born April 3, 1783, New York, N.Y., U.S.
died Nov. 28, 1859, Tarrytown, N.Y.
U.S. author, called the "first American man of letters.
" He began his career as a lawyer but soon became a leader of the group that published Salmagundi (1807–08), a periodical containing whimsical essays and poems. After his comic A History of New York...by Diedrich Knickerbocker (1809), he wrote little until his very successful The Sketch Book (1819–20), containing his best-known stories, "The Legend of Sleepy Hollow" and "Rip Van Winkle." It was followed by a sequel, Bracebridge Hall (1822). He held diplomatic positions in Madrid, Spain, and writings such as The Alhambra (1832) reflect his interest in Spain's past.
Washington Irving, oil painting by J.W. Jarvis, 1809; in the Historic Hudson Valley collection.
Courtesy of Historic Hudson Valley