Alice's Family Tree
Over the past three years the Alice Austen House has worked with the Historic House Trust to assess all areas of accessibility at the site and within our public programs. In 2023 house director Victoria Munro worked with students from Cooperstown University to develop a low vision introduction tour to Alice Austen and her Family. This tour launches in the late Spring 2024 and visitors and students will be able to experience 3D printed touch photographs and accompanying audio descriptions for the entry photographs to the house and all of the members of Alice Austen’s family who lived with her here at this historic home. These tours will be integrated into our education programs, bringing to life the vibrant characters in Alice’s world and extending the reach of her important photographic work.
Elizabeth Alice Austen (1866-1952)
A Staten Island socialite, master tennis player, first woman on Staten Island to own a car, and founding president of the Staten Island Garden Club. Alice was to become a talented photographer and trailblazer who broke away from the constraints of her Victorian environment. Alice forged an independent life that questioned the boundaries of acceptable behavior and social rules for women.
English Description
Descripción en Español
This is a black-and-white portrait of Alice Austen at the age of four or five. This photograph was taken by Alice’s uncle Oswald. Alice stands in the center of the frame wearing a long-sleeved, knee–length white dress with a horizontally striped sash tied around her waist and a full skirt. Her fine, light, wavy hair is held back from her face with a dark headband. She frowns slightly. She wears light-colored stockings and dark leather boots. Her left hand hangs passively at her side, while her right hand rests on a dark-colored book that sits atop a velvet ottoman. The ottoman has a tufted cushion with long tassels and is supported by carved wooden legs. The floor beneath Alice and the ottoman is patterned with squares and octagons in varying colors. The blank wall behind Alice is trimmed in dark wood.
Este es un retrato en blanco y negro de Alice Austen cuando tenía cuatro o cinco años. Esta fotografía fue tomada por el tío de Alice, Oswald. Alice se encuentra en el centro del cuadro con un vestido blanco de manga larga hasta la rodilla con una faja de rayas horizontales atada alrededor de su cintura y una falda amplia. Su cabello fino, claro y ondulado está recogido de su cara con una diadema oscura. Ella frunce levemente el ceño. Lleva medias de colores claros y botas de cuero oscuro. Su mano izquierda cuelga pasivamente a su costado, mientras que su mano derecha descansa sobre un libro de color oscuro que se encuentra encima de una otomana de terciopelo. La otomana tiene un cojín capitoné con borlas largas y está sostenida por patas de madera tallada. El suelo debajo de Alice y la otomana está estampado con cuadrados y octágonos de diferentes colores. La pared en blanco detrás de Alice está adornada con madera oscura.
Alice Cornell Austen, Mother (1837-1900)
Oldest child of the Austen family, she enjoyed reading (in French and English), drawing, painting watercolors, and collecting first-edition books. In 1863 she married Edward Stopford Munn who abandoned the family when Alice was very young. After moving with baby Alice to Clear Comfort she shared a bedroom with her daughter until her death in 1900.
English Description
Descripción en Español
Alice Austen took this black-and-white photograph of her mother and namesake, Alice Cornell Austen, in September of 1887.
In the center-right of the image, Alice Cornell stands, her head in three-quarter profile. She looks slightly downward and to her left, her expression neutral. Her light-colored hair is pulled back tightly, styled with curls that rest on her forehead. She stands on a patch of grass, casting a short, sharp shadow. She wears a long-sleeved, high-necked bodice and a pleated floor-length skirt, both patterned with wide vertical stripes and small white polka dots. In her arms she holds Tristan, a lustrous black cat, who looks straight into the camera. His front paws rest on her left forearm, while Alice Cornell supports his hind legs with her right hand. Directly to the right of Alice Cornell is a small shrub, about as tall as her waist. She stands in front of the vine-covered front porch of Clear Comfort, the Austen family’s Staten Island home. In the bottom left of the photograph, a gravel path leads up to the wooden porch floor, upon which an unoccupied wooden armchair sits in the shadow of the vine canopy.
Alice Austen tomó esta fotografía en blanco y negro de su madre y tocaya, Alice Cornell Austen, en septiembre de 1887.
