▁Mary ▁Aust en ▁( 1 8 4 0 - ?) ▁a ka ▁Minn ie ▁Aust en , ▁who ▁was ▁married ▁to ▁O sw ald ▁Müller ▁( 1 8 4 0 – ?) ▁who ▁was ▁the ▁owner ▁of ▁a ▁sh ipping ▁company . ▁O sw ald ▁was ▁born ▁in ▁Den mark . ▁ ▁Clear ▁Com fort ▁ ▁The ▁house ▁was ▁built ▁in ▁the ▁ 1 7 th ▁century , ▁but ▁was ▁expanded ▁during ▁the ▁ 1 9 th ▁century ▁by ▁Alice ' s ▁grand par ents : ▁John ▁H agg ert y ▁Aust en ; ▁and ▁Elizabeth ▁Alice ▁Town send . ▁Clear ▁Com fort ▁was ▁dedicated ▁as ▁a ▁National ▁Historic ▁Land mark ▁on ▁April ▁ 8 , ▁ 1 9 7 6 , ▁one ▁month ▁after ▁the ▁ 1 1 0 th ▁anni versary ▁of ▁Alice ' s ▁birth . ▁It ▁is ▁also ▁known ▁as ▁" A lice ▁Aust en ▁House " ▁and ▁is ▁located ▁in ▁the ▁Rose bank ▁neighborhood . ▁ ▁Phot ography ▁ ▁Aust en ▁became ▁interested ▁in ▁phot ography ▁when ▁her ▁uncle , ▁O sw ald ▁Müller , ▁brought ▁home ▁a ▁camera ▁around ▁ 1 8 7 6 . ▁Alice ' s ▁uncle ▁Peter ▁Town send ▁Aust en ▁was ▁a ▁chem istry ▁professor ▁at ▁R ut gers ▁who ▁taught ▁her ▁phot ographic ▁processing . ▁Peter ▁and ▁O sw ald ▁converted ▁a ▁clos et ▁on ▁the ▁second ▁floor ▁into ▁Alice ' s ▁dark room . ▁The ▁earliest ▁ext ant ▁photograph ▁by ▁her ▁is ▁dated ▁ 1 8 8 4 . ▁Over ▁the