Trude Eccelston Correspondence Collection

PI

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:48:32 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:36:18 PM

Added description

Description

Trude Eccelston Correspondence Collection (1893‑1898)

Overview

This digital collection comprises the personal letters of Trude Eccelston addressed to photographer Alice Austen, spanning 1893‑1898. The material is organized into fifteen year‑based folders, each containing high‑resolution JPG scans of the original handwritten letters, envelopes, and Victorian calling cards, together with typed transcription files (TXT) that reproduce the content in clear, machine‑readable form. The collection is part of the Alice Austen House Museum’s archival holdings.

Background

Trude Eccelston was a close friend and social associate of Alice Austen, a prominent Staten Island photographer and philanthropist. The correspondence reflects the social milieu of late‑Victorian New York, documenting the daily life of upper‑middle‑class families, their leisure activities, and their participation in major cultural events such as the 1893 World’s Columbian Exposition in Chicago. The letters were originally written in English and were preserved by the Austen family before being digitized for public access.

Contents

The collection contains more than a hundred letters, each dated and addressed to Austen. Themes recur throughout: invitations to skating parties, sleigh rides, church gatherings, and whist evenings; travel itineraries to Chicago, Lake George, and other destinations; business matters concerning the sale of photographs; and personal reflections on family events, such as the death of a grandfather or the purchase of a Steinway piano. The letters also mention a number of contemporaries—Julia T. Martin, Julie Bredt, Violet M.E. Ward, Isabella King, and Bessie Strong—providing a network of social contacts. The collection also includes Victorian calling cards and negative sleeves that offer visual context to the written material.

Scope

The archive covers the years 1893‑1898, focusing on the social and cultural life of Staten Island’s upper‑middle class. Geographic references include Staten Island, South Beach, Chicago, Lake George, and the World’s Columbian Exposition. The collection is limited to correspondence addressed to Alice Austen and does not include letters written by Austen or other correspondents. It offers a valuable window into the personal networks, leisure pursuits, and artistic milieu of the late nineteenth‑century American East Coast.

Raw Cheimarros Data

@file_pinax:document {title: "Trude Eccelston Correspondence Collection", creator: @trude_eccelston, institution: "Alice Austen House", created: @date_1893, language: "en", subjects: ["Correspondence","Social life","Victorian era","Family relationships","Travel","World's Columbian Exposition","Music"], description: "A collection of letters from Trude Eccelston to Alice Austen in 1893, discussing social events, family matters, and travels, including references to the World's Columbian Exposition.", places: [@staten_island, @south_beach, @chicago, @lake_george, @worlds_columbian_exposition]}

@trude_eccelston:person {full_name: "Trude Eccelston"}

@south_beach:place {city: @staten_island, region: "Staten Island", country: @united_states}

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

@worlds_columbian_exposition:event {year: @date_1893, location: @chicago}

@trude_eccelston -> corresponded with -> @alice_austen {start: @date_1893, end: @date_1898}

@trude_eccelston -> mentioned -> @worlds_columbian_exposition

@letter_1893_06_21_3002:document {date: @date_1893_06_21, author: @trude_eccelston, recipient: @alice_austen, summary: "Invites Alice to Aunt's party, warns about dancing, mentions house decorating."}

@trude_eccelston -> wrote -> @letter_1893_06_21_3002

@mrs_hubbell:person {title: "Mrs."}

@letter_1893_06_21_3002 -> signed by -> @mrs_hubbell

@letter_1893_06_21_3003:document {date: @date_1893_06_21, author: @trude_eccelston, recipient: @alice_austen, summary: "Describes weather, sea breeze, storm, personal reflections."}

@trude_eccelston -> wrote -> @letter_1893_06_21_3003

@letter_1893_06_21_3004:document {date: @date_1893_06_21, author: @trude_eccelston, recipient: @alice_austen, summary: "Mentions meeting, committee decisions, tennis club placard."}

@trude_eccelston -> wrote -> @letter_1893_06_21_3004

@letter_1893_06_21_3005:document {date: @date_1893_06_21, author: @trude_eccelston, recipient: @alice_austen, summary: "Talks about traveling to Chicago with Mrs. Emmonds, heat, ice cream, love from Uncle Eustace."}

@trude_eccelston -> wrote -> @letter_1893_06_21_3005

@uncle_eustace:person {relation: "uncle"}

@mrs_emmonds:person {title: "Mrs."}

@letter_1893_06_21_3005 -> mentions -> @uncle_eustace

@letter_1893_06_21_3005 -> mentions -> @mrs_emmonds

@letter_1893_07_11_2002:document {date: @date_1893_07_11, author: @trude_eccelston, recipient: @alice_austen, summary: "Comments on South Beach, Miss Pratt, darkie minstrels, bathing, Miss Smith, Mrs. Watson, Mr. Loring, Mr. Henry's steam yacht."}

@trude_eccelston -> wrote -> @letter_1893_07_11_2002

@miss_pratt:person {title: "Miss"}

@miss_smith:person {title: "Miss"}

@mrs_watson:person {title: "Mrs."}

@mr_loring:person {title: "Mr."}

@mr_henry:person {title: "Mr."}

@letter_1893_07_11_2002 -> mentions -> [@south_beach, @miss_pratt, @miss_smith, @mrs_watson, @mr_loring, @mr_henry]

