Alice Austen Envelope Collection, 1894

PI

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:48:49 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:36:13 PM

Added description

Description

Alice Austen Envelope Collection, 1894

Overview

A digitized set of 10–12 envelopes addressed to Elizabeth Alice Austen (1866‑1952) in the year 1894. The collection is part of the Alice Austen House Museum’s archival holdings and is presented as high‑resolution JPEG scans (≈0.5–0.9 MB each) with accompanying OCR text. The images capture postal markings, postmarks, and handwritten addresses that reveal the routes and correspondents of the period.

Background

Alice Austen was a pioneering American photographer and a prominent member of Staten Island’s upper‑middle‑class community. The envelopes illustrate her personal network of friends, family, and business contacts. The museum’s digitization project preserved these artifacts, making them accessible for research in Victorian social history and postal studies.

Contents

  • Envelopes: Scanned images of envelopes from Santa Barbara, New Brunswick, Clifton, Rosebank, and an undetermined “Alifton” location.
  • Postal markings: Postbank P.O., Post Bank, and postmarks dated 12 Dec 1894, 14 Dec 1894, 27 Dec 1894, 29 Dec 1894, 14 Feb 1894, 26 Feb 1894, 27 Feb 1894, 5 Feb 1894, 18 Mar 1894.
  • OCR text: Extracted from each scan, revealing names such as “Miss Alice Austen,” “Miss P. C. Austin,” “Miss E. A. Austin,” and “Miss Julia T. Martin.”
  • Correspondents: Julia T. Martin (Albany), Bessie Strong (New Brunswick), and others whose envelopes are included.
  • Back‑side images: For the 29 Dec 1894 envelope, providing additional postal details.

Scope

The collection covers the year 1894, focusing on personal correspondence envelopes addressed to Alice Austen. Geographic coverage includes Staten Island (NY), New Brunswick (NJ), and Santa Barbara (CA). It does not contain the letters themselves but offers a window into Victorian postal practices, social networks, and the daily life of a prominent Staten Island family.

Raw Cheimarros Data

@file_pinax -> documents -> @alice_austen_envelope_collection:event {title: "Alice Austen Envelope Collection, 1894", creator: @alice_austen, institution: @alice_austen_house, year: @date_1894, subjects: ["Correspondence","Envelopes","Victorian-era postal history","Staten Island","New York","New Jersey"]}


@alice_austen:person {full_name: "Elizabeth Alice Austen", birth_year: @date_1866, death_year: @date_1952, occupation: "photographer", residence: @staten_island}


@staten_island:place {state: @new_york, country: @united_states}


@rosebank:place {neighborhood: "Rosebank", city: @staten_island, state: @new_york, country: @united_states}


@clifton:place {neighborhood: "Clifton", city: @staten_island, state: @new_york, country: @united_states}


@santa_barbara_ca:place {city: "Santa Barbara", state: @california, country: @united_states}


@new_brunswick_nj:place {city: "New Brunswick", state: @new_jersey, country: @united_states}


@albany:place {state: @new_york, country: @united_states}


@julia_t_martin:person {full_name: "Julia T. Martin", relationship: "close friend", location: @albany}


@julie_bredt:person {full_name: "Julie Bredt"}


@violet_m_e_ward:person {full_name: "Violet M.E. Ward"}


@isabella_king:person {full_name: "Isabella King", role: "photograph buyer"}


@bessie_strong:person {full_name: "Bessie Strong"}


@p_c_austin:person {full_name: "P. C. Austin"}


@envelope_1894_12_14_santa_barbara:document {source_file: @file_1894_12_14_dec_3003_martin_copy_jpg, date: @date_1894_12_14, recipient: @alice_austen, origin: @santa_barbara_ca}


@alice_austen -> received -> @envelope_1894_12_14_santa_barbara


@julia_t_martin -> sent -> @envelope_1894_12_14_santa_barbara


@envelope_1894_12_24_vanren:document {source_file: @file_1894_12_24_dec_1003_vanren_copy_jpg, date: @date_1894_12_24, recipient: @alice_austen}


