Julia Martin Correspondence Collection
PI
Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:53:23 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:41:07 PM
Added description
Description
Julia T. Martin Correspondence to Alice Austen, 1898
Overview
This collection comprises a series of handwritten letters written by Julia T. Martin to her close friend and photographer, Alice Austen, during March–April 1898. The material is digitized as high‑resolution JPEG scans of the original envelopes and pages, accompanied by typed transcriptions in plain‑text format. The correspondence spans 17 March to 11 April, covering a period of illness, travel, and personal reflection.Background
Julia T. Martin (née Martin) was a resident of Santa Barbara, California, and a friend of Austen’s from Albany, New York. The letters were produced while Martin was recovering from an appendicitis operation and traveling between Santa Barbara and Los Angeles. The documents were preserved by the Alice Austen House Museum on Staten Island and are released into the public domain. They illustrate the trans‑regional friendship between a New York photographer and a California socialite during the late Victorian era.Contents
The collection contains 12 distinct letter scans, each dated and addressed to “Miss Austen” at the Rosebank Post Office, Staten Island. Key themes include:- Health and medical care: Martin’s appendicitis operation, post‑operative recovery, and descriptions of physicians Dr. Becket and Dr. Clto.
- Travel: Journeys to Los Angeles in a car, visits to Santa Barbara, and the logistical details of her movements.
- Personal relationships: Mentions of friends such as Mrs. Coleman, Mrs. Nicole, Mrs. Powell’s sister, and a nurse named Amy.
- Domestic concerns: Closure of her house for the summer, plans to reopen it, and financial worries.
- Social context: References to the Country Club in Santa Barbara, the Rosebank Post Office, and the broader Victorian social milieu.
Scope
The material covers a narrow temporal window (17 March–11 April 1898) and a limited geographic span (Santa Barbara, Los Angeles, and Staten Island). It focuses exclusively on Martin’s personal correspondence with Austen, excluding any unrelated documents or photographs. The collection is valuable for scholars of late‑19th‑century social networks, medical history, and the personal life of Alice Austen.Raw Cheimarros Data
@file_pinax:file {title: "Julia Martin Correspondence Collection", creator: [@julia_t_martin], institution: "Alice Austen House", created: {start: @date_1898_03_17, end: @date_1898_04_11}, language: "en", subjects: ["Correspondence","Health","Medical treatment","Family","Friendship","Travel","Real estate","Victorian social life"], description: "Collection of letters from Julia T. Martin to Alice Austen in 1898, discussing Julia's health issues, medical treatment, and personal matters.", places: [@santa_barbara, @los_angeles, @staten_island]}
@julia_t_martin:person {full_name: "Julia T. Martin", relationship: "close friend of Alice Austen", location: @albany}
@dr_becket:person {occupation: "physician", location: @los_angeles}
@dr_clto:person {occupation: "physician", location: @los_angeles}
@amy:person {role: "nurse", associated_with: @julia_t_martin}
@mrs_coleman:person {role: "friend"}
@mrs_nicole:person {role: "friend"}
@mrs_powell_sister:person {role: "friend"}
@howard:person {gender: "male"}
@rosebank_post_office:place {location: @staten_island}
@appendicitis:concept {type: "medical condition"}
@julia_appendicitis_operation:event {date: @date_1898_03_23, location: @santa_barbara, outcome: "successful", complications: "bowel adhesions"}
@file_1898_3_17_1898_march_2002_coleman_copy_jpg:document {date: @date_1898_03_17, sender: @julia_t_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, summary: "Julia's health improving; possible return to hospital"}
@julia_t_martin -> wrote -> @file_1898_3_17_1898_march_2002_coleman_copy_jpg
@file_1898_3_23_1898_march_5001_amy_martin_copy_jpg:document {date: @date_1898_03_23, sender: @julia_t_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, summary: "Post‑operation update; travel to Los Angeles with nurse Amy; meeting Dr. Becket"}
@julia_t_martin -> wrote -> @file_1898_3_23_1898_march_5001_amy_martin_copy_jpg
@file_1898_3_23_1898_march_5002_amy_martin_copy_jpg:document {date: @date_1898_03_23, sender: @julia_t_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, summary: "Recovery details after appendicitis operation; hospital care; purchase of reproductions and plants"}
@julia_t_martin -> wrote -> @file_1898_3_23_1898_march_5002_amy_martin_copy_jpg
@file_1898_3_23_1898_march_5003_amy_martin_copy_jpg:document {date: @date_1898_03_23, sender: @julia_t_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, summary: "Continued convalescence; financial concerns; house closure"}
@julia_t_martin -> wrote -> @file_1898_3_23_1898_march_5003_amy_martin_copy_jpg
@file_1898_3_23_1898_march_5004_amy_martin_copy_jpg:document {date: @date_1898_03_23, sender: @julia_t_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, summary: "Social observations; mention of Mrs. Nicole, Mrs. Powell's sister, and other acquaintances"}