En el centro de la imagen tirando a la derecha, Alice Cornell está de pie, con la cabeza de perfil en tres cuartos. Ella mira ligeramente hacia abajo y hacia la izquierda, su expresión neutral. Su cabello de color claro está recogido hacia atrás, peinado con rizos que descansan sobre su frente. Está parada sobre un trozo de hierba y proyecta una sombra corta y nítida. Lleva un corpiño de manga larga y cuello alto y una falda plisada hasta el suelo, ambos estampados con amplias rayas verticales y pequeños lunares blancos. En sus brazos sostiene a Tristan, un gato negro brillante, que mira directamente a la cámara. Sus patas delanteras descansan sobre su antebrazo izquierdo, mientras que Alice Cornell sostiene sus patas traseras con su mano derecha. Directamente a la derecha de Alice Cornell hay un pequeño arbusto, aproximadamente tan alto como su cintura. Ella se encuentra frente al porche cubierto de enredaderas de Clear Comfort, la casa de la familia Austen en Staten Island. En la parte inferior izquierda de la fotografía, un camino de grava conduce al suelo de madera del porche, sobre el cual se encuentra un sillón de madera desocupado a la sombra del toldo de enredaderas.
John Haggerty Austen, Grandfather (1811-1894)
A retired Quaker dry-good merchant, whose family originally hailed from New Jersey. John traveled to Europe after the invention of photography and developed an eye for collecting photographs of the cities he visited. In a letter to his wife he wrote, “Photographs and stereoscopes are the only things I am at all extravagant in”. John purchased Clear Comfort in 1844 and lovingly renovated the Victorian cottage that was to become the stage for many of Alice’s photographs.
English Description
Descripción en Español
This is a black-and-white photograph of Alice Austen’s grandfather, John Haggerty Austen, taken by Alice Austen around 1891. John sits on the front porch of Clear Comfort, the Austen family’s Staten Island home, looking to his left into the distance, his neutral face in full profile. He has a prominent nose and a long white moustache and beard. His grey hair is thinning. John wears a dark colored jacket over a matching vest. A white cravat is tied around his neck. His dark pants are pinstriped and slightly splayed apart. He crosses his arms loosely over his chest. Directly to the left of John’s seated figure is a vine-covered post supporting the porch roof. A vine hangs down from the porch roof just beyond John’s head. Behind and to the right of John is a tall, wide-open window shutter, of a darker wood than the light-colored siding of the house.
Esta es una fotografía en blanco y negro del abuelo de Alice Austen, John Haggerty Austen, tomada por Alice Austen alrededor de 1891. John está sentado en el porche de Clear Comfort, la casa de la familia Austen en Staten Island, mirando a su izquierda en la distancia, su rostro neutral de perfil completo. Tiene una nariz prominente y un largo bigote y barba blancos. Sus canas son finas. John lleva una chaqueta de color oscuro sobre un chaleco a juego. Una corbata blanca está atada alrededor de su cuello. Sus pantalones oscuros tienen rayas diplomáticas y están ligeramente sueltos. Cruza los brazos libremente sobre el pecho. Directamente a la izquierda de la figura sentada de John hay un poste cubierto de enredaderas que sostiene el techo del porche. Una enredadera cuelga del techo del porche, justo más allá de la cabeza de John. Detrás y a la derecha de John hay una contraventana alta y abierta de par en par, de una madera más oscura que el revestimiento de color claro de la casa.
Elizabeth Alice Townsend Austen, Grandmother (1813-1887)
A Quaker from a prominent New England family, she was the granddaughter of Peter Townsend, whose company fabricated the original chain that stretched across the Hudson in 1778 to prevent British ships from passage. In true Quaker fashion, Elizabeth wore simple clothes and a Victorian mourning ring inscribed with the initials of her two dead sons.
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Alice Austen took this black-and-white, arch-framed portrait of her 72-year-old grandmother Elizabeth Townsend Alice Austen in 1885.
