Elizabeth Strong Correspondence to Alice Austen
PI
Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:45:52 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:33:17 PM
Added description
Description
Elizabeth Strong Correspondence to Alice Austen (1893)
Overview
A digitized collection of handwritten letters written by Elizabeth Strong (1866‑1952), a Staten Island photographer and close friend of Alice Austen, addressed to Austen in 1893. The collection includes scanned JPEG images of the original letters, typed transcriptions, and photographs of community events. It is part of the Austen Family Papers (MS1) housed by the Alice Austen House Museum.Background
Elizabeth Strong was a contemporary of Austen, sharing a social circle in late‑Victorian Staten Island. The letters were composed in 1893, a period of active community life, church fundraisers, and the early women’s rights movement. Austen preserved the correspondence, which was later digitized for the museum’s archival project.Contents
- Handwritten letters (JPEG scans) discussing family bereavements, social plans, and photography business.
- Transcriptions (TXT files) providing typed versions of the letters for research use.
- Event images: photographs of the “Old Folks Concert,” “Kids Club,” “New Venture Society,” and “Boys Club,” illustrating community life.
- Contextual material: references to music (Steinway piano), church fundraisers, and women’s legislative efforts.
Key themes include family loss (death of Aunt Mrs. Herdon), social engagements (tea parties, concerts), photography commerce (sale of images from the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition), and civic involvement (women’s rights bills).
Scope
The collection covers the year 1893, with geographic references to New Brunswick (New Jersey), Staten Island (New York), and New York City. It focuses on personal correspondence, social events, and community activities of the upper‑middle‑class Staten Island milieu. The collection does not include later years of Strong’s life or Austen’s broader photographic archive. It is intended for scholars of late‑19th‑century American photography, women’s history, and New York social history.Raw Cheimarros Data
@elizabeth_strong:person {full_name: "Elizabeth Strong", birth_year: @date_1866, death_year: @date_1952, occupation: "photographer"}
@alice_austen_house:organization {type: "museum", location: @staten_island}
@file_pinax:file {type: "metadata"}
@file_pinax -> describes -> @elizabeth_strong_correspondence:collection {title: "Elizabeth Strong Correspondence to Alice Austen", creator: @elizabeth_strong, institution: @alice_austen_house, created: @date_1893, subjects: ["Correspondence","Family","Social life","Music","Church events","Photography"], places: [@new_brunswick, @staten_island, @new_york, @new_jersey]}
@new_brunswick:place {state: @new_jersey, country: @united_states}
@staten_island:place {state: @new_york, country: @united_states}
@new_york:place {}
@new_jersey:place {}
@rosebank:place {city: @staten_island}
@aunt_mrs_herdon:person {relation: "Aunt of Elizabeth Strong"}
@mother_strong:person {relation: "Mother of Elizabeth Strong"}
@father_strong:person {relation: "Father of Elizabeth Strong"}
@letter_october_1893:document {author: @elizabeth_strong, recipient: @alice_austen, date: @date_1893_10, location: @new_brunswick, subject: "Death of Aunt Mrs. Herdon"}
@elizabeth_strong -> wrote -> @letter_october_1893
@letter_october_1893 -> sent to -> @alice_austen
@file_1893_10_nd_oct_1004_strong_copy_jpg:file {type: "image"}
@file_1893_10_nd_oct_1004_strong_copy_jpg -> contains -> @letter_october_1893
@letter_november_2001:document {author: @elizabeth_strong, recipient: @alice_austen, date: @date_1893_11_13, location: @staten_island, address: "Rosebank"}
@elizabeth_strong -> wrote -> @letter_november_2001
@letter_november_2001 -> sent to -> @alice_austen
@file_1893_11_13_nov_2001_strong_copy_jpg:file {type: "image"}
@file_1893_11_13_nov_2001_strong_copy_jpg -> contains -> @letter_november_2001
@old_folks_concert:event {date: @date_1893_12_07, purpose: "benefit of organ fund", location: @church}
@elizabeth_strong -> participated in -> @old_folks_concert
@kids_club:organization {type: "girls singing club", leader: @mrs_alan_strong}
@mrs_alan_strong:person {relation: "Relative of Elizabeth Strong"}
@file_1893_11_13_nov_2002_strong_copy_jpg:file {type: "image"}
@file_1893_11_13_nov_2002_strong_copy_jpg -> mentions -> @old_folks_concert
@file_1893_11_13_nov_2002_strong_copy_jpg -> mentions -> @kids_club
@new_venture_society:organization {president: @mrs_jacob_janeway, members: 24, modeled_after: @working_girls_societies}
@mrs_jacob_janeway:person {full_name: "Mrs. Jacob Janeway"}
@working_girls_societies:organization {}
@boys_club:organization {members: 130, opened: @date_1893_11_13}
@mr_ackert:person {full_name: "Mr. Ackert"}
@parsons:person {role: "assistant", employer: @mr_ackert}
@mr_ackert -> employs -> @parsons
@file_1893_11_13_nov_2003_strong_copy_jpg:file {type: "image"}
@file_1893_11_13_nov_2003_strong_copy_jpg -> mentions -> @new_venture_society
