Old Man of the Mountain, Franconia Notch – On May 3, 2003, New Hampshire's Old Man of the Mountain, also known as "The Great Stone Face" and "The Profile" collapsed. The above image, taken around 2001, is one of only a few images I have left of the Old Man rock profile. This old grainy 35MM slide represents the Old Man I knew over the years. Long live the Old Man!
Discovered and first recorded in 1805 by a survey party, the Old Man of the Mountain profile was a natural rock feature on the side of Cannon Mountain in Franconia Notch; it was the main attraction of Franconia Notch for 198 years. According to Moses F. Sweetser in The White Mountains Handbook for Travellers (1873), the two surveyors were Frank Whitcomb and Luke Brooks. However, there are a few different stories about who actually discovered the rock profile*.
ScenicNH Photography LLC
Specializing in environmental conservation and historic preservation photography mainly in the White Mountains region of New Hampshire, Erin Paul’s photography and writing focuses on the history of the White Mountains, and telling the story of abandoned places and forgotten historical sites.