Beek te Raven Rock nabij Sleepy Hollow before 1887

This is an anonymous photograph by J.L. Williams of Beek te Raven Rock near Sleepy Hollow. The choice of location is highly evocative. Washington Irving's "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" looms large in the American imagination. The story tells of the outsider Ichabod Crane and his encounter with the Headless Horseman. The story touches on themes of cultural identity, class, and the unease that arises from encounters with the unfamiliar. There's a romanticism to the image, yet also a sense of something hidden, something lurking in the shadows. The black and white tones give the scene a timeless quality, as if the past and present are merging. The setting evokes a sense of isolation, and invites us to consider the cultural narratives we construct about ourselves and others.