Austen Family Papers: Correspondence from A. Minshall Hopper
PI
Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:44:32 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:33:21 PM
Added description
Description
Correspondence from A. Minshall Hopper to Alice Austen (August 11, 1892)
Overview
This is a digitized collection of ten handwritten letters written on August 11, 1892 by A. Minshall Hopper to Elizabeth Alice Austen, a prominent Staten Island photographer. The collection is housed in the Alice Austen House Museum’s Austen Family Papers and is presented as a set of JPEG scans of the originals, accompanied by typed transcriptions. The letters were composed in Watkins, New York, and reference locations in Cresson, Pennsylvania, and Baltimore, Maryland.Background
A. Minshall Hopper was a friend and correspondent of Austen, residing in Watkins, NY. The letters were produced during a period when Austen was active in the photographic community, including her participation in the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. Hopper’s correspondence reflects both professional and personal concerns, offering insight into the social networks of upper‑middle‑class New York society and the practicalities of a photographer’s work in the late Victorian era.Contents
The collection contains the following elements:- Photographic scans of the ten letters (3002–3011), each dated August 11, 1892.
- Transcriptions in plain text, preserving the original handwriting and punctuation.
- Metadata identifying the sender, recipient, dates, locations, and subject tags (e.g., photography, charity, travel, social life).
Scope
The collection covers a single day’s correspondence, August 11, 1892, and focuses exclusively on letters from Hopper to Austen. It does not include replies, other correspondents, or unrelated materials. The geographic scope spans Watkins, NY; Cresson, PA; and Baltimore, MD, reflecting the mobility of the participants. Thematically, the collection illuminates photography practice, Victorian social customs, charitable activities, and personal networks within the Staten Island and broader New York social milieu.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}
@a_minshall_hopper:person {full_name: "A. Minshall Hopper", role: "correspondent", location: @watkins_ny}
@watkins_ny:place {city: "Watkins", state: @new_york, country: @united_states}
@cresson_pa:place {city: "Cresson", state: @pennsylvania, country: @united_states}
@baltimore_md:place {city: "Baltimore", state: @maryland, country: @united_states}
@glen_springs:place {name: "The Glen Springs", location: @watkins_ny}
@mountain_house:place {name: "Mountain House", location: @cresson_pa}
@e_d_leffingwell:person {full_name: "E. D. Leffingwell", title: "M.D.", affiliation: @glen_springs}
@james_k_king:person {full_name: "James K. King", title: "M.D.", affiliation: @glen_springs}
@e_gould_woodruff:person {full_name: "E. Gould Woodruff", title: "M.D.", affiliation: @glen_springs}
@f_e_stewart:person {full_name: "F. E. Stewart", title: "M.D.", affiliation: @glen_springs}
@caroline_e_smith:person {full_name: "Caroline E. Smith", title: "M.D.", affiliation: @glen_springs}
@miss_eccleston:person {title: "Miss", surname: "Eccleston"}
@miss_gulick:person {title: "Miss", surname: "Gulick"}
@uncle_willie:person {relation: "uncle", of: @a_minshall_hopper}
@clarence:person {first_name: "Clarence"}
@worlds_columbian_exposition_1893:event {name: "World's Columbian Exposition", date: @date_1893, location: @chicago_il}
@chicago_il:place {city: "Chicago", state: @illinois, country: @united_states}
@letter_3002:document {type: "letter", date: @date_1892_08_11, sender: @a_minshall_hopper, recipient: @alice_austen, location: @watkins_ny, topics: ["photography"], summary: "comments on print quality; mentions 'Crawes' prints"}
@letter_3003:document {type: "letter", date: @date_1892_08_11, sender: @a_minshall_hopper, recipient: @alice_austen, location: @watkins_ny, topics: ["photography"], summary: "describes plate quality, travel plans to Cresson, mentions Uncle Willie"}
@letter_3004:document {type: "letter", date: @date_1892_08_11, sender: @a_minshall_hopper, recipient: @alice_austen, location: @watkins_ny, topics: ["photography", "charity"], summary: "offers prints for 'Life' proceeds, mentions Miss Gulick"}
@letter_3005:document {type: "letter", date: @date_1892_08_11, sender: @a_minshall_hopper, recipient: @alice_austen, location: @watkins_ny, topics: ["social"], summary: "references Down Topics, boardwalk outing at 11 P.M., lively social scene"}
