Washington Irving's Illustrations of the Legend of Sleepy Hollow, Designed and Etched by F.O.C. Darley for the Members of the American Art Union, 1850

Darley's lithographs illustrate Washington Irving's "Legend of Sleepy Hollow," which centers on a tall, thin, Connecticut-born schoolmaster named Ichabod Crane, described by the author as an "odd mixture of small shrewdness and simple credulity." We find him teaching children of Dutch descent in a riverside hamlet near Tarrytown, New York. Since his meagre income is insufficient to satisfy his hearty appetite, Ichabod often visits the families of his pupils to exchange gossip and ghost stories, knowing he will be fed by the generous housewives. When he decides to woo Katrina Van Tassel, the beautiful daughter and heir of a prosperous farmer, Ichabod uses singing lessons as a cover for their meetings. This infuriates a rival suitor, the athletic and hot-headed Brom Van Brunt who determines to undermine Ichabod's plans. After attending a dance and feast hosted by the Van Tassels, Ichabod rides home at "the witching hour" and encounters a famous local spectre, the headless horseman–the author hints that this apparition is Brom in disguise. A terrifying pursuit along the riverside road ends by the church graveyard in Tarrytown where the horseman flings his "head" at Ichabod and knocks him to the ground. The next day, a broken saddle and smashed pumpkin are discovered, but the schoolmaster has disappeared.

The set of prints was chosen as a supplement for subscriber members of the American Art-Union in 1849. The primary large engraving distributed that year was "The Voyage of Life–Youth" by James Smillie after Thomas Cole.

Plate 1: Ichabod Crane in his schoolroom at Sleepy Hollow, near Tarrytown, New York.
Plate 2: Ichabod Crane visits a pupil's family and tells a frightening tale.
Plate 3: Ichabod Crane woos Katrina Van Tassel at her family farm overlooking the Hudson River.
Plate 4: Ichabod dances with Katrina at a reception held by her family.
Plate 5: Icabod Crane encounters the headless horseman as he rides home at "the witching hour."
Plate 6: Ichabod Crane flees toward Tarrytown, purshed by the headless horseman.