Alice Austen was one of the first women photographers. She was born in 1866 and lived with her mom because she was abandoned by her father. Her extended family was very involved in her life and her uncle gave her a camera and helped her develop her passion. At the age of ten she started her photography journey. She would ride her bike and take many photos in Staten Island and in New York City. She impacted New York City with her thousands of photographs documenting immigrant populations, neighborhoods, children, women’s social life, men working, nature, and people traveling. She was married to a woman named Gertrude Tate. She was a proud lesbian. She was able to support herself with her wealth until the stock market crash in 1929. They were evicted from their home in 1945 and lived separately because of poverty and family rejection. Austen moved to Staten Island Farm Colony. In 1951 her photographs were rediscovered by Oliver Jensen and money was raised for her to be able to be in a private nursing home. On June 9th, 1952, at the age of 86 she died. Her home later on became a museum featuring her artwork and exhibits about her life.
Her photographs are important in 2026 for us to learn about the culture and time period in the 1800’s and 1900’s. She took many photos in many different locations showing us a lot about the culture and the society norms. The photograph I chose was of a postman in 1896. It shows us how there was a way of communication that was becoming easier and more common throughout the world. It shows the way she was able to communicate with her family and Tate after they were separated from each other. Sending mail is very relevant to 2026 because it is a reliable way to communicate personal and professional needs to everyone.
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