1898_2-21-1898 Feb 2001-Dr copy.jpg

Alice Austen Correspondence from M.R. White

PI

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/9/2025, 9:52:47 PM | Created: 12/9/2025, 7:41:44 PM

Added description

Description

M.R. White Correspondence to Alice Austen (February 20, 1898)

Overview

This collection is a digitized representation of a single handwritten letter written by M.R. White to Miss Arthur (catalogued as Alice Austen) on 20 February 1898. It is accompanied by three high‑resolution JPEG scans of the original document, providing a complete visual record of the letter’s content, layout, and physical characteristics. The item is housed in the Alice Austen House archives and is available online through the institution’s digital portal.

Background

M.R. White was a contemporary and correspondent of Elizabeth Alice Austen, a pioneering photographer from Staten Island. The letter was composed in Staten Island and mailed to Bronxville, reflecting the close social and familial ties that linked the two communities in the late Victorian era. The collection was created in 1898 and later digitized for preservation and scholarly access.

Contents

  • Letter (20 Feb 1898) – A personal, handwritten note addressed to “Miss Arthur.” The text discusses a family member’s heart trouble, mentions Mr. Beck (a neighbor or friend), and includes a brief social update.
  • Three JPEG scans – Each scan captures a different portion or angle of the original letter, ensuring that all textual details and physical features (e.g., ink, paper texture) are preserved.
  • Metadata – The collection’s descriptive record lists subjects such as “Correspondence,” “Personal letters,” “Victorian social life,” “Health,” and “Family relationships,” and notes the language (English) and places of origin (Staten Island, Bronxville).

Scope

The collection covers a single date (20 February 1898) and a single correspondence event. It focuses on personal health updates and social interactions within the Staten Island–Bronxville community. The material is geographically limited to New York State and is relevant to scholars of Victorian social history, genealogy, and the life of Alice Austen. The collection does not include additional letters or documents beyond this one item.

Raw Cheimarros Data

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

@mr_white:person {full_name: "M.R. White", role: "correspondent"}

@mr_beck:person {full_name: "Mr. Beck", role: "corridor passer"}

@miss_arthur:person {full_name: "Miss Arthur", role: "recipient"}

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

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

@m_r_white_correspondence:collection {title: "Alice Austen Correspondence from M.R. White", creator: @mr_white, institution: "Alice Austen House", created: @date_1898_02_20, language: "en", subjects: ["Correspondence","Personal letters","Victorian social life","Health","Family relationships"], description: "Collection of correspondence from M.R. White to Alice Austen in February 1898, discussing family health and social matters.", places: [@staten_island, @bronxville]}

@letter_feb_20_1898:document {type: "letter", when: @date_1898_02_20, from: @mr_white, to: @alice_austen, location_written: @staten_island, location_sent: @bronxville, content_summary: "Health update about heart trouble, mentions Mr. Beck, signed by M.R. White"}

@mr_white -> wrote -> @letter_feb_20_1898

@letter_feb_20_1898 -> addressed to -> @alice_austen

@letter_feb_20_1898 -> mentions -> @mr_beck

@m_r_white_correspondence -> contains -> @letter_feb_20_1898

@file_pinax:file {title: "Alice Austen Correspondence from M.R. White", type: "Collection", creator: @mr_white, institution: "Alice Austen House", created: @date_1898_02_20, language: "en", subjects: ["Correspondence","Personal letters","Victorian social life","Health","Family relationships"], description: "Collection of correspondence from M.R. White to Alice Austen in February 1898, discussing family health and social matters.", places: [@staten_island, @bronxville]}

@file_pinax -> documents -> @m_r_white_correspondence

Metadata

Title
Alice Austen Correspondence from M.R. White
Type
Collection
Creator
M.R. White
Institution
Alice Austen House
Created
1898-02-20
Language
en
Subjects
Correspondence, Personal letters, Victorian social life, Health, Family relationships
Place
Staten Island, NY, Bronxville, NY
Source
PINAX

Files (3)

1898_2-21-1898 Feb 2001-Dr copy.jpgJPEG
910.63 KB
OCR Text

Miss Alice Austen Pennsylvania Ave. Clifton Staten Island Bronxville P.C.

1898_2-21-1898 Feb 2002-Dr copy.jpgJPEG
2.8 MB
OCR Text

My dear Miss Arthur: I hope you will excuse me for not writing before as I agreed to. But you know a little of the rush & whirl in which we live here - so I am sure you will excuse my negligence. I think the best place for you to get the black

1898_2-21-1898 Feb 2003-Dr copy.jpgJPEG
3.51 MB
OCR Text

and heart trouble. He is improving & I think he is coming out all right. Mr. Beck still perambulates up & down the corridor with his cigarette. It's getting late & growing cold so I shall have to say Good night—hoping to see you sometime in the near future, I am sincerely yours M.R. White Sunday, Feb. 20, 1898

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/9/2025, 9:52:47 PM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/9/2025, 9:08:52 PM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/9/2025, 7:56:32 PM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/9/2025, 7:41:44 PM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: M_R_White_Correspondence"

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