William L. Calver, Panorama of Inwood Valley, July 19, 1914

William L. Calver’s 1914 panorama of Inwood Valley captures the landscape of the island’s northern arm, where two elevated ridges run along both coasts, squeezing a small valley in between. Taken from a high point, the photograph illustrates why an orthogonal plan would have been difficult to execute in this region, which is a landscape of forested hills, expanses of exposed rock, and uneven terrain. While the hills remain undeveloped, some apartment buildings have been built on the curved streets in the valley below. AR