With the Hudson River and village of Ossining, N.Y. in the background, the foreground shows a tennis court with a game of doubles taking place between four men as a group of women watch. A clarification for modern viewers is in order: the title of this idyllic view does not refer directly to the better known Sing Sing prison but rather the name given by locals at the time to the village of Ossining on the Hudson itself.

The following editorial notice regarding the photograph in the San Francisco, Morning Call newspaper on January 25, 1891:

The “Photographic Times,” New York, January 16th, contains, besides much that is of the greatest Interest to those who “press the button while we do the rest,” a beautiful landscape, a distant view of Sing Sing, which is worthy the close attention of all who are fond of taking such views.  (1.)

The maximum-security prison Sing Sing prison first opened in 1826 and is still operating today. (2014)

1. The (San Francisco) Morning Call: Jan. 25, 1891: p. 12: from Library of Congress online resource