Life — December 14, 1922 — page 22: what you’re looking at

What you’re looking at

This appears to be a satirical illustration updating Washington Irving's famous literary character Ichabod Crane for a contemporary (early 20th century) audience. The image shows a figure in a car—a then-modern automobile—set against a spooky nighttime landscape with a church steeple visible in the background, evoking the original story's setting. The satire likely comments on how modern technology and automobiles were changing American life and culture, replacing older modes of travel. By placing the cowardly, superstitious Ichabod Crane in a modern vehicle rather than on horseback, the cartoon makes a social joke about contemporary anxieties or the contrast between traditional American folklore and rapid technological progress in the industrial age.