This old photograph, titled Down at Montauk Point, captures Montauk in an eerie yet calming mood that feels far removed from the destination people might know. The image shows a quiet and isolated edge of Long Island, with the lighthouse standing above a stark, rocky landscape. It makes you realize why people call it “The End.” You can almost picture a time when getting out there felt less like a casual day trip and more like reaching the end of the island in the most literal sense.
Its title is simply Down at Montauk Point, credited to photographer C. Manley DeBevoise. There is no date listed for the photograph.
Source: Irma and Paul Milstein Division of United States History, Local History and Genealogy, The New York Public Library Digital Collections. Down at Montauk Point, photographed by C. Manley DeBevoise, approximate date 1862 to 1963.
