Butch in Progress

Alice’s Wonder Land

[K] Alice Austen (1866-1952): one of America’s first female photographers and long overdue to be mentioned on this blog, because the lady was a badass. Not only did she take quasi-photojournalistic pictures of not just her family and friends, but also the city of New York before most of the rest of the world thought of using the new medium like that, she also defied Victorian ideals of womanhood throughout her life - and dared documenting it. Instead of taking pictures of flowers and “womanly stuff”, Austen documented the city life and the life of what today might becalled ‘gender outlaws’, instead of being an “angel of the house”, she spent her time travelling (as well as playing tennis, cycling, hiking etc) and following her passion for photography, and instead of choosing a fake marriage, she lived with a woman - Getrude Tate. 

The couple met in 1899  - though it took another 18 years before Tate moved in with Austen. The two women lived and work together, supported each other until poverty forced Tate to go back to her family. Their wish to be buried together was sadly denied by the surviving relatives. Yet at least professionaly, Austen’s life offered a happy ending: shortly before her death, her work was rediscovered and featured in LIFE magazine, which allowed Austen to life off her art for the first time in her life at age 85.

Sidenote: We know Alice Austen must have been gay, because there is a musical about her life. Plus: You know finally have a reason to visit Staten Island - her home is open to the public as a museum.

Recommended Reading: Alice’s World.

[Edit:] For a modern spin on Austen’s pictures, have a look at Steven Rosen’s contemporary reproductions of two of her most iconic pictures.