@alice_austen -> received -> @envelope_1894_12_24_vanren


@envelope_1894_12_27_strong:document {source_file: @file_1894_12_27_dec_5005_strong_copy_jpg, date: @date_1894_12_27, recipient: @alice_austen, origin: @new_brunswick_nj}


@alice_austen -> received -> @envelope_1894_12_27_strong


@bessie_strong -> sent -> @envelope_1894_12_27_strong


@envelope_1894_12_29_clifton:document {source_file: @file_1894_12_29_envelope012_copy_jpg, date: @date_1894_12_29, recipient: @alice_austen, location: @clifton}


@alice_austen -> received -> @envelope_1894_12_29_clifton


@envelope_1894_02_14_pc_austin:document {source_file: @file_1894_2_14_feb_3003_copy_jpg, date: @date_1894_02_14, recipient: @p_c_austin, origin: @new_brunswick_nj, additional_address: "272 Hamilton St"}


@p_c_austin -> received -> @envelope_1894_02_14_pc_austin


@envelope_1894_02_26_cuthbertson:document {source_file: @file_1894_2_26_feb_4001_cuthbertson_copy_jpg, date: @date_1894_02_26, recipient: @alice_austen, location: @rosebank}


@alice_austen -> received -> @envelope_1894_02_26_cuthbertson


@envelope_1894_02_27_shortt:document {source_file: @file_1894_2_27_feb_5001_shortt_copy_jpg, date: @date_1894_02_27, recipient: @alice_austen, location: @rosebank}


@alice_austen -> received -> @envelope_1894_02_27_shortt


@envelope_1894_02_05_martin:document {source_file: @file_1894_2_5_feb_1001_martin_copy_jpg, date: @date_1894_02_05, recipient: @alice_austen, location: @rosebank}


@alice_austen -> received -> @envelope_1894_02_05_martin


@julia_t_martin -> sent -> @envelope_1894_02_05_martin


@envelope_1894_02_unknown_alifton:document {source_file: @file_1894_2_feb_2002_copy_jpg, recipient: @alice_austen, location: @clifton}


@alice_austen -> received -> @envelope_1894_02_unknown_alifton


@envelope_1894_03_18_martin:document {source_file: @file_1894_3_18_mar_3001_martin_copy_jpg, date: @date_1894_03_18, recipient: @alice_austen, location: @rosebank}


@alice_austen -> received -> @envelope_1894_03_18_martin


@julia_t_martin -> sent -> @envelope_1894_03_18_martin


@julia_t_martin -> sent -> @envelope_1894_12_14_santa_barbara


@alice_austen_envelope_collection:event -> includes -> [@envelope_1894_12_14_santa_barbara, @envelope_1894_12_24_vanren, @envelope_1894_12_27_strong, @envelope_1894_12_29_clifton, @envelope_1894_02_14_pc_austin, @envelope_1894_02_26_cuthbertson, @envelope_1894_02_27_shortt, @envelope_1894_02_05_martin, @envelope_1894_02_unknown_alifton, @envelope_1894_03_18_martin]

Metadata

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:48:49 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/9/2025, 8:55:45 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:53:08 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:36:13 PM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: Envelopes"

Additional Components (11)

Click to expand and load individual components

1894_12-14-Dec 3003-Martin copy.jpg.ref.json
1894_12-24-Dec 1003-VanRen copy.jpg.ref.json
1894_12-27-Dec 5005-strong copy.jpg.ref.json
1894_12-29-envelope012 copy.jpg.ref.json
1894_12-29-envelope012back copy.jpg.ref.json
1894_2-14-Feb 3003 copy.jpg.ref.json
1894_2-26-Feb 4001-cuthbertson copy.jpg.ref.json
1894_2-27-Feb 5001-shortt copy.jpg.ref.json
1894_2-5-Feb 1001-martin copy.jpg.ref.json
1894_2-Feb 2002 copy.jpg.ref.json
1894_3-18-Mar 3001-martin copy.jpg.ref.json

Parent

01KC29FBWR26R1JZCYPT6GZEFQ

No children (leaf entity)