Alice Austen Correspondence with Julia Martin Collection

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:50:48 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:41:04 PM

Added description

Description

Correspondence with Julia Faber Martin (1895)

Overview

This collection comprises a set of 16 handwritten letters written in 1895 by Julia Faber Martin to her close friend, photographer Elizabeth Alice Austen. The letters were digitized as JPEG scans and accompanied by OCR‑derived text files. In addition to the correspondence, the collection contains a few ancillary items requested by Julia—four summer shirts, three pairs of black stockings, and a Steinway grand piano—illustrating the material culture of the period.

Background

Julia Faber Martin (née Faber) lived in Santa Barbara, California, where she managed a boarding house and was involved in the planning of a sanatorium. She was a friend of Austen’s from Albany, New York, and their friendship spanned both the East and West Coasts. The letters reflect their shared social circles, including acquaintances such as Amy, Lily Bomer, Miss Douglass, and Miss McClarence, and touch on broader Victorian concerns such as health, leisure, and business.

Letters (Feb 26, June 18, Aug 19, 1895): Six letters from each date, detailing Julia’s daily life, her boarding house operations, plans for a sanatorium, and her participation in bicycle and tennis clubs. The correspondence also includes requests for clothing and a piano, as well as personal reflections on family and friends.
Requests for Clothing: Photographs of the requested summer shirts and black stockings, with price and size details.
Steinway Piano: A photograph of the grand piano, indicating its significance in Julia’s household.
Supplementary Notes: Brief post‑script notes and a postal card dated June 18, 1953, providing context for the collection’s provenance.

Scope

The collection covers the year 1895, with geographic references to Santa Barbara, California, and Staten Island, New York. It addresses themes of Victorian social life, women’s entrepreneurship, leisure activities (bicycling, tennis), health and sanitation, and personal relationships. The material is part of the Austen Family Papers (MS1) housed at the Alice Austen House Museum and is available through the PINAX digital repository.

Raw Cheimarros Data

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

@julia_faber_martin:person {full_name: "Julia Faber Martin", relationship: "close friend of Alice Austen", residence: @albany_ny}

@john_f_martin:person {full_name: "John F. Martin", relationship: "husband of Julia Faber Martin"}

@amy:person {first_name: "Amy", role: "boarder"}

@lily_bomer:person {first_name: "Lily", last_name: "Bomer"}

@miss_douglass:person {title: "Miss", last_name: "Douglass"}

@miss_mcclarence:person {title: "Miss", last_name: "McClarence"}

@mrs_cooper:person {title: "Mrs", last_name: "Cooper"}

@mrs_smively:person {title: "Mrs", last_name: "Smively"}

@dr_hall:person {title: "Dr", last_name: "Hall", profession: "physician"}

@dr_otto:person {title: "Dr", last_name: "Otto", profession: "physician"}

@staten_island_ny:place {city: "Staten Island", state: "New York", country: @united_states}

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

@albany_ny:place {city: "Albany", state: "New York", country: @united_states}

@bicycle_club:organization {type: "club", activity: "bicycling"}

@country_club:organization {type: "club", activity: "tennis"}

@sanitorium_santa_barbara:place {name: "Dr. Hall's & Ottos' Sanitorium", location: @santa_barbara_ca}

@letter_feb_26_1895_1001:document {author: @julia_faber_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, date: @date_1895_02_26, location: @santa_barbara_ca, file: @file_1895_2_26_feb_1001_martin_copy_jpg}

@letter_feb_26_1895_1002:document {author: @julia_faber_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, date: @date_1895_02_26, location: @santa_barbara_ca, file: @file_1895_2_26_feb_1002_martin_copy_jpg}

@letter_feb_26_1895_1003:document {author: @julia_faber_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, date: @date_1895_02_26, location: @santa_barbara_ca, file: @file_1895_2_26_feb_1003_martin_copy_jpg}

@letter_feb_26_1895_1004:document {author: @julia_faber_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, date: @date_1895_02_26, location: @santa_barbara_ca, file: @file_1895_2_26_feb_1004_martin_copy_jpg}