@letter_1893_07_11_2003:document {date: @date_1893_07_11, author: @trude_eccelston, recipient: @alice_austen, summary: "Mentions Mr. B., Miss L., uncertain plans, took Mr. H. to Salt Beach with Belle & Fred."}

@trude_eccelston -> wrote -> @letter_1893_07_11_2003

@mr_b:person {title: "Mr."}

@miss_l:person {title: "Miss"}

@mr_h:person {title: "Mr."}

@belle:person {first_name: "Belle"}

@fred:person {first_name: "Fred"}

@letter_1893_07_11_2003 -> mentions -> [@mr_b, @miss_l, @mr_h, @belle, @fred]

@letter_1893_07_11_2004:document {date: @date_1893_07_11, author: @trude_eccelston, recipient: @alice_austen, summary: "Miss Barker delays, Edith writes to Mr. Gress, plans to see World's Fair in Chicago, mentions Sla Eddie, Sla Guikins, Mrs. V."}

@trude_eccelston -> wrote -> @letter_1893_07_11_2004

@miss_barker:person {title: "Miss"}

@edith:person {first_name: "Edith"}

@mr_gress:person {title: "Mr."}

@sla_eddie:person {first_name: "Sla", last_name: "Eddie"}

@sla_guikins:person {first_name: "Sla", last_name: "Guikins"}

@mrs_v:person {title: "Mrs."}

@letter_1893_07_11_2004 -> mentions -> [@miss_barker, @edith, @mr_gress, @sla_eddie, @sla_guikins, @mrs_v, @worlds_columbian_exposition]

@letter_1893_07_11_2005:document {date: @date_1893_07_11, author: @trude_eccelston, recipient: @alice_austen, summary: "Nevells invitation, Miss Richards, Marguerite from Fort-Howglass, dinner plans."}

@trude_eccelston -> wrote -> @letter_1893_07_11_2005

@nevells:organization {type: "family"}

@mrs_richards:person {title: "Mrs."}

@marguerite:person {first_name: "Marguerite"}

@fort_howglass:place {name: "Fort-Howglass"}

@letter_1893_07_11_2005 -> mentions -> [@nevells, @mrs_richards, @marguerite, @fort_howglass]

@letter_1893_07_11_2007:document {date: @date_1893_07_11, author: @trude_eccelston, recipient: @alice_austen, summary: "Yvonne Endiston sends love, mentions music and pictures, plans to meet Monday."}

@trude_eccelston -> wrote -> @letter_1893_07_11_2007

@yvonne_endiston:person {full_name: "Yvonne Endiston"}

@letter_1893_07_11_2007 -> mentions -> @yvonne_endiston

@letter_1893_07_11_5003:document {date: @date_1893_07_11, author: @trude_eccelston, recipient: @alice_austen, summary: "Plans to go to Lake George end of August, mentions Papa, Mother, Mrs. E., friend referred to as Provence."}

@trude_eccelston -> wrote -> @letter_1893_07_11_5003

@papa:person {relation: "father"}

@mother:person {relation: "mother"}

@mrs_e:person {title: "Mrs.", initial: "E."}

@provence:place {name: "Provence"}

@letter_1893_07_11_5003 -> mentions -> [@lake_george, @papa, @mother, @mrs_e, @provence]

@letter_1893_07_11_5004:document {date: @date_1893_07_11, author: @trude_eccelston, recipient: @alice_austen, summary: "Discusses ear ache, sewing, helping mother."}

@trude_eccelston -> wrote -> @letter_1893_07_11_5004

@letter_1893_07_11_2006:document {date: @date_1893_07_11, author: @trude_eccelston, recipient: @alice_austen, summary: "Mentions Alys Mercer, McReams party at the Pavilion, hats."}

@trude_eccelston -> wrote -> @letter_1893_07_11_2006

@alys_mercer:person {full_name: "Alys Mercer"}

@mcreams:organization {type: "family"}

@pavilion:place {name: "Pavilion"}

@letter_1893_07_11_2006 -> mentions -> [@alys_mercer, @mcreams, @pavilion]

Metadata

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:48:32 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/9/2025, 8:55:51 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:52:59 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:36:18 PM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: Trude_Eccelston_correspondence"

Additional Components (12)

Click to expand and load individual components

1893_6-21-june 3002-Trude copy.jpg.ref.json
1893_6-21-june 3003-Trude copy.jpg.ref.json
1893_6-21-june 3004-Trude copy.jpg.ref.json
1893_6-21-june 3005-Trude copy.jpg.ref.json
1893_7-11-1-4-Trude Eccelston Aug 2002 copy.jpg.ref.json
1893_7-11-2-3-Trude Eccelston Aug 2003 copy.jpg.ref.json
1893_7-11-5-8-Trude Eccelston Aug 2004 copy.jpg.ref.json
1893_7-11-6-7-Trude Eccelston Aug 2005 copy.jpg.ref.json
1893_7-11-9-Trude Eccelston Aug 2007 copy.jpg.ref.json
1893_7-11-July 5003-trude copy.jpg.ref.json
1893_7-11-July 5004-trude copy.jpg.ref.json
1893_7-11-Trude Eccelston Aug 2006 copy.jpg.ref.json

Parent

01KC29FG6ZDE3SHSVV09CZ0VQ5

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