After decades in the care of Historic Richmond Town in Staten Island, more than 7,000 photographs by trailblazing lesbian photographer Alice Austen will return to the Alice Austen House on June 21. The handover will take place during a celebration for the new book Too Good to Get Married, which explores Austen’s life, work, and her 55-year relationship with Gertrude Tate.
Austen’s legacy has gained long-overdue recognition in recent years, including the designation of her Staten Island home as a national LGBTQ+ historic site.
“This transfer marks a pivotal moment—not only for our institution, but for the broader cultural landscape—at a time when LGBTQ+ communities face renewed threats of erasure,” said Victoria Munro, executive director of the Alice Austen House. “Museums must lead in preserving and amplifying these vital legacies, and we are proud to do so.”
Historic Richmond Town, which has housed the collection for more than 80 years, says the time is right to return the materials to Clear Comfort, where Austen lived.
“Over the decades, our team has dedicated thousands of hours to researching, preserving, and sharing this remarkable body of work with the public,” said Executive Director Jessica Phillips. “As the Alice Austen House celebrates its 40th anniversary and continues to distinguish itself as a national leader in LGBTQ+ history, the time is right to return the collection to its home at Clear Comfort. In a unanimous vote, our board of directors proudly approved the transfer, knowing that the Alice Austen House will carry forward the legacy of Austen’s life and photography with the care, expertise, and passion it so deeply deserves.”
The collection will now be digitized and made more accessible to the public, ensuring Alice Austen’s contributions to both photography and LGBTQ+ history continue to resonate for generations to come.
The book documenting Austen’s prolific work and indomitable spirit Too Good to Get Married: The Life and Photographs of Miss Alice Austen, is written by historian and curator Bonnie Yochelson. Yochelson is the former Curator of Prints and Photographs at the Museum of the City of New York and has previously published books on photo artists Jacob Riis, Alfred Stieglitz and Berenice Abbott. The book is available now through Barnes & Noble and Amazon.