@letter_3006:document {type: "letter", date: @date_1892_08_11, sender: @a_minshall_hopper, recipient: @alice_austen, location: @watkins_ny, topics: ["photography", "weather"], summary: "mentions buck‑wheat field, weather, personal fatigue"}
@letter_3007:document {type: "letter", date: @date_1892_08_11, sender: @a_minshall_hopper, recipient: @alice_austen, location: @watkins_ny, topics: ["clothing", "finance"], summary: "describes Redfernish bathing suit, financial loss, seeks copy of J.J."}
@letter_3008:document {type: "letter", date: @date_1892_08_11, sender: @a_minshall_hopper, recipient: @alice_austen, location: @watkins_ny, topics: ["rumors"], summary: "comments on Miss Eccleston's letters, broken thermometer"}
@letter_3009:document {type: "letter", date: @date_1892_08_11, sender: @a_minshall_hopper, recipient: @alice_austen, location: @watkins_ny, topics: ["personal"], summary: "emotional note about love, mentions Clarence"}
@letter_3010:document {type: "letter", date: @date_1892_08_11, sender: @a_minshall_hopper, recipient: @alice_austen, location: @watkins_ny, topics: ["travel"], summary: "plans to leave Saturday, gives addresses in Cresson and Baltimore"}
@letter_3011:document {type: "letter", date: @date_1892_08_11, sender: @a_minshall_hopper, recipient: @alice_austen, location: @watkins_ny, topics: ["farewell"], summary: "signs off as Lucan, expresses sincerity"}
@a_minshall_hopper -> wrote -> @letter_3002
@a_minshall_hopper -> wrote -> @letter_3003
@a_minshall_hopper -> wrote -> @letter_3004
@a_minshall_hopper -> wrote -> @letter_3005
@a_minshall_hopper -> wrote -> @letter_3006
@a_minshall_hopper -> wrote -> @letter_3007
@a_minshall_hopper -> wrote -> @letter_3008
@a_minshall_hopper -> wrote -> @letter_3009
@a_minshall_hopper -> wrote -> @letter_3010
@a_minshall_hopper -> wrote -> @letter_3011
@letter_3002 -> mentions -> @e_d_leffingwell
@letter_3002 -> mentions -> @james_k_king
@letter_3002 -> mentions -> @e_gould_woodruff
@letter_3002 -> mentions -> @f_e_stewart
@letter_3002 -> mentions -> @caroline_e_smith
@letter_3003 -> mentions -> @uncle_willie
@letter_3004 -> mentions -> @miss_gulick
@letter_3007 -> mentions -> @miss_eccleston
@letter_3009 -> mentions -> @clarence
@letter_3010 -> gives address -> @mountain_house
@letter_3010 -> gives address -> @baltimore_md
@letter_3011 -> signed as -> @lucan:person {full_name: "Lucan"}
@a_minshall_hopper -> associated with -> @glen_springs
@alice_austen -> participated in -> @worlds_columbian_exposition_1893 {role: "photographer"}Metadata
Files (10)
OCR Text
Medical Faculty: E. D. LEFFINGWELL, M.D. JAMES K. KING, M.D. E. GOULD WOODRUFF, M.D. F. E. STEWART, M.D. CAROLINE E. SMITH, M.D. WM. E. LEFFINGWELL, MANAGER. THE GLEN SPRINGS. WATKINS, R.Y., August 11th, 1892 My dear Miss Austen: I got the message you sent me in Miss Eccleston's letter and have only waited to answer it, until I could hear the prints & so know what I was writing about. This morning I got them and am sorry to say with one exception they are poor—very foggy spray, but still very fine. You remember the fellow blames the failures on my plates, that one of his in my holder—well one of the prints is first rate, and undoubtedly it is from the Crawes.
OCR Text
My two of the groups in the corridor are very good—nice white lights over, so it would seem as the plates came from the same box, that the others should have been good too, but such is life, and you know the trials of a photographer's ditto. I expect to leave here Saturday morning & so could not have other prints made until next hour, which may not be for some time, for the "family" have preceded me to Cresson and unless Uncle Willie joins them shortly there will be more of a "monkey & porrot" time than there was when I made my kick to get left here— I should like awfully much
OCR Text
Medical Faculty: E. D. LEFFINGWELL, M.D. JAMES K. KING, M.D. E. GOULD WOODRUFF, M.D. F. E. STEWART, M.D. CAROLINE E. SMITH, M.D. WM. E. LEFFINGWELL, MANAGER. THE GLEN SPRINGS. WATKINS, N.Y., 189 to hear them to "Life" but ready after thinking it over, am skeptical as to where they would take. If I could possibly get the points made & would send them to you at once but you understand how it is. As soon as I can get them printed I will send the set with the others I promised you. I hope you will have the set you sent to "Life" accepted, but of course don't count me in, the proceeds are indefinitely intended for you & Miss Gulick.
