Name/Title
THE OLD MILL-DAM AT SLEEPY HOLLOWEntry/Object ID
L.2007.192Description
The prolific partnership of Currier & Ives printed numerous views of landmarks along the Hudson in second half of the 19th century. By then, the mill and dam at Sleepy Hollow (now known at Philipsburg Manor) were seen as picturesque survivors of the colonial era. The name Sleepy Hollow, thanks to Washington Irving, was well known to New Yorkers, as well as a wider American and international audience. The image here, however, reflects nothing of ghostly events. Instead, a lone fisherman tests his luck from the distinctive bridge over the dam, with the manor house and grist mill clearly visible in the background. This print is an early version of the classic Currier & Ives image; the partners returned to the subject later with a modified version of the same scene.
Colored lithograph of a dam, mill and house on a tranquil river: a leafy green tree frames the scene at the left; deep green grass at foreground; a wooden mill with a wooden bridge across the top runs diagonal through the scene; to the right of the mill, a smooth pond that reflects the surrounding trees; water cascades over the dam in two places; on the far side of the dam, a wooden mill with water running over a wheel; below the dam, a river with a small island in the middle; on the far side of the river, a white house with many windows surrounded by a picket fence; below the scene on left, printed: "PUBLISHED BY CURRIER & IVES"; on right, printed: "125 NASSAU ST NEW YORK"; below in center, title, printed: "THE OLD MILL-DAM. I At sleepy Hollow".Artwork Details
Medium
Paper (wove), Ink, Watercolor, Paper (wove), ink, watercolorMade/Created
Artist Information
Artist
Nathaniel CurrierAttribution
LithographerManufacturer
James Merritt Ives, Currier & IvesDate made
1872 - 1874Dimensions
Dimension Description
OverallHeight
10-1/8 inWidth
14-1/4 inDimension Notes
Display Dimensions: 10 1/8 x 14 1/4 in. (25.7 x 36.2 cm)Condition
Notes
Remarks: Discoloration throughout, especially along right and top edges; small white dots throughout surface; bottom edge cut irregularly; crease and small tear, bottom left; liquid stain, bottom left; crease, top left; two tears, right center; liquid stain, right center; recto is discolored throughout, especially along left, top, and right edges; traces of watercolor and white dots throughout.Relationships
Related Person or Organization
Person or Organization
Philipsburg Manor, Upper MillsPerson or Organization
William DieboldNotes
Former ownerPerson or Organization
Philipsburg Manor, Upper MillsNotes
SubjectRelated Entries
Notes
PM.2002.1 - Lithograph - Similar item
SS.98.3 a-b - Lithograph - Similar item
PM.2016.1 a-b - Painting - Related
PM.2016.2 a-b - Lithograph - Similar itemGeneral Notes
Note Type
Curatorial RemarksNote
Diebold Box #41Note Type
General NoteNote
The address of 125 Nassau Street dates this print to the 1872-1874 period. In later versions of the print, the fisherman faces away, fishing from the other side of the bridge and trees midstream at left are gone.Note Type
StorageNoteNote
Home Location: Historic Hudson Valley, Administrative Office, Archive Room, Shelf O3, B10Note Type
DepartmentNote
Library