1893_3-19-March 2002-Ralph-munroe copy.jpg

Ralph Munroe Correspondence

PI

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:47:21 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:33:44 PM

Added description

Description

Ralph Munroe Correspondence

Overview

This digital collection holds a single primary source: a handwritten letter dated 19 March 1893 written by Ralph Munroe to Elizabeth Alice Austen. The item is preserved as a high‑resolution JPEG scan (≈1.3 MB) with accompanying OCR text. It is catalogued by the Alice Austen House and made available through the PINAX system. The collection is a brief snapshot of Victorian‑era personal correspondence, reflecting Munroe’s interests in photography, travel, and everyday life.

Background

Ralph Munroe (born 1855) was a noted photographer and traveler who frequently corresponded with his friend Alice Austen, a pioneering Staten‑Island photographer. The letter was composed during a trip that Munroe later described in his own words, and it was sent to Austen while she was residing in Staten Island, New York. The correspondence offers insight into the social and professional networks of late‑19th‑century photographers and their shared enthusiasm for the emerging medium of photography.

Contents

  • Letter (March 19 1893) – A handwritten note addressed to Alice Austen, discussing recent travels, photographic work, and personal matters. The OCR transcript captures the letter’s informal tone and references to “An egois,” “Willin,” and other contemporaneous details.
  • Metadata – Includes creator, date, language (English), subjects (correspondence, photography, travel, Victorian era), and provenance information linking the item to the Alice Austen House.
  • Digital File – JPEG image of the original letter, with an OCR layer for text searchability.

Scope

The collection covers a single document from 1893 and is geographically anchored to Staten Island, New York. It represents personal, informal communication rather than official or commercial correspondence. The material is limited to the letter itself; no additional photographs, envelopes, or related artifacts are included in this digital set. The collection is valuable for researchers studying Victorian social networks, early photographic practice, or the personal lives of Alice Austen and Ralph Munroe.

Raw Cheimarros Data

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

@ralph_munroe:person {occupation: "photographer"}

@date_1866

@date_1952

@date_1893_03_19

@letter_1893_03_19:document {date: @date_1893_03_19, language: "en", from: @ralph_munroe, to: @alice_austen}

@ralph_munroe -> wrote -> @letter_1893_03_19

@alice_austen -> received -> @letter_1893_03_19

@ralph_munroe_correspondence:collection {creator: @ralph_munroe, created: @date_1893_03_19, location: @staten_island, subjects: [@photography, @travel, @victorian_era]}

@file_pinax:file {title: "Ralph Munroe Correspondence", creator: @ralph_munroe, institution: "Alice Austen House", created: @date_1893_03_19, language: "en"}

@file_pinax -> documents -> @ralph_munroe_correspondence

@file_1893_3_19_march_2002_ralph_munroe_copy_jpg:file {type: "image", ocr: true}

@file_1893_3_19_march_2002_ralph_munroe_copy_jpg -> contains -> @letter_1893_03_19

@photography:concept {}

@travel:concept {}

@victorian_era:concept {}

Metadata

Title
Ralph Munroe Correspondence
Type
Collection
Creator
Ralph Munroe
Institution
Alice Austen House
Created
1893-03-19
Language
en
Subjects
Correspondence, Personal letters, Photography, Travel, Victorian era
Place
Staten Island, New York
Source
PINAX

Files (1)

1893_3-19-March 2002-Ralph-munroe copy.jpgJPEG
1.29 MB
OCR Text

Dear Alice, I wrote you somewhere near the end of our trip down & suppose you have heard all about our doings since through Willin but as for your songs on me am quite in the dark especially in regard to all the plates you exposed on the way to An egois I am weary of his films but with hardly an exception they were failures and now it devolves upon you to test out the words of that pleasant trip. I am quite sure that you promise them anyhow & if not you ought to have done so, so get out your painting frames. I suppose you poor things have hardly thawed out yet after your deli helpful winter but if you will stay there I can't help it. With my very best regards to all the family. Sincerely yours, Ralph

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:47:21 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/9/2025, 8:49:40 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:52:07 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:33:44 PM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: Ralph Munroe Correspondence"

Parent

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