1896_10-19-1896 Oct 2002-allen copy.jpg

Jane Allen Correspondence Collection, 1896

Version: 4 (current) | Updated: 12/4/2025, 5:47:48 AM

Added description

Description

Jane Allen Correspondence Collection, 1896

Overview

The Jane Allen Correspondence Collection, 1896, is a digitised archive of personal letters written by Jane Allen during the year 1896. The collection comprises scanned images of the original letters (captured in 2002–2003) and accompanying OCR text, preserved in English. It is housed by the Alice Austen House Test museum in New York and is available through the PINAX digital repository.

Background

Jane Allen was a resident of Kingston, Ontario, and the letters reflect her active engagement with family and friends across Canada and the United States. The correspondence was collected by the Alice Austen House Test, a museum dedicated to preserving early photographic and epistolary records. The collection was digitised in the early 2000s, with each scanned page assigned a unique IPFS CID for long‑term preservation.

Contents

The archive contains three dated letters (October 19, December 21, and December 31, 1896) addressed to Miss Ander, Miss Austen, and other relatives. The letters discuss a range of topics:
  • Requests for additional photographs of family homes, a packer’s store sale, horse photos, and postmen photos.
  • Delays in receiving postcards from Montreal and mail issues in Cape Vincent.
  • Family events such as the marriage of Virginia, travel to New York, and the movements of relatives (Maggie, Mabel, Uncle, Robert, Genevieve, Dorothy, Lucy).
  • Mentions of places including Kingston, Cape Vincent, Montreal, New York, Virginia, and Crescent Bay.

Each letter is accompanied by a scanned image (JPEG) and an OCR‑derived text file, providing both visual fidelity and searchable content.

Scope

The collection covers the calendar year 1896, focusing on personal correspondence from Jane Allen. It is geographically centred on Kingston, Ontario, but extends to other North American locales mentioned in the letters. The material is limited to the three extant letters and does not include any other years, drafts, or related documents. The collection is a valuable resource for researchers interested in late‑19th‑century family networks, postal history, and the everyday life of a Canadian woman in the Gilded Age.

Entities

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Entity Relationships

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Raw Cheimarros Data

@file_pinax:file {title: "Jane Allen Correspondence Collection, 1896", type: "Collection", creator: @jane_allen, institution: @alice_austen_house_test, created: @date_1896, language: "en", subjects: ["Correspondence","Personal letters","Family history","Photographs"], description: "A collection of letters written by Jane Allen in 1896, discussing family matters, photographs, and local events in Kingston, Canada.", places: [@kingston, @cape_vincent, @montreal, @new_york, @virginia, @crescent_bay]}

@jane_allen:person {full_name: "Jane Allen", role: "Correspondent"}

@alice_austen_house_test:organization {type: "Museum", location: @new_york}

@kingston:place {country: @canada, region: "Ontario"}

@cape_vincent:place {country: @united_states, state: "New York"}

@montreal:place {country: @canada, province: "Quebec"}

@crescent_bay:place {country: @united_states, state: "New York"}

@photos:concept {type: "photographs"}

@postcards:concept {type: "postcards"}

@packers_store:concept {type: "store"}

@horse_photos:concept {type: "photographs"}

@postmen_photos:concept {type: "photographs"}

@miss_ander:person {title: "Miss Ander"}

@mrs_marchew:person {title: "Mrs. Marchew", relation: "niece of @miss_ander"}

@miss_austen:person {title: "Miss Austen"}

@miss_maclean:person {title: "Miss Maclean"}

@maggie:person {first_name: "Maggie"}

@mabel:person {first_name: "Mabel"}

@uncle:person {relation: "family member"}

@robert:person {first_name: "Robert"}

@genevieve:person {first_name: "Genevieve"}

@dorothy:person {first_name: "Dorothy"}

@lucy:person {first_name: "Lucy"}

@file_1896_10_19_1896_oct_2002_allen_copy_jpg:file {filename: "1896_10-19-1896 Oct 2002-allen copy.jpg.ref.json", type: "Image/Asset with OCR"}

@letter_oct_19_1896:document {author: @jane_allen, recipient: @miss_ander, date: @date_1896_10_19, location: @kingston, content_summary: "Thanks for photos sent by niece Mrs. Marchew, requests additional photos of house and packer's store sale."}

@jane_allen -> wrote -> @letter_oct_19_1896

@letter_oct_19_1896 -> mentions -> @mrs_marchew

@letter_oct_19_1896 -> requests -> @photos {detail: "additional family photos"}

@letter_oct_19_1896 -> requests -> @packers_store

@file_1896_10_19_1896_oct_2002_allen_copy_jpg -> documents -> @letter_oct_19_1896

@file_1896_10_19_1896_oct_2003_allen_copy_jpg:file {filename: "1896_10-19-1896 Oct 2003-allen copy.jpg.ref.json", type: "Image/Asset with OCR"}

@letter_oct_19_1896_part2:document {author: @jane_allen, recipient: @miss_ander, date: @date_1896_10_19, location: @kingston, content_summary: "Requests additional photos, offers trade for packing, mentions horse photos and postmen photos."}