Elizabeth sits outdoors against a backdrop of foliage, squinting and smiling slightly into the camera. Her fine grey hair is parted in the center and twisted into two buns, one on either side of her face. A white, lace-trimmed cap is affixed to the crown of her head. Her dress is plain and dark, with a full skirt and long-sleeved, tight-fitting bodice with a white collar and cuffs and a row of buttons up the center. A short, dark cape covers her shoulders and fastens around her neck. Her left hand rests passively in her lap, thumb and forefinger pointing downward as the rest of her fingers form a loose fist. On her forefinger and middle finger are large rings. Her right hand is concealed in a pocket of her skirt.
Alice Austen tomó este retrato en blanco y negro, enmarcado en un arco, de su abuela Elizabeth Townsend Alice Austen, de 72 años, en 1885.
Elizabeth está sentada al aire libre con un telón de fondo de follaje, entrecerrando los ojos y sonriendo levemente a la cámara. Su fino cabello gris está dividido en el centro y recogido en dos moños, uno a cada lado de su cara. En la coronilla de su cabeza lleva una gorra blanca con adornos de encaje. Su vestido es sencillo y oscuro, con una falda amplia y un corpiño ajustado de manga larga con cuello y puños blancos y una hilera de botones en el centro. Una capa corta y oscura cubre sus hombros y se abrocha alrededor de su cuello. Su mano izquierda descansa pasivamente en su regazo, con el pulgar y el índice apuntando hacia abajo mientras el resto de sus dedos forman un puño suelto. En sus dedos índice y medio hay anillos grandes. Su mano derecha está escondida en un bolsillo de su falda.
Peter Townsend Austen, Uncle (1852-1907)
Uncle Peter was closest in age to young Alice. He studied chemistry in Berlin and later taught at several universities. Peter shared Alice’s great interest in photography, and he published a series of articles on the chemistry of photography in American Photo Review. When Alice spoke of her uncle’s assistance in her photographic education she insisted that she was self taught and “learned by doing”.
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Descripción en Español
A man and two children are the subjects of this black-and-white photograph taken by Alice Austen in New Brunswick, New Jersey, in March of 1892. The man is Alice’s uncle, Peter T. Austen. The children are Peter’s daughter Elizabeth Patty, nicknamed Lysbet, and Peter’s son Oswald.
Peter is the central figure in this image. He wears a black hat with a rounded top and a narrow brim. His black topcoat is buttoned up at the front, and he wears dark pinstripe pants and polished black shoes. He carries a large book under his left arm. His bushy moustache covers his upper lip and tapers to each side of his chin. He wears a neutral expression.
To the left of uncle Peter stands his son, Oswald, at the height of Peter’s elbow. Oswald has short, dark hair and dark eyes. His shirt is fastened by crisscrossed ties and has a wide collar, long sleeves, and a pattern of vertical stripes. He is wearing knee-length, dark plaid pants with buttons at the knee; long, dark socks; and leather slippers.
To the man’s right stands his daughter, Lysbet; she is taller than her brother. She has light hair pulled back from her high forehead with a headband. Her expression is neutral. She wears a white blouse with tall, gathered shoulders, a rounded collar, and buttons that are fastened up to her neck. She wears a full skirt of dark plaid, dark stockings, and dark leather shoes. She holds a doll that has light hair in ringlets, and a white face with wide eyes and dark lips. The doll is dressed in a long, white gown that drapes over the girl’s left arm.
The trio stand on a slate-paved path in front of an open fence made of thin arches supported by square posts with urn-shaped finials. Beyond and below the fence is a slate sidewalk, in front of a wide, unpaved road lined with leafless trees. Across the road is a three-story brick Victorian home with a covered front porch, a brick chimney, and large windows. Beyond the home, down a slope and in the distance are more buildings, including one with a cupola.
Un hombre y dos niños son los sujetos de esta fotografía en blanco y negro tomada por Alice Austen en New Brunswick, Nueva Jersey, en marzo de 1892. El hombre es el tío de Alice, Peter T. Austen. Los niños son los hijos de Peter, la hija, Elizabeth Patty, apodada Lysbet, y el hijo, Oswald.
