IDC 1001H
Prof. Karen Shelby
7 September 2026
Who was Alice Austen?
She was one of the first women in America to do photography, capturing over 7000 images and depicted New York City's streets and her private life through the lens of a lesbian woman from 1866 to 1952
What types of things or sites did she photograph? Look through her photographs (there are a lot!)
She photographed her house, New York streets, her friends, and immigrant quarantine stations just south of her house on Staten Island where ships stopped before Ellis island. She took photos of her and other women as well.
How and why do you think the subjects of those photographs are important in 2026?
I think she really capturing New York in its whole from her perspective and i think it's important to see how far we've come because well I for one thing New York has gotten better in regards to accepting people. It's a reminder to use all of what New York was and what it should be.
Choose one of Austen’s photographs. Explain why you think the subject matter would be important or pertinent to today’s life in New York City. Upload the Austen portion of the assignment to OpenLab.
So I picked the one where Alice is sat on a fencepost. I think it’s interesting because I can visibly
see it is a track. I can’t see another woman perched up like that, and I would guess it was a faux
pas to be sat like that, so I feel that it’s like defiance, where she’s not where she’s supposed to be
as a woman watching cars.
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