In the 1950s, a journalist doing archival research at the Staten Island Historical Society came across a collection of images that stopped him in his tracks. These photos featured women from the 1890s smoking cigarettes, dressed in men’s clothing, showing their petticoats or legs or hair. These photos were taken by a woman named Alice Austen, and Jensen decided to track her down…a trail which led him to the Staten Island poor house. 

Today we learn Alice’s story, by visiting the house on Staten Island where she lived for most of her life –  before she lost nearly everything – which is today a museum dedicated to her life and work. 

Check out the Alice Austen House online: https://aliceausten.org/

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