Peter es la figura central en esta imagen. Lleva un sombrero negro con copa redondeada y ala estrecha. Su abrigo negro está abotonado en la parte delantera y viste pantalones oscuros a rayas y zapatos negros lustrados. Lleva un libro grande bajo el brazo izquierdo. Su tupido bigote cubre su labio superior y se estrecha a cada lado de su barbilla. Lleva una expresión neutral.
A la izquierda del tío Peter está su hijo, Oswald, a la altura del codo de Peter. Oswald tiene cabello corto y oscuro y ojos oscuros. Su camisa se abrocha con lazos entrecruzados y tiene cuello ancho, mangas largas y un patrón de rayas verticales. Lleva pantalones a cuadros oscuros de media pierna con botones a la altura de las rodillas; calcetines largos y oscuros; y zapatillas de cuero.
A la derecha del hombre está su hija, Lysbet; ella es más alta que su hermano. Tiene el cabello claro recogido desde su amplia frente con una diadema. Su expresión es neutral. Lleva una blusa blanca con hombros altos y fruncidos, cuello redondeado y botones abrochados hasta el cuello. Lleva una falda amplia de cuadros oscuros, medias y zapatos de cuero oscuros. Sostiene una muñeca que tiene cabello claro en rizos y una cara blanca con ojos muy abiertos y labios oscuros. La muñeca tiene un vestido largo y blanco que cubre el brazo izquierdo de la niña
El trío se encuentra en un camino pavimentado frente a una valla abierta hecha de arcos delgados sostenidos por postes cuadrados con remates en forma de urna. Más allá y debajo de la valla hay una acera de piedra de pizarra, frente a una carretera ancha sin pavimentar bordeada de árboles sin hojas. Al otro lado de la calle hay una casa victoriana de ladrillo de tres pisos con un porche cubierto, una chimenea de ladrillo y grandes ventanales. Más allá de la casa, bajando una pendiente y en la distancia hay más edificios incluido uno con cúpula
Mary “Minn” Haggerty Austen, Aunt (1840-1918)
Aunt Minn was a fun-loving world traveler. After the death of her husband on a ship, rumors spread that she was in love with the ship’s captain. It was true – she married Oswald the next year at Clear Comfort in 1871. Minn was to take the place of Alice’s mother after her death in 1900 and was Alice’s last surviving relative to reside at Clear Comfort.
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Alice Austen took this black-and-white photograph of her aunt, Minn Austen Muller, between 1885 and 1890.
At the center of the photograph, Minn sits in a high-backed wicker chair, smiling slightly at the camera, holding a cat on her lap. She is on the grassy front lawn of the family home, Clear Comfort, against a backdrop of dense vines. She wears a long-sleeved bodice and matching floor-length skirt with a repeating pattern of vertical chain motifs against a dark background. The bodice is extremely tight fitting, suggesting a corseted waist and producing the appearance of an exaggerated bosom. Underneath the bodice, Minn wears a dark, high-collared blouse. Pinned to the bodice is a lapel watch. The cat lying on Minn’s lap is white, with darker patches on its head and back. Minn’s right hand, adorned with two rings, rests on the cat’s haunches as the cat gazes with half-closed eyes to the right. Minn’s head is tilted slightly to the left, and she wears a brimmed hat with a flat top and a band that reads, in capital letters, SAMAR. [spell out] This is the name of the ship captained by Minn’s second husband, Oswald Muller.
Alice Austen tomó esta fotografía en blanco y negro de su tía, Minn Austen Muller, entre 1885 y 1890.
