Pickard’s Penny Portrait of Alice and Gertrude

Alice met her life partner, Gertrude Tate, in 1899. The couple formed a loving and devoted relationship, built a life together, and supported one another for more than fifty years, living together at Clear Comfort for thirty years. The most apt description of Alice Austen and Gertrude Tate’s relationship is “Boston Marriage.” In the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the term was used to describe two single women living together, independent of men. “Boston marriages” allowed independent, intellectually-driven women to work outside the home and have amorous and/or domestic relationships with other women.