_papers -> includes -> @alice_austen_correspondence_with_ralph_munroe:collection


@alice_austen_family_papers -> includes -> @alice_austen_photography_business_collection:collection


@alice_austen_family_papers -> includes -> @alice_austen_invitations_and_calling_cards:collection


@alice_austen_family_papers -> includes -> @alice_austen_envelope_collection:event


@alice_austen_family_papers -> includes -> @alice_austen_misc_corr:collection


@alice_austen_family_papers -> includes -> @austen_business_cards_collection:document


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @worlds_columbian_exposition:event


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @christmas_1894:event


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @skating_club:event


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @sleigh_ride:event


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @choir_practice:event


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @engagement_sallie_ogilby_harry_schneirer:event


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @engagement_mae_kirkpatrick_van_west_baldwin:event


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @messiah_performance:event


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @photography_business:concept


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @christmas_1894:event


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @skating_club:event


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @sleigh_ride:event


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @choir_practice:event


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @st_peters_church:place


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @church_of_the_heavenly_rest:place


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @new_brighton:place


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @madame_k_rowe:person


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @frederick_l_lehmann:person


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @r_j_evans:person


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @lalla_baldwins_morton:person


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @lucy_e_law_hunt:person


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @julie_bredt:person


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @violet_m_e_ward:person


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @isabella_king:person


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @bessie_strong:person


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @sallie_ogilby:person


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @harry_schneirer:person


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @mae_kirkpatrick:person


@alice_austen_family_papers -> mentions -> @dr_van_west_baldwin:person

---

Metadata

Version History (10 versions)

  • ✓ v13 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:55:55 PM
    "Added description"
  • v12 · 12/9/2025, 9:19:39 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v11 · 12/9/2025, 8:03:00 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v10 · 12/9/2025, 7:36:19 PM · View this version
    "Reorganized into 8 groups"
  • v9 · 12/9/2025, 7:36:17 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC29TKZSG545JX518DPTENS3"
  • v8 · 12/9/2025, 7:36:16 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC29TJHX5ZWPJHY607C6BM8T"
  • v7 · 12/9/2025, 7:36:14 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC29TGQF6TJYY6KJDPMKRN3R"
  • v6 · 12/9/2025, 7:36:13 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC29TF5EYAYX4ZB07FHQG83M"
  • v5 · 12/9/2025, 7:36:11 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC29TDRJ2NX8SJ10CCJH15TD"
  • v4 · 12/9/2025, 7:36:09 PM · View this version
    "Added child entity 01KC29TBVEW0XFEKD1CR1ZEJ75"

More versions available (pagination not yet implemented)

Additional Components

reorganization-description.txt
# Reorganization Summary

The files were organized primarily by content type and correspondent. Personal letters were grouped by their primary authors (Julia Martin, Elisabeth Strong, Ralph Munroe). Photography business correspondence was separated into its own group. Invitations and formal cards were grouped together, while standalone envelopes were placed in their own category. Miscellaneous correspondence that didn't fit with major correspondents was grouped separately. This organization maintains consistency with the collection's themes while keeping related materials together.

## Groups Created

- **Personal_Letters_Julia_Martin**: Correspondence from Julia Martin discussing personal matters, her boarding house in Santa Barbara, and social activities
- **Personal_Letters_Elisabeth_Strong**: Letters from Elisabeth Strong detailing Christmas celebrations and social activities
- **Personal_Letters_Ralph_Munroe**: Letters from Ralph Munroe describing life in Florida and personal updates
- **Photography_Business**: Correspondence related to Alice Austen's photography business, including orders and payments
- **Invitations_Cards**: Formal invitations and social cards
- **Envelopes**: Standalone envelopes with postal markings
- **Miscellaneous_Correspondence**: Other personal letters that don't fit with major correspondents
- **Business_Cards_Advertisements**: Commercial cards and advertisements

Parent

01KC261TMKT8PASGBZ24SM84N0

Children (8)