@julia_t_martin -> wrote -> @file_1898_3_23_1898_march_5004_amy_martin_copy_jpg
@file_1898_3_23_1898_march_5005_amy_martin_copy_jpg:document {date: @date_1898_03_23, sender: @julia_t_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, summary: "Letterhead with address: Miss Alice Austen, Rosebank Post Office, Staten Island"}
@julia_t_martin -> wrote -> @file_1898_3_23_1898_march_5005_amy_martin_copy_jpg
@file_1898_4_11_1898_april_2001_last_martin_copy_jpg:document {date: @date_1898_04_11, sender: @julia_t_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, summary: "Update from Los Angeles; health setbacks; description of appendicitis complications; travel with nurse Amy"}
@julia_t_martin -> wrote -> @file_1898_4_11_1898_april_2001_last_martin_copy_jpg
@file_1898_4_11_1898_april_2002_last_martin_copy_jpg:document {date: @date_1898_04_11, sender: @julia_t_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, summary: "Surgical details; wound care; plans to return to Santa Barbara; complaint about Dr. Clto"}
@julia_t_martin -> wrote -> @file_1898_4_11_1898_april_2002_last_martin_copy_jpg
@file_1898_4_11_1898_april_2003_last_martin_copy_jpg:document {date: @date_1898_04_11, sender: @julia_t_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, summary: "Personal reflections; mention of Howard; sympathy for Mattie's accident; invitation to spend winter"}
@julia_t_martin -> wrote -> @file_1898_4_11_1898_april_2003_last_martin_copy_jpg
@file_1898_4_11_julia_martin_1897_april_2004_last_martin_copy_jpg:document {date: @date_1898_04_11, sender: @julia_t_martin, recipient: @alice_austen, summary: "Brief note with Los Angeles address"}
@julia_t_martin -> wrote -> @file_1898_4_11_julia_martin_1897_april_2004_last_martin_copy_jpg
@julia_t_martin -> discussed -> @appendicitis {through: @julia_appendicitis_operation}
@julia_t_martin -> traveled to -> @los_angeles {when: @date_1898_03_23}
@julia_t_martin -> stayed at -> @santa_barbara {when: @date_1898_04_11}
@julia_t_martin -> mentioned -> @dr_becket
@julia_t_martin -> mentioned -> @dr_clto
@julia_t_martin -> mentioned -> @amy
@julia_t_martin -> mentioned -> @mrs_coleman
@julia_t_martin -> mentioned -> @mrs_nicole
@julia_t_martin -> mentioned -> @mrs_powell_sister
@julia_t_martin -> mentioned -> @howard
@julia_t_martin -> addressed -> @rosebank_post_office {when: @date_1898_03_23}Metadata
Files (10)
OCR Text
My dear Miss Austin: You have received my telegram and I am so happy to add that Julia still improves. Of all goes well and the physicians now are very hopeful she can return to the hospital here in about a month.
OCR Text
as busy as ever. It is a week and a half since Julia's operation for appendicitis and she is doing beautifully, nor having had a single step back or anything that should not be. Her nurse & I took her down to Los Angeles in a car—all to ourselves when we were met by Dr. Becket, who took us to his hospital. Poor Julia it was fearful to get into the ambulance, which really looked just like a hearse, except for the red cross badge. It made me gulp & so I told them I was going too & in both Miss Hunt & I got & tried to cheer her up. Of course we moved very slowly over the cobbles & finally 1624 Garden St Sta Barbara My dear Alice. You will do us an honor to be who I am, but I hope you have not altogether forgotten me and I now write to tell you all about Julia—Mrs. Coleman wrote just before the operation and I suppose she answered your telegram—I have not seen her. The horse is here & I am kept just
OCR Text
The next morning they had the consultation & the morning following the operation. She was carefully plucked & only woke up just before taking another! I stayed on a day later to see if everything was going as the doctor hoped & then came back to the house. She does not know I stayed as long as I did as she begged me to leave a day earlier on account of the boarders, so we thought it best to return here & so I bought some little reproductions of pictures & some plants and made her room as pretty as we could get it and said good bye. Our went back to the hotel until the next afternoon - I simply could not leave her until I was sure she was out of danger - and today Celler says that she "is too well to be interesting any longer", and is eating very steak & chops. You don't know what a relief it is to have had everything go so well, as she has been very exhausted from the previous attacks & the doctor here was treating her for something entirely different & very decided in saying that the trouble was a stoppage of the bowels. However, he was very dissatisfied & made me
OCR Text
get me to decide to go down to L.A.—and the responsibility was a terrible thing, until she began to mend. Even bad things not gone so well for us, we would have felt that we had done the right things. I would have written before to you but as you may suppose I had most of Julia's letters and all my power to answer. She is making money now, I am thankful to say if it only will keep up—& I have closed our little house up & are all over here & have been for three months, & while there is a great deal of work & responsibility to it, it is also very nicer.