@letter_feb_26_1895_1005:document {author: @julia_faber_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, date: @date_1895_02_26, location: @staten_island_ny, file: @file_1895_2_26_feb_1005_martin_copy_jpg}

@letter_feb_26_1895_1006:document {author: @julia_faber_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, date: @date_1895_02_26, location: @staten_island_ny, file: @file_1895_2_26_feb_1006_martin_copy_jpg}

@letter_june_18_1895_7001:document {author: @julia_faber_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, date: @date_1895_06_18, location: @santa_barbara_ca, file: @file_1895_6_18_june_7001_martin_copy_jpg}

@letter_june_18_1895_7002:document {author: @julia_faber_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, date: @date_1895_06_18, location: @santa_barbara_ca, file: @file_1895_6_18_june_7002_martin_copy_jpg}

@letter_june_18_1895_7003:document {author: @julia_faber_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, date: @date_1895_06_18, location: @santa_barbara_ca, file: @file_1895_6_18_june_7003_martin_copy_jpg}

@letter_june_18_1895_7004:document {author: @julia_faber_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, date: @date_1895_06_18, location: @santa_barbara_ca, file: @file_1895_6_18_june_7004_martin_copy_jpg}

@letter_june_18_1895_7005:document {author: @julia_faber_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, date: @date_1895_06_18, location: @santa_barbara_ca, file: @file_1895_6_18_june_7005_martin_copy_jpg}

@letter_june_18_1895_7006:document {author: @julia_faber_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, date: @date_1895_06_18, location: @santa_barbara_ca, file: @file_1895_6_18_june_7006_martin_copy_jpg}

@letter_aug_19_1895_3001:document {author: @julia_faber_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, date: @date_1895_08_19, location: @santa_barbara_ca, file: @file_1895_8_19_aug_3001_martin_copy_jpg}

@letter_aug_19_1895_3002:document {author: @julia_faber_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, date: @date_1895_08_19, location: @santa_barbara_ca, file: @file_1895_8_19_aug_3002_martin_copy_jpg}

@letter_aug_19_1895_3003:document {author: @julia_faber_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, date: @date_1895_08_19, location: @santa_barbara_ca, file: @file_1895_8_19_aug_3003_martin_copy_jpg}

@letter_aug_19_1895_3004:document {author: @julia_faber_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, date: @date_1895_08_19, location: @santa_barbara_ca, file: @file_1895_8_19_aug_3004_martin_copy_jpg}

@julia_faber_martin -> wrote -> @letter_feb_26_1895_1001

@julia_faber_martin -> wrote -> @letter_feb_26_1895_1002

@julia_faber_martin -> wrote -> @letter_feb_26_1895_1003

@julia_faber_martin -> wrote -> @letter_feb_26_1895_1004

@julia_faber_martin -> wrote -> @letter_feb_26_1895_1005

@julia_faber_martin -> wrote -> @letter_feb_26_1895_1006

@julia_faber_martin -> wrote -> @letter_june_18_1895_7001

@julia_faber_martin -> wrote -> @letter_june_18_1895_7002

@julia_faber_martin -> wrote -> @letter_june_18_1895_7003

@julia_faber_martin -> wrote -> @letter_june_18_1895_7004

@julia_faber_martin -> wrote -> @letter_june_18_1895_7005

@julia_faber_martin -> wrote -> @letter_june_18_1895_7006

@julia_faber_martin -> wrote -> @letter_aug_19_1895_3001

@julia_faber_martin -> wrote -> @letter_aug_19_1895_3002

@julia_faber_martin -> wrote -> @letter_aug_19_1895_3003

@julia_faber_martin -> wrote -> @letter_aug_19_1895_3004

@julia_faber_martin -> mentions -> @amy

@julia_faber_martin -> mentions -> @lily_bomer

@julia_faber_martin -> mentions -> @miss_douglass

@julia_faber_martin -> mentions -> @miss_mcclarence

@julia_faber_martin -> mentions -> @mrs_cooper

@julia_faber_martin -> mentions -> @mrs_smively

@julia_faber_martin -> mentions -> @dr_hall

@julia_faber_martin -> mentions -> @dr_otto

@julia_faber_martin -> plans -> @sanitorium_santa_barbara {start: @date_1895_10_01}

