Gertrude Amelia Tate (August 15, 1872 - 1962) was a kindergarten teacher and dancing
instructor of Brooklyn, New York. She became and Alice Austen became lifelong
companions.Partner Alice Austen
Queer Places:
2 Hylan Blvd, Staten Island, NY 10305
Cypress Hills Cemetery, 833 Jamaica Ave, Brooklyn, NY 11208, Stati Uniti
Gertrude Amelia Tate (August 15, 1872 - 1962) was a kindergarten teacher and dancing
instructor of Brooklyn, New York. She became and Alice Austen became lifelong
companions.
Gertrude visited Alice regularly and they spent holidays together in Europe. She moved in with Alice at Clear Comfort, Alice Austen's home, in 1917, overriding her family's objection over her "wrong devotion" to Alice.
They ran a tea room in Clear Comfort and Gertrude taught ballroom dancing lessons in an attempt to meet their financial obligations. The plan did not work, however, and Austen lost the house in 1945 when she was evicted at the age of 79. She signed her possessions over to Gertrude, who moved in with her own family members, and Austen spent the next few years in a small apartment.
Alice died on June 9, 1952. Gertrude Tate lived another ten years with her family and then moved to a nursing home. Upon Gertrude's death the Tate family learned that Austen and Gertrude had wanted to be buried together. The Tate family, however, refused to honor the women's wishes.
Alice Austen, left, and Gertrude Tate, Pickard's Penny Studio, Stapleton,
Staten Island, 1905
.JPG)
Clear Comfort
References:
 Days of Love: Celebrating LGBT History One Story at a Time Paperback – January 29, 2026 by Elisa Rolle |
Other references:
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