1893_7-3-July 1003-Clara copy.jpg

Clara Rich Correspondence Collection

PI

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:48:03 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:36:28 PM

Added description

Description

Clara Rich Correspondence Collection

Overview

The Clara Rich Correspondence Collection is a digital assemblage of a single letter written by Clara Rich to Elizabeth Alice Austen on July 3, 1893. The item is presented as a scanned JPEG image of the original handwritten missive, accompanied by OCR‑derived text. It is housed in the Alice Austen House Museum’s archival holdings and represents a primary source document concerning Victorian social life on Staten Island.

Background

Clara Rich was a contemporary of Alice Austen, a prominent Staten Island photographer. The letter reflects the social milieu of the late‑19th century, wherein local committees organized sporting and social tournaments for women. The correspondence was created by Rich on the day the committee announced the cancellation of the fall tournament due to insufficient responses. The document is part of the museum’s broader effort to preserve the personal networks and civic activities of the island’s upper‑middle‑class residents.

Contents

  • Letter (July 3, 1893) – A handwritten note from Rich to Austen, expressing regret over the tournament’s cancellation and encouraging Austen to participate in future events.
  • Scanned image – A high‑resolution JPEG of the original letter, preserving the inked text, signatures, and date.
  • OCR text – Machine‑readable transcription of the letter’s content, useful for textual analysis and searchability.

The letter’s content touches on themes of social obligation, committee governance, and the role of women in public recreation. It also offers insight into the personal relationship between Rich and Austen, highlighting mutual encouragement and shared civic engagement.

Scope

The collection covers a single event in the fall of 1893, focusing on the cancellation of a local women’s tournament. It is geographically bound to Staten Island, New York, and is written in English. While the collection is limited to one letter, it provides a valuable snapshot of Victorian social customs, committee operations, and the interpersonal dynamics of the island’s social elite. The item is suitable for researchers studying local history, gender studies, or the social networks surrounding the Alice Austen House.

Raw Cheimarros Data

@clara_rich:person {full_name: "Clara Rich", role: "Correspondent"}

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

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

@alice_austen_house_museum:organization {type: "museum", location: @staten_island_ny}

@clara_rich_correspondence_collection:collection {title: "Clara Rich Correspondence Collection", creator: @clara_rich, institution: @alice_austen_house_museum, created: @date_1893_07_03, description: "Correspondence from Clara Rich to Alice Austen regarding tournament cancellation"}

@file_pinax:file {access_url: "PLACEHOLDER", source: "PINAX"}

@file_1893_7_3_july_1003_clara_copy_jpg:file {type: "image", description: "Scanned letter from Clara Rich to Alice Austen"}

@letter_1893_07_03:document {author: @clara_rich, recipient: @alice_austen, date: @date_1893_07_03, content: "My dear Miss Austin, ..."} 

@committee:organization {role: "organizer of tournament"}

@fall_tournament:event {type: "tournament", status: "canceled", reason: "insufficient responses"}

@clara_rich -> wrote -> @letter_1893_07_03

@alice_austen -> received -> @letter_1893_07_03

@file_1893_7_3_july_1003_clara_copy_jpg -> depicts -> @letter_1893_07_03

@clara_rich -> mentions -> @committee

@committee -> organized -> @fall_tournament

@committee -> referenced in -> @letter_1893_07_03

@letter_1893_07_03 -> concerns -> @fall_tournament

@letter_1893_07_03 -> dated -> @date_1893_07_03

@date_1866

@date_1952

@date_1893_07_03

Metadata

Title
Clara Rich Correspondence Collection
Type
Collection
Creator
Clara Rich
Institution
Alice Austen House
Created
1893-07-03
Language
en
Subjects
Correspondence, Tournaments, Victorian social life, Apologies, Committees
Place
Staten Island, NY
Source
PINAX

Files (1)

1893_7-3-July 1003-Clara copy.jpgJPEG
1.25 MB
OCR Text

My dear Miss Austin, The Committee regret that not having received prompt or sufficient answers to their notices, that they will be obliged to give up the tournament. I hope it will not be a great disappointment to the girls but then it is their own fault. Hoping that you will enter the fall tournament, believe me, Very sincerely yours, Clara Rich Thursday, July third, 1893.

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:48:03 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/9/2025, 8:51:19 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:52:31 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:36:28 PM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: Clara_Rich_correspondence"

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