En el centro de la fotografía, Minn está sentada en una silla de mimbre con respaldo alto, sonriendo levemente a la cámara y sosteniendo un gato en su regazo. Ella está en el césped delantero de la casa familiar, Clear Comfort, con un telón de fondo de densas enredaderas. Lleva un corpiño de manga larga y una falda hasta el suelo a juego con un patrón repetido de motivos de cadenas verticales sobre un fondo oscuro. El corpiño es extremadamente ajustado, lo que sugiere una cintura encorsetada y produce la apariencia de un pecho exagerado. Debajo del corpiño, Minn lleva una blusa oscura de cuello alto. Prendido al corpiño hay un reloj de solapa. El gato que yace en el regazo de Minn es blanco, con manchas más oscuras en la cabeza y el lomo. La mano derecha de Minn, adornada con dos anillos, descansa sobre las ancas del gato mientras éste mira con los ojos entrecerrados hacia la derecha. La cabeza de Minn está ligeramente inclinada hacia la izquierda y lleva un sombrero de ala plana y una banda que dice, en letras mayúsculas, SAMAR. [deletrear] Este es el nombre del barco capitaneado por el segundo marido de Minn, Oswald Müller.
“Otto” Oswald Muller, Uncle (1839-1912)
Noted Danish sea captain and master merchantman. Oswald was to bring home the first camera to Clear Comfort in 1876, a simple wooden box which would change Alice’s life, sparking a lifelong love of photography. When Oswald was to leave Clear Comfort again, he allowed Alice to keep the camera that he had taught her how to use.
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Descripción en Español
This is a black-and-white photograph mounted in a dark frame with a circular opening, entitled “My Brother-In-Law and his Cat.” It was taken by Peter T. Austen, Alice Austen’s uncle, in 1889.
The subject of the photograph is another of Alice’s uncles, Oswald Muller, from his thighs upward. He stands on the front lawn of Clear Comfort, the Austen family’s Staten Island home. Beyond the sloping lawn is a dense stand of trees, and beyond that is The Narrows, the body of water separating the boroughs of Staten Island and Brooklyn. The Brooklyn shoreline lies in the far distance. Oswald wears a top hat with an upturned brim and a dark band. The brim casts a dark shadow over his eyes. His head is cocked to the right, and he wears a neutral expression. He has a prominent nose and a white beard. He wears a lightweight, thigh-length jacket over a matching vest and pants. Underneath the vest, Oswald wears a white shirt, the cuffs of which stick out from under the jacket. Oswald clutches a dark-striped tabby cat to his chest, its front paws draped over his left hand, while Oswald’s right hand supports the cat’s haunches.
Se trata de una fotografía en blanco y negro montada en un marco oscuro con una abertura circular, titulada “Mi cuñado y su gato”. Fue tomada por Peter T. Austen, el tío de Alice Austen, en 1889.
El tema de la fotografía es otro de los tíos de Alice, Oswald Muller, desde los muslos hacia arriba. Está parado en el jardín delantero de Clear Comfort, la casa de la familia Austen en Staten Island. Más allá del césped inclinado hay un denso grupo de árboles, y más allá está The Narrows, la masa de agua que separa los distritos de Staten Island y Brooklyn. La costa de Brooklyn se encuentra a lo lejos. Oswald lleva un sombrero de copa con el ala vuelta hacia arriba y una banda oscura. El ala proyecta una sombra oscura sobre sus ojos. Su cabeza está inclinada hacia la derecha y tiene una expresión neutral. Tiene una nariz prominente y barba blanca. Lleva una chaqueta ligera hasta los muslos sobre un chaleco y pantalones a juego. Debajo del chaleco, Oswald lleva una camisa blanca cuyos puños sobresalen por debajo de la chaqueta. Oswald agarra contra su pecho a un gato atigrado de rayas oscuras, con las patas delanteras sobre su mano izquierda, mientras que la mano derecha de Oswald sostiene las ancas del gato.
Gertrude Tate (1871 - 1962)
Kindergarten teacher and dance instructor, Gertrude Tate met Alice at a retreat in the Catskills in 1899. The pair instantly formed a loving bond and after an 18 year relationship, Gertrude moved into Clear Comfort. After the death of Aunt Minn, she and Alice were the only remaining residents until 1944. Gertrude was Alice’s life partner, supporting her endeavors as a photographer and building a life together at Clear Comfort.
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Alice Austen took this romantic portrait of her life partner, Gertrude Tate, in 1900, at their Staten Island cottage known as Clear Comfort.
