Alice Austen Envelope Collection, 1894
PI
Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:49:37 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:36:06 PM
Added description
Description
Alice Austen Envelope Collection, 1894
Overview
The Alice Austen Envelope Collection is a digitized assemblage of five envelopes addressed to Elizabeth Alice Austen in 1894. The items are scanned JPEG images of handwritten envelopes, each bearing the name “Miss Alice Austin” (a common variant of Austen’s name) and the address “Rosebank, Staten Island, N.Y.” The collection is part of the Alice Austen House Museum’s archival holdings and is available through the museum’s online portal.Background
Elizabeth Alice Austen (1866‑1952) was a pioneering American photographer and a prominent figure in late‑Victorian Staten Island society. The envelopes were sent by friends, family, and associates during a period when Austen was actively engaged in her photographic practice and social life. The collection reflects the social networks that supported her work and personal life, offering a glimpse into the correspondence culture of the era.Contents
The five envelopes include:Each envelope is annotated with the sender’s name, address, and date, and the scanned images preserve the original handwriting and paper texture. The collection also includes a note on the June envelope that references Santa Barbara, indicating a broader geographic reach of Austen’s correspondence.
Scope
The collection covers a single calendar year (1894) and focuses exclusively on physical envelopes addressed to Austen. It includes correspondence from a range of social circles—family, friends, and professional contacts—spanning local (Staten Island, East Hampton) and distant (Santa Barbara) locations. The material is limited to envelope images; no transcriptions or related letters are included in this collection. The collection provides a valuable resource for researchers interested in Victorian social networks, the life of a female photographer, and the material culture of 19th‑century New York.Raw Cheimarros Data
@alice_austen:person {full_name: "Elizabeth Alice Austen", birth: @date_1866, death: @date_1952, occupation: "photographer", residence: @rosebank:place}
@rosebank:place {city: "Staten Island", state: @new_york, country: @united_states}
@east_hampton:place {city: "East Hampton", region: "Long Island", state: @new_york, country: @united_states}
@santa_barbara:place {city: "Santa Barbara", state: @california, country: @united_states}
@julia_martin:person {full_name: "Julia T. Martin", location: @albany}
@bessie_strong:person {full_name: "Bessie Strong"}
@julie_bredt:person {full_name: "Julie Bredt"}
@violet_ward:person {full_name: "Violet M.E. Ward"}
@isabella_king:person {full_name: "Isabella King"}
@husten:person {full_name: "Husten"}
@a_willis:person {full_name: "A. Willis"}
@date_1894_05_22 {year: 1894, month: 5, day: 22}
@date_1894_05_24 {year: 1894, month: 5, day: 24}
@date_1894_05_07 {year: 1894, month: 5, day: 7}
@date_1894_06_10 {year: 1894, month: 6, day: 10}
@date_1894_07_17 {year: 1894, month: 7, day: 17}
@file_pinax:file {title: "Alice Austen Envelope Collection, 1894", creator: [@alice_austen], institution: "Alice Austen House", created: @date_1894, subjects: ["Correspondence","Envelopes","Victorian-era social life","Staten Island","New York"]}
@file_1894_5_22_julia_martin_may_22012_copy_jpg:file {filename: "1894_5-22-Julia Martin May 22012 copy.jpg.ref.json", type: "Image/Asset with OCR"}
@file_1894_5_22_julia_martin_may_22012_copy_jpg -> addressed to -> @alice_austen {when: @date_1894_05_22, where: @rosebank}
@file_1894_5_22_julia_martin_may_22012_copy_jpg -> from -> @julia_martin
@file_1894_5_24_may_2001_strong_copy_jpg:file {filename: "1894_5-24-May 2001-strong copy.jpg.ref.json", type: "Image/Asset with OCR"}
@file_1894_5_24_may_2001_strong_copy_jpg -> addressed to -> @alice_austen {when: @date_1894_05_24, where: @rosebank}
@file_1894_5_24_may_2001_strong_copy_jpg -> from -> @bessie_strong
@file_1894_5_7_may_1004_martin_copy_jpg:file {filename: "1894_5-7-May 1004-martin copy.jpg.ref.json", type: "Image/Asset with OCR"}
@file_1894_5_7_may_1004_martin_copy_jpg -> addressed to -> @alice_austen {when: @date_1894_05_07, where: @rosebank}
@file_1894_5_7_may_1004_martin_copy_jpg -> from -> @julia_martin
@file_1894_6_10_june_4006_martin_copy_jpg:file {filename: "1894_6-10-June 4006-martin copy.jpg.ref.json", type: "Image/Asset with OCR"}
@file_1894_6_10_june_4006_martin_copy_jpg -> addressed to -> @alice_austen {when: @date_1894_06_10, where: @rosebank}
@file_1894_6_10_june_4006_martin_copy_jpg -> from -> @husten
@file_1894_7_17_july_2001_strong_copy_jpg:file {filename: "1894_7-17-July 2001-strong copy.jpg.ref.json", type: "Image/Asset with OCR"}
@file_1894_7_17_july_2001_strong_copy_jpg -> addressed to -> @alice_austen {when: @date_1894_07_17, where: @rosebank}
@file_1894_7_17_july_2001_strong_copy_jpg -> from -> @a_willis
@file_1894_7_17_july_2001_strong_copy_jpg -> also addressed to -> @alice_austen {where: @east_hampton}Metadata
Files (5)
1894_5-22-Julia Martin May 22012 copy.jpgJPEG
OCR Text
Miss Alice Austin Rosebank Staten Island N.Y.
1894_5-24-May 2001-strong copy.jpgJPEG
OCR Text
Miss E. A. Austin Rosebank P.O. Staten Island, N.Y.
1894_5-7-May 1004-martin copy.jpgJPEG
OCR Text
Miss Alice Austin Rosebank Staten Island N.Y.
1894_6-10-June 4006-martin copy.jpgJPEG
OCR Text
Miss Husten, Rosebank, Staten Island, N.Y. SANTA BARBARA JUN 11 For C.N. 1894 CAL
1894_7-17-July 2001-strong copy.jpgJPEG
OCR Text
% Mrs. A. Willis East Hampton L.I. Miss E.A. Austin Rosebank P.C. Staten Island N.Y.
Version History (4 versions)
- ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:49:37 PM
"Added description" - v3 · 12/9/2025, 8:56:59 PM · View this version
"Added knowledge graph extraction" - v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:53:43 PM · View this version
"Added PINAX metadata" - v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:36:06 PM · View this version
"Reorganization group: Envelopes"
Parent
No children (leaf entity)