OCR Text
estering as I have very charming people in the house—of course, all the processes go to gain, but we have our living expenses which is a good deal now-a-day—It is a glorious place—a place to dream in & of and what is more practical, a good place for people who are hard up—So you can see Mrs. Nicole & Mrs. Powell's Sister we miss her so—Dinjolly never ceases to reminisce about the beautiful time he had at your house & how much you all were to him—He seems to be ever promiscuously, not forgetting the little boy he played with—Hearing you will be back to duty I go out always & vs A. Co. Martin
OCR Text
COUNTRY CLUB, SANTA BARBARA, CAL. Miss Alice Austen Rosebank Post Office Staten Island New York
OCR Text
Los Angeles April 17th, 1898. My dear Alice, I know you will be glad to hear from me even on this paper, as it is all I have at present & I want to write you while I feel like it. Mrs. Coleman has told me about your telegraphing and I have received your kind welcome letters and I can not begin to tell you how much I appreciate all your interest in me. I have had a pretty hard time but the actual value of all my trouble is gone which is something gained but there is still a long spell of bodily weakening ahead. I have been ill more or less (mostly more) since last left. Have had four very severe attacks & all along I have been it was appendicitis, but my doctor insisted not, went he believe nearly die. Fortunately I was at the hospital and every one over there upheld me in insisting upon an operation. As I could not get a surgeon to come up there & as I was afraid to wait & afraid of complications I decided to come down here, so away I came on a stretcher, with a nurse: Amy. As Amy had the care of my house she went back the next day & the following one I
OCR Text
was operated upon. The surgeon found me in a most dreadful condition caused from adhesions and on account of all this the wound had to be packed with gauze and drained. The bowels were involved and had to be sewed up in several places and altogether it was an ugly affair. I have gotten on however beautifully. Have hardly had a set back, but now is the most trying time to exist. My head, back & arms are quite strong, but I can only walk with difficulty across my room and everyone says it will be months before I am much good. I have given up my house for the summer, and shall do everything to get strong & am planning to open it in the late autumn. I am going back to Santa Barbara on Wednesday. I shall go over to the hospital first and shall enjoy the wheelchair which I can wheel myself & get out in or everyday. I am furious with Dr. Clto. I think if he were not sure himself what the trouble was he should have gotten someone else. Did you ever get a "Press" I sent you stating that I had bought a house. I sent it to you weeks ago. I was so interested in it & expected to furnish it this month & open it the 1st of May. It is only a block below my present house and is
OCR Text
or will be a lovely place, but never that I am laid up I do not know how it will all come out. They say "all good things come to those who wait," so let us hope this will be my lot. Howard & army with children leave for Jennan, Clarkson etc. at 4 PM. Howard had a good posi- tive offered him there and the Pens did not pay sufficiently as if they go Howard has turned out to be a brick, he never drinks a drop & works as hard. I have been so fond of him. I was so sorry to hear of your Mattie's accident. It must be very hard for her not to be able to move around. You tell her with my love that I can sympathize with her, if that is any comfort. If the trip East was less ex- pensive and not such a long journey & if I had not lots to attend to here, I believe I should be more than tempted to come East, but it is lovely out here. Sometime you must come & spend the winter with me. Now I am tired, so will close & lots of love to you all I am affectionately, Julia T. Martin
OCR Text
Los Angeles, CalA. Apr 11 PM '98 Miss Austen Rosebank P.O. Staten Island N.Y.
Version History (4 versions)
- ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:53:23 PM
"Added description" - v3 · 12/9/2025, 9:10:42 PM · View this version
"Added knowledge graph extraction" - v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:57:11 PM · View this version
"Added PINAX metadata" - v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:41:07 PM · View this version
"Reorganization group: Julia_Martin_Correspondence"
Parent
No children (leaf entity)