Alice's World: The Life and Photography of an American Original, Alice Austen, 1866-1952

by Ann Novotny

Depicts Alice Austen's poignant career as a photographer of New York's Lower East Side, the elegant parlors of society, and the immigrant masses at Ellis Island, and presents a representative selection of her works.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, Biography, Art, Photography

221 pages, Hardcover

First published November 1, 1976

Reviews

[Joanna P. · Rating 5 out of 5]

Could not be more grateful to have had the chance to read this elusive history. It feels awful to walk through Alice and Gertrude’s once-home now-museum and recollect all that was taken from them in their lives, but it also feels empowering to know we were able to save and restore at least that house that they fought for over and over again — through companies battling to bulldoze their home for profit, through the economic crash, through storm wreckage, through deliberate destruction. Alice was so resilient. The author, Ann, writes her with such love. She says Alice “drove with the gentleness of someone sensitive to pain” while describing her driving the ambulance in wartime. She also writes that “Alice Austen did not waste any time pondering the essence of femininity. She photographed actual women - as young, funny and energetic as her own friends, as plain and poor as the street vendors.” Her photography was unashamed, with no attention to the rules of what ‘feminine’ photography was allowed to be in the 1800s and no fear of unconventionality. Her confidence, stubbornness, vision; it was all incredible. Those qualities can be a detriment when it came to their financial struggles, though. It was hard to get through the last few chapters with her late life so riddled with selfish, money-hungry people and injustice after injustice. Especially to hear that this couple was not buried together as per their wishes (again, money is always the issue). I still highly recommend a visit to her old home, and to look at the photography that was not lost to desperate selling, destruction, or time.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really a very good book about a fascinating woman. Probably silly to write a review as this book was quite hard to find - I ended up getting it thru interlibrary loan, and copies online sell for $75 to many hundreds of dollars. I can't tell from my 1976 copy, but it may have only been printed once.

The selection of photos is excellent, and the author did a remarkable job of collecting first-hand accounts of Austen's life, especially considering she only became famous about a year before dying in her 80s. I learned a lot about the history of Staten Island and it's an easy and interesting read with so many great photos.

Alice and her looooong-time partner Gertrude Tate are referred to as "friends" throughout this book; according to reputable internet sources, the author referred to them as friends in mainstream publications and referred to them as partners or lovers in the many articles she wrote about Austen for feminist, lesbian or other "alternative" publications.

[Jeimy · Rating 3 out of 5]

The first chapters of this book don't have to do with Austen's life, but more of her family history and the house in which she spent her final days. I find it funny that Gertrude Tate is mentioned as a friend, even though they spent their lives together, traveled the world together, and they wanted to be buried next to each other.

The book's worth comes from the photographs that it preserves. Photographs that could have been lost in time, but instead showcases quotidian scenes of Austen's own life, everyday life in New York, and even events that were, at the time, significant. These photos show that Austen was a master at her craft. It is unfortunate that she did not monetize her hobby as she could have made enough money to keep her beloved family cottage, stay with her love, and not end up alone in penury at the poor house.

[Carol · Rating 4 out of 5]

Fascinating. I found this book on our bookshelf because years ago Jayzie and I stumbled upon the Alice Austen house on Staten Island and bought this book. But neither of us ever read it before this week. I couldn't put it down. So interesting about this Victorian-era woman who mastered the difficult technology of photography at the time. And obsessively documented her world, and the world around her. I found it just fascinating. The book itself, published in 1975, has a clue or two about her lesbianism. The website associated with her house on Staten Island makes it overt. Times change.