The Alice Austen House is one of New York City’s iconic house museums and the former home of Alice Austen, a prolific documentary photographer who worked between the end of the nineteenth and start of the twentieth century. Throughout her lifetime, Austen created a body of more than 7,000 images that are now cared for by the Alice Austen House.
“Aside from being a historic house museum, we have contemporary art galleries which host photography exhibitions 3 to 4 times per year," saidKristen Bartley, director of Public Engagement and Programs at the Alice Austen House. "The Alice Austen House is also a nationally designated LGBTQ historical site, because Austen and her partner Gertrude [Tate]—who were together 50 years—lived here for many of those years.”
The original structure of the house was built in the 1600s and the home was also a muse for the photographer. Given its status and history within this context, the house and museum provide an important window into pre-Stonewall LGBTQ+ history.
According to Bartley, something that separates Austen from a lot of other women taking photographs at that time was that she documented aspects of her life, the city, and all kinds of subject matter at that time. Many other photographers at the time, especially women photographers, were constrained to working within studio spaces.
“She took many photographs on this property of her and her friends inside this home," Barley continued, "of the house itself and of her family around the home.”
The Alice Austen House celebrates its 40th year of operation in 2025. Since it's opening in 1985, the museum has operated with the intent of preserving the home as a museum to honor Austen and her work, as well as a place that will host exhibitions and workshops.
“And that's kind of what we're still doing to this day, really trying to honor and preserve that legacy,” added Bartley.
“It's a big inspiration to see that an artist had these ideas a long time ago gives you the opportunity to think about what you can take from this project and maybe do yourself," said Claudio Pettina, a student in the Creative Practices program. “We went through some of her projects and how she did copies of her own photos, which was very interesting because that’s a type of photography that we don’t make any more. It was very nice experience to see pictures while also feeling like you’re in an environment which is part of the story.”