@julia_faber_martin -> participates in -> @bicycle_club

@julia_faber_martin -> participates in -> @country_club

@john_f_martin -> spouse -> @julia_faber_martin

@alice_austen -> correspondent with -> @julia_faber_martin

@alice_austen -> received -> @letter_feb_26_1895_1001

@alice_austen -> received -> @letter_feb_26_1895_1002

@alice_austen -> received -> @letter_feb_26_1895_1003

@alice_austen -> received -> @letter_feb_26_1895_1004

@alice_austen -> received -> @letter_feb_26_1895_1005

@alice_austen -> received -> @letter_feb_26_1895_1006

@alice_austen -> received -> @letter_june_18_1895_7001

@alice_austen -> received -> @letter_june_18_1895_7002

@alice_austen -> received -> @letter_june_18_1895_7003

@alice_austen -> received -> @letter_june_18_1895_7004

@alice_austen -> received -> @letter_june_18_1895_7005

@alice_austen -> received -> @letter_june_18_1895_7006

@alice_austen -> received -> @letter_aug_19_1895_3001

@alice_austen -> received -> @letter_aug_19_1895_3002

@alice_austen -> received -> @letter_aug_19_1895_3003

@alice_austen -> received -> @letter_aug_19_1895_3004

@julia_faber_martin -> requested -> @summer_shirts:object {quantity: 4, material: "cotton", price_per_item: 0.25, size: 6}

@julia_faber_martin -> requested -> @black_stockings:object {quantity: 3, material: "cotton", price_per_pair: 1.00, size: 6}

@julia_faber_martin -> requested -> @steainway_piano:object {type: "grand piano"}

Metadata

Title: Alice Austen Correspondence with Julia Martin Collection
Type: Collection
Creator: Alice AustenJulia Faber Martin
Institution: Alice Austen House
Created: 1895
Language: en
Subjects: Correspondence, Victorian social life, Boarding houses, Photography, Bicycling, Tennis, Santa Barbara, Staten Island, Sanatoriums
Rights: Provided by the Alice Austen House Museum
Place: Santa Barbara, California, Staten Island, New York
Source: PINAX

Version History (4 versions)

✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:50:48 PM
"Added description"
v3 · 12/9/2025, 9:02:52 PM · View this version
"Added knowledge graph extraction"
v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:54:50 PM · View this version
"Added PINAX metadata"
v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:41:04 PM · View this version
"Reorganization group: Correspondence_Julia_Martin"

Additional Components (16)

Click to expand and load individual components

1895_2-26-Feb 1001-Martin copy.jpg.ref.json

1895_2-26-Feb 1002-Martin copy.jpg.ref.json

1895_2-26-Feb 1003-Martin copy.jpg.ref.json

1895_2-26-Feb 1004-Martin copy.jpg.ref.json

1895_2-26-Feb 1005-Martin copy.jpg.ref.json

1895_2-26-Feb 1006-Martin copy.jpg.ref.json

1895_6-18-June 7001-martin copy.jpg.ref.json

1895_6-18-June 7002-martin copy.jpg.ref.json

1895_6-18-June 7003-martin copy.jpg.ref.json

1895_6-18-June 7004-martin copy.jpg.ref.json

1895_6-18-June 7005-martin copy.jpg.ref.json

1895_6-18-June 7006-martin copy.jpg.ref.json

1895_8-19-Aug 3001-Martin copy.jpg.ref.json

1895_8-19-Aug 3002-Martin copy.jpg.ref.json

1895_8-19-Aug 3003-Martin copy.jpg.ref.json

1895_8-19-Aug 3004-Martin copy.jpg.ref.json

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