Education

“The Story of the Old Man of the Mountain” at Cannon Mountain’s Tramway Building
The Legacy Fund, in partnership with the Old Man of the Mountain Preservation Society, researched and designed “The Story of the Old Man of the Mountain,” an exhibit on permanent display at The Cannon Mountain Aerial Tramway Base Station.  Here, visitors can learn about how the Old Man of the Mountain came to be one of the premier visitor attractions in the White Mountains, and the role that the Great Stone Face played in protecting the Notch from destructive timber cutting practices and interstate highway construction. 

Artifacts in the exhibit illustrate the long-term efforts to stabilize the Old Man’s fragile rock profile.  A tiny brass model of a turnbuckle helped convince the state legislature in 1916 to allow Edward Geddes to secure the uppermost stones, A simple boson’s chair with cable and ratchet mechanism was later used by Nils Neilsen to descend over the face of the Old Man in annual inspections and cleanings.    Part of the steel rod system that helped the Old Man stay in place is also on view, having been recovered from the talus slope after the fateful collapse of the giant rock formation in 2003.

A scale model of the proposed 3-part monument to the Old Man forms the centerpiece of the exhibit.  It was funded, in part, by a grant from the National Endowment for the Arts. 

Book a Traveling Version of “The Story of the Old Man of the Mountain”
A portable version of the 8 exhibit panels is available for short-term bookings throughout the state.  It requires about x square feet of exhibit space.  It can be transported in an average-sized car and set-up and taken down by a single person.  Call (603)505-8447 or email us  to arrange a booking.

“Humanities To Go” Program on the Old Man of the Mountain
Maggie Stier, former board member and executive assistant to the Legacy Fund, offers an entertaining hour-long program, “The Old Man of the Mountain: Substance and Symbol”  at locations throughout the state,  Grants to cover the program cost and speaker’s travel are available from the New Hampshire Humanities Council through their speaker’s bureau, Humanities To Go.  The NHHC event calendar lists currently scheduled programs, which are free and open to the public. www.nhhc.org

Need a free speaker for your Rotary Club or other organization? 
The Legacy Fund’s board members are often available to speak informally to clubs and civic groups about the work of the fund and the efforts to construct a monument to the Old Man of the Mountain.  Call (603)505-8447 or email us to inquire about such a program