Carrie Ward Correspondence to Alice Austen, 1896
PI
Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:51:46 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:38:27 PM
Added description
Description
Carrie Ward Correspondence 1896
Overview
The Carrie Ward Correspondence 1896 is a small, digitized collection of three handwritten letters written by Carrie H. Ward to her friend Elizabeth Alice Austen on August 20, 1896. The items are scanned as high‑resolution JPEG images and include OCR‑derived transcriptions. The letters were acquired by the Alice Austen House Museum and digitized by the Pinax platform.Background
Carrie H. Ward (née Ward) was a resident of Cazenovia, New York, and a frequent visitor to Mohonk Lake and the surrounding Ulster County. She maintained a close friendship with Alice Austen, a pioneering Staten Island photographer, and corresponded with her on matters of family health, social activities, and everyday life. The letters were produced during a period when the Ward family was engaged in leisure pursuits such as sailing and club activities, reflecting the social milieu of late‑Victorian upper‑middle‑class New York.Contents
- Letter 1 (Cazenovia, NY) – Discusses the Cazenovia Club, a planned sail at 10:45 am, and the health of family members, including a mention of Violet Ward.
- Letter 2 (Mohonk Lake, NY) – Provides a brief note from the Mantua Rest Home, referencing the writer’s own health and the weather.
- Letter 3 (Cazenovia, NY) – A more reflective missive, touching on personal feelings and a request for updates from Alice.
Each letter is accompanied by a scanned image (≈ 3 MB each) and an OCR text block that captures the handwritten content. The collection illustrates the everyday concerns of a Victorian woman—family well‑being, leisure, and the maintenance of social ties.
Scope
The collection covers a single date (August 20, 1896) and includes three letters from Carrie Ward to Alice Austen. It is geographically anchored in Cazenovia, Mohonk Lake, and Ulster County, New York, and thematically focuses on personal correspondence, social life, family health, and leisure activities. The items provide a concise snapshot of late‑19th‑century domestic and social life in the Hudson Valley, offering insight into the networks that supported Alice Austen’s photographic career.Raw Cheimarros Data
@carrie_ward_correspondence_1896:collection {title: "Carrie Ward Correspondence to Alice Austen, 1896", creator: @carrie_ward, institution: "Alice Austen House", created: @date_1896_08_20, language: "en", subjects: ["Correspondence","Personal letters","Social life","Family relationships","Health"], description: "A collection of correspondence from Carrie H. Ward to Alice Austen in 1896, discussing family health, social activities, and personal reflections.", place: [@cazenovia_ny, @mohonk_lake_ny, @ulster_co_ny]}
@alice_austen:person {full_name: "Elizabeth Alice Austen", birth_year: @date_1866, death_year: @date_1952, occupation: "photographer", residence: @staten_island}
@carrie_ward:person {full_name: "Carrie H. Ward", gender: "female"}
@violet_ward:person {full_name: "Violet M.E. Ward"}
@julia_martin:person {full_name: "Julia T. Martin", relationship: "close friend", location: @albany_ny}
@julie_bredt:person {full_name: "Julie Bredt"}
@isabella_king:person {full_name: "Isabella King", role: "photograph buyer"}
@bessie_strong:person {full_name: "Bessie Strong"}
@cazenovia_ny:place {state: "NY", country: @united_states}
@mohonk_lake_ny:place {state: "NY", country: @united_states}
@ulster_co_ny:place {state: "NY", country: @united_states}
@mantua_rest_home:place {city: "Ulster Co.", state: "NY", country: @united_states}
@cazenovia_club:organization {location: @cazenovia_ny}
@sailing_activity:concept {time: "10:45"}
@letter_1896_08_20_1001:document {type: "letter", created: @date_1896_08_20, from: @carrie_ward, to: @alice_austen, location: @mohonk_lake_ny}
@letter_1896_08_20_1002:document {type: "letter", created: @date_1896_08_20, from: @carrie_ward, to: @alice_austen, location: @cazenovia_ny}
@letter_1896_08_20_1003:document {type: "letter", created: @date_1896_08_20, from: @carrie_ward, to: @alice_austen, location: @cazenovia_ny}
@carrie_ward -> wrote -> @letter_1896_08_20_1001
@carrie_ward -> wrote -> @letter_1896_08_20_1002
@carrie_ward -> wrote -> @letter_1896_08_20_1003
@letter_1896_08_20_1001 -> addressed to -> @alice_austen
@letter_1896_08_20_1002 -> addressed to -> @alice_austen
@letter_1896_08_20_1003 -> addressed to -> @alice_austen
@letter_1896_08_20_1002 -> mentions -> @cazenovia_club
@letter_1896_08_20_1002 -> mentions -> @sailing_activity
@letter_1896_08_20_1002 -> mentions -> @violet_ward
@letter_1896_08_20_1003 -> mentions -> @alice_austen
@date_1896_08_20
@date_1866
@date_1952Metadata
Files (3)
1896_8-20-1896 Aug 1001-Cazenovia-carrie-ward copy.jpgJPEG
OCR Text
Miss E. Alice Austen Mantua Rest Home Mohonk Lake Ulster Co. N.Y.
1896_8-20-1896 Aug 1002-carrie-ward copy.jpgJPEG
OCR Text
CAZENOVIA CLUB, CAZENOVIA, N.Y. My dear Alice - We are going for a sail at 10:45 & it is past 10:30 so I can write but little. I waited to come up here to write & was too corked up for 2 days to do so. Papa seems all right - Vi is in fair shape - but must be much better before returning or there will be squalls. The Kid is in charge at the house & not having too easy a time I fear - I consider it
1896_8-20-1896 Aug 1003-carrie-ward copy.jpgJPEG
OCR Text
It is fault not mine, to have obviated it, I would have had to disbelieve her - a kind of chuck up of rudeness. It is quite cold here - charming & cordial - I don't know much else yet - Write me how Lincklern Hansel I am in too much of a hurry to think up what happened before I left it I have avoided you this a long while - Affy C.H.W. Thursday morning
Version History (4 versions)
- ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:51:46 PM
"Added description" - v3 · 12/9/2025, 9:04:24 PM · View this version
"Added knowledge graph extraction" - v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:55:34 PM · View this version
"Added PINAX metadata" - v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:38:27 PM · View this version
"Reorganization group: Carrie_Ward_Correspondence_1896"
Parent
No children (leaf entity)