Alice Austen House

Also known as “Clear Comfort,” Alice Austen House is a national historic landmark and a museum dedicated to the life and work of Alice Austen, one of the first female photographers in the US.
 
In her lifetime, Austen captured about 8,000 images, most of them are documentary photos of her friends, immigrants and city life, but she also experimented with artistic photography and images of women dressed in male drag (‘drag kings’). Austen lived in Clear Comfort for most of her life, 28 of them with Gertrude Amelia Tate, her lifelong companion.
 
The museum displays a permanent collection of Alice Austen’s photography as well as short term changing exhibitions of other artists, such as Nicholas Muellner and George Shiras. Visitors can participate in special events like “In Alice’s Garden” and “Alice Austen Holiday Party,” or take a stroll in the garden and enjoy the view of New York Harbor. In addition, the museum offers various education programs, for children and for adults, and even a Photography Summer Camp.