Gertrude sits with a relaxed, alluring posture in a straight-backed, ornately carved, polished wooden chair with spiral posts in the parlor of Clear Comfort. Her head is tilted to her right and slightly back, her dark, curly hair pinned back, a neutral expression on her face as she gazes into the camera with slightly lowered eyelids. Her left arm, as well as that side of her neck and face, are brightly illuminated by sunlight. She wears a cap-sleeved black dress with a decorative square neckline, ruffled shoulders, and a thin black belt at the waist. Her left hand rests lightly in her lap, while her right arm hangs by her side. To the left of and behind her seated figure is a potted plant sitting on a table. To the right of Gertrude is another houseplant, this one with long, pointed leaves.
Alice Austen tomó este romántico retrato de su compañera de vida, Gertrude Tate, en 1900, en su cabaña de Staten Island conocida como Clear Comfort.
Gertrude se sienta con una postura relajada y seductora en una silla de madera pulida, tallada y con postes en espiral, de respaldo recto, en el salón de Clear Comfort. Su cabeza está inclinada hacia la derecha y ligeramente hacia atrás, su cabello oscuro y rizado recogido hacia atrás, una expresión neutral en su rostro mientras mira a la cámara con los párpados ligeramente bajos. Su brazo izquierdo, así como ese lado de su cuello y cara, están brillantemente iluminados por la luz del sol. Lleva un vestido negro con mangas japonesas y un escote cuadrado decorativo, hombros con volantes y un fino cinturón negro en la cintura. Su mano izquierda descansa ligeramente sobre su regazo, mientras que su brazo derecho cuelga a su costado. A la izquierda y detrás de su figura sentada hay una planta en maceta sobre una mesa. A la derecha de Gertrude hay otra planta de interior, dicha planta con hojas largas y puntiagudas.
Mary Pine, Bridget O'Grady, and Mary O'Grady
Young immigrants from Ireland, the Austen’s maids were an important part of the family, residing above the kitchen at Clear Comfort. The Irish were the only immigrant group in which women outnumbered men. By the 1840s, at the height of the Potato Famine, nearly half of all American immigrant populations were Irish. Many young Irish women took domestic positions in households in New York. Alice included their maids like family members in portraits taken on the grounds of her waterfront home.
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Alice Austen took this black-and-white photograph of three women in 1890. Hannah, Katie, and Mary, the subjects of this photograph, all worked as house servants at Clear Comfort, the Austen family’s Staten Island home.
The trio poses in front of a backdrop of evergreen trees on the cottage’s grassy lawn. Hannah stands behind Katie and Mary’s seated figures, wearing a faint smile. Her dark hair is pulled back tightly, a few curls falling over her forehead. She wears a dark-colored dress with a high collar, a wide lapel, and long sleeves gathered at the shoulder, which terminate with white cuffs. Her bodice and skirt are lighter in color than the sleeves, lapel, and collar. A bouquet is affixed to her bosom, and she wears a white, lace-trimmed, knee-length apron over her skirt. Her arms hang passively by her sides.
Sitting on the grass in front of Hannah and to the left is Katie. Her dark hair is styled similarly to Hannah’s, and she looks up and to the right, her face in full profile. Her features are slightly blurred, as if she was moving when the photograph was taken. She leans back on her right arm, her left arm draped passively over her lap. She wears a light-colored, high-collared, long-sleeved bodice with a checked pattern. It is gathered at the shoulders and has a row of small buttons up the front with a flower pinned to the bosom. Her full, matching skirt covers her legs and feet and is fastened with a dark belt at the waist. Like Hannah, Katie wears a white apron over her skirt, but Katie’s is longer.
Sitting on a stool to the right of Katie and in front of Hannah is Mary, looking directly into the camera with a neutral expression. Her dark, curly hair is pulled back. Mary wears a high-collared, long-sleeved white bodice with a pattern of small flowers. Her hands are clasped lightly in her lap. She wears a long, white apron that completely conceals her skirt. The tops of her feet stick out slightly from underneath the apron.
Alice Austen tomó esta fotografía en blanco y negro de tres mujeres en 1890. Hannah, Katie y Mary, las protagonistas de esta fotografía, trabajaban como sirvientas en Clear Comfort, la casa de la familia Austen en Staten Island.
