1893_1-or-1895-Julia Bredt Jan 001 copy.jpg

Julia Bredt Correspondence to Alice Austen

PI

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:45:26 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:33:22 PM

Added description

Description

Julia Bredt Correspondence to Alice Austen (1893‑1895)

Overview

This collection comprises three digitized scans of handwritten letters written by Julia T. Martin Bredt to Elizabeth Alice Austen between 1893 and 1895. The letters were originally penned in Clifton, Rhode Island, and sent from locations including Rosebank P.O. in Clifton and Bethlehem, New York. Each scan is accompanied by a text transcription and is available through the Alice Austen House Museum’s Pinax digital archive.

Background

Julia Bredt (born 1866) was a close friend of Alice Austen, the pioneering Staten Island photographer. Their correspondence reflects the social and health concerns of upper‑middle‑class Victorian society. The letters were produced during a period of heightened public anxiety over cholera outbreaks in the northeastern United States, and they also document personal milestones such as engagements and family health issues.

Contents

  • Letter 1 (1893) – Discusses Bredt’s illness in Bethlehem, the local cholera panic, and the impact on her social invitations.
  • Letter 2 (1893) – Continues the health narrative, mentions a friend of Ernestine, and alludes to the need for careful recovery.
  • Letter 3 (1893) – Concludes with a farewell and the announcement of Hollis White’s engagement to Mr. Hall S. J. Felber.

Each letter is presented as a high‑resolution JPEG scan, with OCR‑derived text indicating the hand‑written content. The collection captures the intimate tone of the correspondence, including affectionate greetings (“My dear Lollie”) and personal updates.

Scope

The collection covers the years 1893‑1895 and is geographically anchored in Clifton, Rhode Island; Bethlehem, New York; and Staten Island, New York. It focuses on personal letters that touch on health, social engagements, and everyday life, providing a window into Victorian social networks and the lived experience of illness. The material is limited to the three surviving letters and does not include any related photographs or business records from Austen’s photography studio.

Raw Cheimarros Data

@julia_bredt:person {full_name: "Julia T. Martin Bredt", role: "Correspondent"}

@alice_austen:person {full_name: "Elizabeth Alice Austen", birth: @date_1866, death: @date_1952, occupation: "Photographer"}

@clifton_ri:place {city: "Clifton", county: "Richmond", state: @new_york, country: @united_states}

@rosebank_po:place {address: "Rosebank P.O.", city: "Clifton", county: "Richmond", state: @new_york, country: @united_states}

@bethlehem:place {city: "Bethlehem", state: @new_york, country: @united_states}

@staten_island_ny:place {borough: "Staten Island", city: "New York City", state: @new_york, country: @united_states}

@alice_austen_house:organization {type: "museum", location: @staten_island_ny}

@pinax_collection:collection {title: "Julia Bredt Correspondence to Alice Austen", creator: @julia_bredt, institution: @alice_austen_house, created_range: [@date_1893, @date_1895], subjects: ["Correspondence","Personal letters","Victorian social life","Health","Engagements","Bethlehem"]}

@letter_julia_to_alice_1893:document {type: "letter", author: @julia_bredt, recipient: @alice_austen, date: @date_1893, location_sent: @clifton_ri, content_summary: "illness, cholera panic, engagement news"}

@illness_cholera:event {type: "illness", disease: "cholera", location: @bethlehem, date: @date_1893, person: @julia_bredt}

@hollis_white:person {full_name: "Hollis White"}

@mr_hall_felber:person {full_name: "Mr. Hall S.J. Felber"}

@hollis_white_engagement:event {type: "engagement", participants: [@hollis_white, @mr_hall_felber], date: @date_1893}

@pinax_collection -> contains -> @letter_julia_to_alice_1893

@julia_bredt -> wrote -> @letter_julia_to_alice_1893

@letter_julia_to_alice_1893 -> addressed to -> @alice_austen

@letter_julia_to_alice_1893 -> mentions -> @illness_cholera:event

@letter_julia_to_alice_1893 -> mentions -> @hollis_white_engagement:event

@letter_julia_to_alice_1893 -> sent from -> @rosebank_po

Metadata

Title
Julia Bredt Correspondence to Alice Austen
Type
Collection
Creator
Bredt, Julia
Institution
Alice Austen House
Created
1893-1895
Language
en
Subjects
Correspondence, Personal letters, Victorian social life, Health, Engagements, Bethlehem
Place
Clifton, Richmond Co., Bethlehem, Staten Island, NY
Source
PINAX

Files (3)

1893_1-or-1895-Julia Bredt Jan 001 copy.jpgJPEG
864.34 KB
OCR Text

Miss A. Austen Rosebank P.O. Clifton Richmond Co. F.F.

1893_1-or-1895-Julia Bredt Jan 002 copy.jpgJPEG
2.11 MB
OCR Text

My dear Lollie: I was taken very ill in Beth- & the doctor ordered me home. It was awful I had to refuse all my invitations & everything that was given for me. I can't say what it is but winter cholera there is a great panic just in B. I caught cold while ill, & will have to take extreme care of myself for a while. Ernestine has a friend here & it is awful I hear to

1893_1-or-1895-Julia Bredt Jan 003 copy.jpgJPEG
2.05 MB
OCR Text

go to bed. I'll write more when I am able. Good bye - Julia - Hollis White's engagement is commenced to Mr. Hall S.J. Felber -

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:45:26 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/9/2025, 8:45:59 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:51:21 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:33:22 PM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: Julia_Bredt_Correspondence"

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