The Great Stone Face: The Making of an Icon

Presented as part of our 2023 An Enduring Presence: The Old Man of the Mountain Event Series. This project was made possible with support from New Hampshire Humanities, in partnership with the National Endowment for the Humanities. Learn more at www.nhhumanities.org.

Despite his fall in 2003, the Old Man of the Mountain remains the symbol of New Hampshire. Why? How did a rock formation become so important to us? Attachment to the Old Man developed during the 19^th century as geology and romanticism merged to bring increasing numbers of tourists to Franconia Notch. Over time, the stone face drew tourists into the Notch and became one of the important stops along the way. When the forests around the Old Man were threatened, fear of a denuded Profile Mountain helped galvanize a national movement that helped to lead to the creation of the eastern national forest system. The MWM’s exhibit on the Old Man is the perfect time to consider why we continue to have strong feelings for NH’s Profile.

Marcia Schmidt Blaine is a recently retired historian of early America and, closer to home, the history of New England and the White Mountains. She earned a year-long Fellowship with the American Council on Education in 2015-2016 to study models of academic leadership and gained a certificate in strategic planning from the Society for College and University Planning. After returning to Plymouth State, Blaine reorganized and re-energized the Museum of the White Mountains, a highlight of her academic life. She also served as Executive Director of Government Relations and Special Projects for the University. Currently, she is the incoming chair of NH Humanities and looking forward to being a humanities ambassador.

This event is hybrid. To receive a Zoom link, please register HERE.