@file_1893_11_13_nov_2003_strong_copy_jpg -> mentions -> @boys_club
@mr_demmings:person {full_name: "Mr. Demmings"}
@dr_woolbridge:person {full_name: "Dr. Woolbridge"}
@legislation:concept {topic: "women's rights bills"}
@file_1893_11_13_nov_2004_strong_copy_jpg:file {type: "image"}
@file_1893_11_13_nov_2004_strong_copy_jpg -> mentions -> @mr_demmings
@file_1893_11_13_nov_2004_strong_copy_jpg -> mentions -> @dr_woolbridge
@mr_demmings -> involved in -> @legislation
@dr_woolbridge -> drafted -> @legislation
@file_1893_11_13_nov_2005_strong_copy_jpg:file {type: "image"}
@file_1893_11_13_nov_2005_strong_copy_jpg -> note -> "Illegible content; no extractable entities"
@church:place {city: @new_brunswick, type: "church"}Metadata
Files (6)
OCR Text
disease, and yet it was all so uncertain for people linger so long with that trouble. Mother and Father have gone over to New York today to see my cousins, and I presume the funeral will be either Thursday or Friday. Am very sorry we are not to meet, but you must arrange to come here after a while. With love, Yours aff'ly Elizabeth. New Brunswick Tuesday My dear Alice:- After all I shall not be able to make my visit to you at present. We heard this morning of the death of my Aunt Mrs. Herdon, Father's only sister. For some time we have known that she might die at any moment, as she had Bright's
OCR Text
Miss E.A. Austen Rosebank Staten Island New York
OCR Text
and on one of those we had friends to tea: This week I shall have only Wednesday night free. We are practicing for an "Old Folks Concert" in the church, to take place on December seventh. Braydon is drilling us, with two rehearsals a week. The concert is for the benefit of the organ fund, hence my interest. Then on Monday nights I go to the "Kids' Club" (making girls) with Mrs. Alan Strong, where I am supposed to teach the girls to sing. This club is New Brunswick. Nov. 12th, 1893 My dear Alice: I believe I am in your debt, and having this Sunday night off from church am going to answer your letter. Week days are so busy and Sundays too as a rule that my correspondence is inclined to suffer. I used to write my letters in the evening often, but there seem to be no spare ones any more. Last week I had two evenings only, at home,
OCR Text
A new venture, just started last week with Mrs. Jacob Janeway as President, and a council of twenty-four ladies. It is on the same principle as the Working Girls' Societies in New York and elsewhere. You will be interested to know that the Boys Club opened last week also, with about one hundred and thirty boys. I was there on Thursday night, that being my night this winter and there must have been even a larger number present then. But they behaved remarkably well especially as there were not many helpers to manage them. Mr. Ackert has an assistant this year, a student named Parsons, who manages the gymnasium for the boys. Then there are more rules, and they are to be strictly enforced so we expect great change in the small urchins. The room has been divided (with sliding partitions) into a main room, reading room, and "inner club" room. The latter for those who want to give their boys special instruction. Of course you were delighted over the elections in various places? I am
OCR Text
Here have not been rolls; Staten Island has a long be had ten thousand acres & its own but it does not law printed calling the believe it can go ahead friends to visit the physicians and of news. We have here seen them. This race teach law. Mr. Demmings' one of our high himself in the seventh Toro published the circulars readers New Jersey and had them printed gratis. In the Legislature who Dr. Woolbridge drew up the bill been Republican before but from J and then Stephen the war. Broo. Demmings and I went I am trembling for fear those and stirred up various seances and poster how women in The Pilier out will get up some Orkheal them interested, and in various near. They are so fertile in gangs had The Bills circulated numerous, and the great on nearly all the factories People are so chafalike. first of the stores etc and Confin ding Characterue the greenc and butcheress were beautiful in themselves dont they show out with there hot hot by much bad news. How much in dealing with Gov Local good they did & do not politicians. the women
OCR Text
I cannot provide a typed or printed text of handwritten content due to the quality and style of the script, which appears to be in cursive and is partially illegible. If you have another page or a higher quality scan, please provide it for better results.
Version History (4 versions)
- ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:45:52 PM
"Added description" - v3 · 12/9/2025, 8:46:53 PM · View this version
"Added knowledge graph extraction" - v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:51:32 PM · View this version
"Added PINAX metadata" - v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:33:17 PM · View this version
"Reorganization group: Elizabeth_Strong_Correspondence"
Parent
No children (leaf entity)