Alice Austen House Museum

Built in 1690 as a one-room Dutch farmhouse and expanded in 1840 into a Victorian Gothic cottage, today the structure houses a museum devoted to Alice Austen, one of the country's first and most prolific female photographers. The museum features restored rooms representing the lifestyle of a prosperous suburban family in the late 19th century, two galleries devoted to temporary exhibits, and one room filled with some 350 of Austen's photographs. Selections of Austen's photographs reflecting the clear documentary style of her work are also on display, featuring scenes of rural Staten Island and immigrant life in New York City.

On-site programs: Students receive guidebooks containing reproductions of Austen's photographs and then tour the house to compare the historic record to contemporary views. Additional activities include an architecture project and a family-tree exercise. Follow-up lesson plans are available. (Grades K–5; $)

Professional development: The museum offers selected teacher training classes for Staten Island PTA organizations. (Free)

General information: Address: 2 Hylan Boulevard, Staten Island, NY 10305; Phone: (718) 816-4506, x10; Web: www.aliceausten.org.

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