Alice Austen Invitations and Calling Cards Collection
PI
Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:49:57 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:36:05 PM
Added description
Description
Alice Austen Invitations and Calling Cards Collection (1894)
Overview
This collection comprises a series of Victorian‑era invitations and calling cards dated 1894, digitized as high‑resolution JPEG scans. The items were produced by Mrs. William T. Williams, Mrs. D. Schnakenberg, and Mrs. Gerhard Tanssen, and are associated with the social circle of photographer Alice Austen in New Brighton, Staten Island. The collection is part of the Alice Austen House Museum’s archival holdings.Background
The invitations reflect the social life of upper‑middle‑class families in late‑19th‑century New Brighton. They were created by close friends and relatives of Alice Austen, who herself was a prominent photographer and community figure. The three women—Mrs. Williams, Mrs. Schnakenberg, and Mrs. Tanssen—were likely family members or intimate acquaintances who organized weddings and gatherings for their circles. The collection was assembled in 1894, a year that saw several notable events in the area, and it illustrates the customs of formal social correspondence of the period.Contents
The collection contains three principal invitation types:Each item is accompanied by a typed transcription of the handwritten text, preserving the original wording and layout.
Scope
The collection covers a single year (1894) and focuses on formal invitations related to weddings and social gatherings in New Brighton, Staten Island. It includes only the printed invitation cards and their transcriptions; no additional correspondence or related documents are present. The materials are in English and are relevant to studies of Victorian social customs, local history of Staten Island, and the personal networks surrounding Alice Austen.Raw Cheimarros Data
@mrs_williams:person {full_name: "Mrs. William T. Williams"}
@mrs_schnakenberg:person {full_name: "Mrs. D Schnakenberg"}
@mrs_tanssen:person {full_name: "Mrs. Gerhard Tanssen"}
@gertrude:person {full_name: "Gertrude"}
@willard_brown:person {full_name: "Willard S. Brown"}
@helena_caroline:person {full_name: "Helena Caroline"}
@randolph_walker:person {full_name: "Randolph St. George Walker"}
@the_misses_hagedorn:organization {full_name: "The Misses Hagedorn"}
@staten_island:place {state: @new_york, country: @united_states}
@new_brighton:place {city: @staten_island, state: @new_york, country: @united_states}
@christ_church:place {location: @new_brighton}
@richmond_terrace:place {location: @new_brighton}
@tompkins_ave:place {location: @new_brighton}
@gertrude_wedding:event {date: @date_1894_06_20, location: @christ_church, description: "Wedding of Gertrude to Willard S. Brown"}
@helena_walker_wedding:event {date: @date_1894_06_05, location: @richmond_terrace, description: "Wedding reception of Helena Caroline and Randolph St. George Walker"}
@hagedorn_gathering:event {date: @date_1894_06_23, location: @tompkins_ave, description: "Social gathering of the Misses Hagedorn"}
@file_pinax:document {title: "Alice Austen Invitations and Calling Cards Collection", creator: [@mrs_williams, @mrs_schnakenberg, @mrs_tanssen], institution: "Alice Austen House", created: @date_1894, language: "en", subjects: ["Weddings","Social events","Invitations","Calling cards","Victorian social life","New Brighton","Staten Island"], description: "A collection of invitations and calling cards from 1894 related to Alice Austen, including wedding invitations and social event notices from New Brighton, Staten Island.", place: [@new_brighton, @staten_island]}
@file_1894_6_20_june_3002_copy_jpg:file {type: "image", description: "Wedding invitation for Gertrude"}
@file_1894_6_23_june_2002_copy_jpg:file {type: "image", description: "Social event notice for the Misses Hagedorn"}
@file_1894_6_5_june_1002_copy_jpg:file {type: "image", description: "Wedding reception invitation for Helena Caroline"}
@mrs_williams -> organized -> @gertrude_wedding:event
@mrs_williams -> mother of -> @gertrude
@gertrude -> married to -> @willard_brown
@mrs_tanssen -> organized -> @helena_walker_wedding:event
@mrs_tanssen -> mother of -> @helena_caroline
@helena_caroline -> married to -> @randolph_walker
@mrs_schnakenberg -> organized -> @hagedorn_gathering:event
@file_1894_6_20_june_3002_copy_jpg -> depicts -> @gertrude_wedding:event
@file_1894_6_5_june_1002_copy_jpg -> depicts -> @helena_walker_wedding:event
@file_1894_6_23_june_2002_copy_jpg -> depicts -> @hagedorn_gathering:eventMetadata
Files (3)
1894_6-20-June 3002 copy.jpgJPEG
OCR Text
Mrs. William T. Williams requests the honour of your presence at the marriage of her daughter, Gertrude, to Mr. Willard S. Brown, on Wednesday, June the twentieth, 1894 at five o'clock, at Christ Church, New Brighton, Staten Island.
1894_6-23-June 2002 copy.jpgJPEG
OCR Text
Mrs D Schnakenberg. The Misses Hagedorn. Saturday, June twenty-third. From four until seven. 1894 Fridays. 5 Tompkins Ave. New Brighton.
1894_6-5-June 1002 copy.jpgJPEG
OCR Text
Mrs. Gerhard Tanssen requests the pleasure of your company at the Wedding Reception of her daughter: Helena Caroline and Mr. Randolph St. George Walker, on Tuesday, June the fifth, from half-past four until six o'clock. Richmond Terrace, New Brighton, Staten Island.
Version History (4 versions)
- ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:49:57 PM
"Added description" - v3 · 12/9/2025, 8:58:38 PM · View this version
"Added knowledge graph extraction" - v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:54:03 PM · View this version
"Added PINAX metadata" - v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:36:05 PM · View this version
"Reorganization group: Invitations_Cards"
Parent
No children (leaf entity)