Alice Austen Short Notes Collection, 1892
PI
Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:44:58 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:33:24 PM
Added description
Description
Alice Austen Short Notes Collection, 1892
Overview
The Alice Austen Short Notes Collection, 1892, is a digitized set of handwritten correspondence addressed to Elizabeth Alice Austen (1866‑1952), a pioneering American photographer from Staten Island. Created by John B. Lugg and housed at the Alice Austen House Museum, the collection comprises five scanned letters dated July 30, August 11, and August 22, 1892. Each item is presented as a JPEG image of the original paper, accompanied by OCR‑derived transcriptions. The notes are brief, informal messages that touch on social events, photography, and everyday concerns of the era.Background
Alice Austen was a central figure in late‑Victorian photography, known for her portrait work and her role in the women’s suffrage movement. The 1892 collection reflects a period when she was actively engaged in both her photographic practice and her social circle in Staten Island and nearby Wheat Point. John B. Lugg, a friend and local correspondent, compiled these notes, preserving a snapshot of Austen’s personal communications during this year.Contents
- Letters dated July 30, 1892: Two notes addressed to “Miss Austin” (likely a misspelling of “Miss Austen”), mentioning Miss E Dean and the court receiver.
- Letter dated August 11, 1892: A single note to “Miss Audley,” expressing gratitude for a photograph and arranging a meeting; the letter is signed by John B. Lugg and dated Wheat Point.
- Letter dated August 22, 1892: A brief note to “Miss Strong.”
The letters reference everyday concerns—heat, boredom, and the logistics of sending photographs—while also noting social acquaintances such as Miss E Dean, Miss Audley, and Miss Strong. The content illustrates Austen’s network of friends and the practical aspects of her photographic business.
Scope
The collection covers a single year (1892) and is geographically anchored to Staten Island and Wheat Point, New York. It focuses on personal correspondence and short notes that illuminate Austen’s social life, her engagement with photography, and the broader Victorian‑era context. The collection does not include formal business records or extensive photographic archives, but it provides valuable insight into the everyday interactions and informal communications that surrounded Austen’s professional and personal life.Raw Cheimarros Data
@alice_austen_house_museum:organization {location: @staten_island}
@alice_austen:person {full_name: "Elizabeth Alice Austen", birth_year: @date_1866, death_year: @date_1952, occupation: "photographer", residence: @staten_island}
@john_b_lugg:person {full_name: "John B. Lugg"}
@alice_austen_short_notes_collection:collection {title: "Alice Austen Short Notes Collection, 1892", creator: [@john_b_lugg], institution: @alice_austen_house_museum, created: @date_1892, place: [@staten_island, @wheat_point], span: {start: @date_1883, end: @date_1898}}
@staten_island:place {state: @new_york, country: @united_states}
@wheat_point:place {city: @staten_island, country: @united_states}
@julia_t_martin:person {full_name: "Julia T. Martin", relationship: "close friend", location: @albany}
@julie_bredt:person {full_name: "Julie Bredt", relationship: "close friend"}
@violet_m_e_ward:person {full_name: "Violet M.E. Ward", relationship: "close friend"}
@isabella_king:person {full_name: "Isabella King", relationship: "photograph buyer"}
@bessie_strong:person {full_name: "Bessie Strong", relationship: "correspondent"}
@albany:place {state: @new_york, country: @united_states}
@date_1866
@date_1952
@date_1883
@date_1898
@date_1892
@date_1892_07_30
@date_1892_08_11
@date_1892_08_22
@letter_1892_07_30_1:document {date: @date_1892_07_30, recipient: @alice_austen, sender: "unknown", location: "unknown"}
@letter_1892_07_30_2:document {date: @date_1892_07_30, recipient: @alice_austen, sender: "unknown", location: "unknown"}
@letter_1892_08_11_1:document {date: @date_1892_08_11, recipient: @alice_austen, sender: "unknown", location: "unknown"}
@letter_1892_08_11_2:document {date: @date_1892_08_11, recipient: @alice_austen, sender: @john_b_lugg, location: @wheat_point}
@letter_1892_08_22:document {date: @date_1892_08_22, recipient: @alice_austen, sender: "unknown", location: "unknown"}
@alice_austen_short_notes_collection -> contains -> @letter_1892_07_30_1
@alice_austen_short_notes_collection -> contains -> @letter_1892_07_30_2
@alice_austen_short_notes_collection -> contains -> @letter_1892_08_11_1
@alice_austen_short_notes_collection -> contains -> @letter_1892_08_11_2
@alice_austen_short_notes_collection -> contains -> @letter_1892_08_22
@alice_austen -> corresponded with -> @julia_t_martin
@alice_austen -> corresponded with -> @julie_bredt
@alice_austen -> corresponded with -> @violet_m_e_ward
@alice_austen -> corresponded with -> @isabella_king
@alice_austen -> corresponded with -> @bessie_strong
@letter_1892_08_11_2 -> signed by -> @john_b_lugg
@letter_1892_08_11_2 -> location -> @wheat_point
@letter_1892_07_30_1 -> mentions -> @miss_e_dean:person {full_name: "Miss E. Dean"}
@letter_1892_07_30_2 -> mentions -> @court_receiver:person {role: "court receiver"}
@letter_1892_08_11_1 -> mentions -> @miss_audley:person {full_name: "Miss Audley"}
@letter_1892_08_22 -> mentions -> @miss_strong:person {full_name: "Miss Strong"}Metadata
Files (5)
OCR Text
Saturday Dear Miss Austin— Your letter was duly received and as they say in the "Pirates" I observe in it "of reference a lack" to your chance of coming back. It has been simply boiling here all this week as you doubtless know without my telling you. With kindest regards to Miss E. Dean as always. Sin and, Yours truly,
OCR Text
my little eight on the output of your letter, as to your preference in the matter of size, shape and the choice of a photographer. I had a portrait taken the other day with my nephews. Very Good, It may interest you to know that I have been appointed by the court receiver of the rents, proofs and some and we are all nearly dead with heat and general boredom. I hope you received the papers I sent you last week, and I venture to send a few more by this post of same sort. Of course you can't expect anyone to sit in a photographer's chair in this heat, and by the way you threw
OCR Text
Dear Miss Audley - I received your note and am glad the little picture reached you all right. I shall be very glad to come down Sunday afternoon for a good talk - expect me
OCR Text
about 5:00 P.M. Sincerely yours, John B. Lugg Wheat Point Aug. 11 - 92
OCR Text
Miss Strong.
Version History (4 versions)
- ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:44:58 PM
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"Reorganization group: Short_Notes"
Parent
No children (leaf entity)