@jane_allen -> wrote -> @letter_oct_19_1896_part2

@letter_oct_19_1896_part2 -> requests -> @horse_photos

@letter_oct_19_1896_part2 -> requests -> @postmen_photos

@file_1896_10_19_1896_oct_2003_allen_copy_jpg -> documents -> @letter_oct_19_1896_part2

@file_1896_12_31_1896_dec_2002_kingston_carolina_copy_jpg:file {filename: "1896_12-31-1896 Dec 2002-Kingston-carolina copy.jpg.ref.json", type: "Image/Asset with OCR"}

@letter_dec_21_1896:document {author: @jane_allen, recipient: @miss_austen, date: @date_1896_12_21, location: @kingston, content_summary: "Inquires about delayed postcards from Montreal, mentions Miss Maclean and express office, Cape Vincent mail issues."}

@jane_allen -> wrote -> @letter_dec_21_1896

@letter_dec_21_1896 -> mentions -> @postcards

@letter_dec_21_1896 -> mentions -> @miss_maclean

@file_1896_12_31_1896_dec_2002_kingston_carolina_copy_jpg -> documents -> @letter_dec_21_1896

@file_1896_12_31_1896_dec_2003_carolina_copy_jpg:file {filename: "1896_12-31-1896 Dec 2003-carolina copy.jpg.ref.json", type: "Image/Asset with OCR"}

@letter_dec_31_1896:document {author: @jane_allen, recipient: @miss_austen, date: @date_1896_12_31, location: @kingston, content_summary: "Discusses Maggie, Mabel, Virginia marriage, travel to New York, parcel issues, mentions Crescent Bay, Uncle, Robert, Genevieve, Dorothy, Lucy."}

@jane_allen -> wrote -> @letter_dec_31_1896

@letter_dec_31_1896 -> mentions -> [@maggie, @mabel, @uncle, @robert, @genevieve, @dorothy, @lucy]

@letter_dec_31_1896 -> mentions -> @crescent_bay

@file_1896_12_31_1896_dec_2003_carolina_copy_jpg -> documents -> @letter_dec_31_1896

Metadata

Files (4)

1896_10-19-1896 Oct 2002-allen copy.jpgJPEG
2.63 MB
OCR Text

Oct. 19th ALWINGTON, KINGSTON. Dear Miss Ander, Mr...y, merry thank you for the photos which you so kindly sent by your niece, Mrs. Marchew. I shall receive them on Saturday - we were all so pleased with them & Mr. to their capital. Would it be asking too much to ask for a few more of the house & the packer's store sale? We had to send these to friends, to those they

1896_10-19-1896 Oct 2003-allen copy.jpgJPEG
2.79 MB
OCR Text

would be most acceptable. Or, if that would give you too much trouble, we have made a trade in getting up packing for the negotiations, if they are still in existence, & we could have them packed here—but you have done them so well, I fear no one else would please us so much, I know. You won't think me a greedy curioscuse—please let us know if we can have made—a how many trade expects by packing of each—pick the horse photos & the postmen—these two are what we shall like copies of—Again thanking you—Sincerely love from Carla. Today Self Your sincerely, Jane Allen

1896_12-31-1896 Dec 2002-Kingston-carolina copy.jpgJPEG
3.64 MB
OCR Text

Kingston December 21st My Dear Miss Austen, I wonder if those unlucky postcards will ever reach you. There was such an unaccountable delay in their coming from Montreal and it gives us pleasure that when Miss Maclean took them to the express office they told her they did not know whether the service or boogies would allow dispatch of any further news. Cape Vincent will not have the daily mail. Miss Maclean told me the agent may have only been sent back to set

1896_12-31-1896 Dec 2003-carolina copy.jpgJPEG
4.29 MB
OCR Text

Maggie showed such criticalness to poor sister, and her rejoicing over Virginia's marriage she thought Mabel was delighted to hear of. We were greatly struck at it in my last but we are so accustomed to see people leave our good old friends the morning from home without the house being the next boat ready. We could scarcely keep our chairs to settle down. We had almost packed up the whole luggage, etc., into Protestantism, to recommend Protestantism to our sister. Uncle lives at an island, which Mrs. G. at Crescent Bay, very much regretted when she changed and hoped that upon the parcel just packed she might not take her word for it. We have lately had so much trouble about the parcel we were sending to some cousins and uncle. We stopped at Weidert hill we sent five dollars so I have a welcome oby and of your brother Robert and Genevieve some stamps hoping that when you write you will send me two more photos after of Alwyn for. Mrs. Dorothy the first girl who travelled with me to New York en route to Virginia writes me that she has written to Lucy to ask her if she would take her for just now for a few

Version History (4 versions)

  • ✓ v4 (current) · 12/4/2025, 5:47:48 AM
    "Added description"
  • v3 · 12/4/2025, 5:43:33 AM · View this version
    "Added knowledge graph extraction"
  • v2 · 12/4/2025, 5:41:16 AM · View this version
    "Added PINAX metadata"
  • v1 · 12/4/2025, 5:41:05 AM · View this version
    "Reorganization group: 1896_Allen_Correspondence"

Parent

01KBKXY2YKK6N5VAJ9XCH0ZV5T

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