Alice Austen was a photographer from Staten Island who photographed New York City during the late 1800s and early 1900s. Instead of only photographing wealthy people or important events, she also took pictures of immigrants, street workers, vendors, buildings, and regular people going about their day. I think that is what makes her photographs interesting now because they show parts of New York that people probably would not have thought were important at the time.
One photograph that stood out to me was her picture of an immigrant and pretzel vendor from 1896. I liked this one because it honestly does not feel that different from something you could see in New York today. Street vendors and food carts are still everywhere in the city, and a lot of them are run by immigrants who are working long hours to make a living. Obviously New York looks completely different now, but that part of the city has stayed pretty similar. I think the photo is important in 2026 because it shows that immigrants and street workers have been part of what makes New York feel like New York for a really long time.
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