MWM Collection Highlights and Finding Aids
The MWM preserves and promotes the history, culture, and environmental legacy of the region, and provides collections-based, archival, and digital learning resources to researchers, students, and the public. A few of our most significant collections are:
Dan Noel Collection
Dan and Victoria Noel
The Dan Noel Collection is the Founding Collection of the Museum of the White Mountains. In 2010, the late Daniel Noel, a life-long state resident, White Mountains photographer, and collector, gave PSU his lifetime collection of White Mountains related materials. The collection includes thousands of archival materials and images, including rare glass-plate photographs, stereoscopic images, hotel ledgers, postcards, early and first edition books about the region, bird’s-eye views and maps, framed Bartlett prints, paintings, and other significant White Mountains ephemera.
Click here for more details about this collection and to view the finding aid
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Karl Drerup Collection
Karl Drerup, St. Hubert’s Vision. Oil on canvas.
Plymouth State University proudly owns many works by Karl Drerup (1904-2000) who was Plymouth State Teachers College’s first art professor. When the Karl Drerup Art Gallery moved up the hill to become part of the Museum of the White Mountains in 2017, the collection moved with it. Some of his works were given directly by the artist, and some have been given over the years by alumni and friends of the artist. Several of the works from the collection are on view in various spaces on campus and in the Museum of the White Mountains. Works from the collection are being cataloged and will eventually be added to the PSU’s Digital Collections page.
Click here to view a selection of Drerup works owned by the University
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John “Jack” and Anne Newton Collection
Jack and Anne Newton
In 2012, John W. (Jack) and Anne H. Newton of South Natick, Massachusetts, gave their 6,000 volume collection of White Mountains related books, maps, and historical materials to the MWM. It includes complete or almost complete collections of various White Mountains-related publications including: Appalachia Journal, Appalachian Mountain Club Bulletin, Mount Washington Observatory Bulletin, New Hampshire Troubadour, and New Hampshire Profiles Magazine, the AMC White Mountain Guide, as well as many early and first edition books, pamphlets, trail guides, and other ephemera related to the White Mountains.
Click here for more details about this collection and to view the finding aid
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Frances “Dolly” MacIntyre Collection
From the MacIntyre collection
In 2012, Frances “Dolly” MacIntyre of Florida donated 18 works of White Mountain art painted by female artists in the 19th and 20th century to the MWM. MacIntyre gathered these works while writing her thesis, ” Women Artists in the White Mountains, 1840-1940.” Works from this collection were most recently displayed in the MWM’s exhibition “Taking the Lead: Women and the White Mountains.”
Click here to view the collection
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English Collection
From the English Journals
In 2014, the English family donated six journals written by Walter H. James, Ida Rachel James, and L. Ardena Butterfield between 1899-1926. The journals contain firsthand accounts of their camping, packing, and tramping trips across New England and the White Mountains, as well as hundreds of vintage monochrome photographs, maps, and other illustrations. In 2005, Ben English, Jr. and Jane English published the journals as Our Mountain Trips.
Click here to view the collection
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Steve Barba Collection
Steve Barba
In 2018, Stephen Barba donated his personal collection of memorabilia and related materials gathered from Barba’s career spent at The BALSAMS Grand Resort Hotel, in Dixville Notch, NH. Items include a collection of postcards, brochures, books, notebooks, art, photographs, china, and other misc. materials related to the BALSAMS, the White Mountains, and New Hampshire.
Barba spent 48 years at The BALSAMS in Dixville Notch working his first three summers as a caddy and more than three decades as president and managing partner. In his first twelve summers Barba worked at a variety of the Hotel’s seasonal jobs where he learned the art of service and earned the rewards of hard work. Throughout his years in management he served as an active volunteer and leader in many professional and community organizations. He received numerous awards, including: the National Resort Executive of the Year; Master of New England Inn-keeping; New Hampshire Innkeeper of the Year; New Hampshire Business Leader of the Year; and he was honored for his life-time achievements by eight state and regional organizations.
Click here for more details about this collection and to view the finding aid
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Dick Hamilton Collection
“No. 24. Profile House, and Eagle Cliff, Franconia Notch White Mts.” Dick Hamilton Collection
In 2019, Richard “Dick” Hamilton donated a portion of his collection of photographs, stereoviews, advertising brochures and booklets, articles, menus, correspondence, and other ephemera related to the hotels of the White Mountain region to the Museum. The majority of the materials date from New Hampshire’s grand hotels period, 1870-1920.
Dick Hamilton grew up in Conway, NH and now resides in Littleton, NH. Hamilton began his career at age 13 as the bellhop at the Eastern Slope Inn, located in North Conway. In 1956, Dick became the executive director of Ski 93. In 1970, he was named Executive Director of White Mountain Attractions. Hamilton was one of the original founders of the New Hampshire Travel Council. He was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award by the Travel Council in 1997.
Click here to view digitized photographs from this collection
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Terry Downs, “A New Hampshire Village in Poetry and Print” Artwork Suite
“On the Mill Road”, Terry Downs
In 2019, PSU Faculty Emeritus and printmaker, Terry Downs, donated 38 artworks to the Museum. The New Hampshire Village project is a ten year collaboration between Downs and poet, Edie Patridge, resulting in a collection of artwork and poetry that came together to represent familiar places, landmarks, or vistas in the village of Rumney, NH, where the artists both reside.
Terry Downs came to Plymouth State University in 1971, where he taught art for 46 years until his retirement in 2017. He was the founding Director of the Karl Drerup Art Gallery, and inspired countless students during his long career at PSU.
Click here to view the prints from this collection
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President’s Permanent Collection of Student Art
This collection contains Plymouth State University student artwork acquired annually by the University President. These pieces are selected from the Annual Student Juried Art Exhibit to become part of the President’s Permanent Collection. Students whose work is chosen receive an award and are honored by having their work become part of the collection. Throughout the years this body of artwork has grown and is available for loan to display in offices across campus.