El trío posa frente a un fondo de árboles de hoja perenne en el césped de la cabaña. Hannah está detrás de las figuras sentadas de Katie y Mary, con una leve sonrisa. Su cabello oscuro está recogido hacia atrás y algunos rizos caen sobre su frente. Lleva un vestido de color oscuro con cuello alto, solapa ancha y mangas largas fruncidas en el hombro, que terminan en puños blancos. Su corpiño y falda son de color más claro que las mangas, la solapa y el cuello. Lleva un ramo pegado al pecho y lleva un delantal blanco adornado con encaje hasta la rodilla sobre la falda. Sus brazos cuelgan pasivamente a los costados.
Sentada en el césped frente a Hannah y a la izquierda está Katie. Su cabello oscuro tiene un estilo similar al de Hannah y mira hacia arriba y hacia la derecha, con el rostro de perfil completo. Sus rasgos están ligeramente borrosos, como si se estuviera moviendo cuando se tomó la fotografía. Se recuesta sobre su brazo derecho, su brazo izquierdo pasa pasivamente sobre su regazo. Lleva un corpiño de manga larga, cuello alto, color claro y estampado de cuadros. Está fruncido en los hombros y tiene una hilera de pequeños botones en la parte delantera con una flor prendida en el pecho. Su falda amplia a juego cubre sus piernas y pies y se abrocha con un cinturón oscuro en la cintura. Al igual que Hannah, Katie lleva un delantal blanco sobre la falda, pero el de Katie es más largo.
Sentada en un taburete a la derecha de Katie y frente a Hannah está Mary, mirando directamente a la cámara con una expresión neutral. Su cabello oscuro y rizado está recogido. Mary lleva un corpiño blanco de cuello alto y manga larga con un patrón de pequeñas flores. Tiene las manos ligeramente entrelazadas sobre el regazo. Lleva un delantal largo y blanco que oculta completamente su falda. La parte superior de sus pies sobresale ligeramente por debajo del delantal.
Chico and Punch
Beloved family pets for over 15 years, Chico and Punch feature prevalently in many of Alice’s family portraits. We can see several Austen pets pictured with her relatives here on this wall. Punch is thought to be one of the earliest pugs exported to America, possibly brought to Clear Comfort from one of the Austen’s many trips abroad to Asia.
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Alice Austen took this oval-framed, black-and-white photograph of her two dogs in 1890. Chico, a chihuahua, and Punch, a pug, stand in a squat wooden tub, their front paws on the rim. Punch stands in profile, facing right, while Chico stands in front of him and looks directly into the camera. The tub sits atop two matching wooden chairs facing each other. An identical third chair sits behind and to the left of the tub setup. On its seat lies a brush and a bowl. A light-colored piece of fabric is draped across the back of the chair. The scene is set on a bare patch of ground just outside of Clear Comfort, Alice Austen’s home on Staten Island. To the right of the dogs and chairs is a small patio-like area paved in brick, and behind that is a structural post. The exterior walls of the house that form the backdrop of this image are cast in shadow.
Spanish Audio Transcription
Alice Austen tomó esta fotografía en blanco y negro con marco ovalado de sus dos perros en 1890. Chico, un chihuahua, y Punch, un pug, están parados en una tina de madera achaparrada, con sus patas delanteras en el borde. Punch está de perfil, mirando hacia la derecha, mientras Chico se para frente a él y mira directamente a la cámara. La bañera se asienta sobre dos sillas de madera a juego, una frente a la otra. Una tercera silla idéntica se encuentra detrás y a la izquierda de la configuración de la bañera. En su asiento hay un cepillo y un cuenco. Un trozo de tela de color claro cubre el respaldo de la silla. La escena se desarrolla en un terreno desnudo a las afueras de Clear Comfort, la casa de Alice Austen en Staten Island. A la derecha de los perros y las sillas hay un pequeño patio pavimentado con ladrillos, y detrás hay un poste estructural. Las paredes exteriores de la casa que forman el telón de fondo de esta imagen están en sombras.