OCR Text
and my reward will be in knowing two people who have been "published." The Down Topics arrived and was duly opened, by my pates familiar, of course in mistake, but I'll bet money he read every word in it. We were all up at Long Point that day which accounts for its having fallen into his reluctant hands. Thanks awfully for it. We have been having wildly exciting time lately—doing the boardwalk at eleven P.M! Think of such dissipation! Those blooming twinlets have just been setting all
OCR Text
Medical Faculty: E. D. LEFFINGWELL, M.D. JAMES K. KING, M.D. E. GOULD WOODRUFF, M.D. F. E. STEWART, M.D. CAROLINE E. SMITH, M.D. WM. E. LEFFINGWELL, MANAGER. THE GLEN SPRINGS. WATKINS, N.Y., 189 over the writing table & his feeble attempt much to the disadvantage of each. The Buck-wheat field is or has been, very decidedly cut and is now seasoning—there have been several very interesting incidents in one of which I figured conspicuously but now, all is serene—over the weather, that is—able. I have one more day—only one—and am nearly crazy. Miss Eudelton—after a vigor-
OCR Text
was use of alarm—tried on the bathing suit, and I assure you the fit was Redfernish.—Fit like a dream. I am getting dead broke here—losing money—but took Miss Eccleston about that, she has, or had, a very definite idea about some I lost under a tree the other night but does not yet recovered it. Could you not find in the gay metropolis a more decent (or should say indecent) copy of J.J.?—(This is at Miss Eccleston's instigation.) This plan has been horribly slow without you & I did wish you could have gotten back, but do not now for Heoos—as I previously remarked—Saturday
OCR Text
Medical Faculty: E. D. LEFFINGWELL, M. D. JAMES K. KING, M. D. E. GOULD WOODRUFF, M. D. F. E. STEWART, M. D. CAROLINE E. SMITH, M. D. WM. E. LEFFINGWELL, MANAGER. THE GLEN SPRINGS. WATKINS, R. Y., 189 "Prudie—Scam you, Miss Eccleston—says she is writing you to believe only half what I say—Don't you do it. Everything unpleasant she has said about me in her epistle is "tommy rot," everything pleasant—"smooth." The thermory has just broken the top off of the thermometer & taking the hint I am going to make a break and break it off—here
OCR Text
When you see "Clarence" break his face for me— I don't allow her love to be sent to strangers. These diagonal blots are tear prints—foot colors my eyes are not for they ran when the tears ran over them. This is awfully messed but you know what it is to write when Dr. Miss Echelon is near—it is simply impossible. And now begging your pardon for these brief note assuring you that I love you more than ever—Believe me Very affectionately your own Willie
OCR Text
Medical Faculty: E. D. LEFFINGWELL, M. D. JAMES K. KING, M. D. E. GOULD WOODRUFF, M. D. F. E. STEWART, M. D. CAROLINE E. SMITH, M. D. WM. E. LEFFINGWELL, MANAGER. THE GLEN SPRINGS. WATKINS, R. Y., 189 P.S.- N.B. - Normally N.B. Now please don't write me any more message in Miss Eccleston's letter but write me—for I leave Saturday—This thing about leaving is on my mind & worries me. For a week or so address me at Mountain House Cresson Pennsylvania Afterwards—anything directed to 24 So. Holliday Street— Baltimore, Maryland
OCR Text
will find me— Hoping in the very near future to recognize your chirography on the super- scription of an epistle— Lucan. Very sincerely yours, A. Minshall Hopper.
Version History (4 versions)
- ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:44:32 PM
"Added description" - v3 · 12/9/2025, 8:45:04 PM · View this version
"Added knowledge graph extraction" - v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:51:03 PM · View this version
"Added PINAX metadata" - v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:33:21 PM · View this version
"Reorganization group: Correspondence_A_M_Hopper"
Parent
No children (leaf entity)