Guidebooks served a variety of purposes for tourists. The Reverend Thomas Starr King‘s 1859 book sought “to direct attention to the noble landscapes that lie along the routes.” Samuel Eastman’s 1858 book described routes through the mountains and included a map. Moses F. Sweetser’s 1876 guidebook gave vivid descriptions of the mountains.

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Franklin Leavitt began producing maps of the White Mountains for tourists in 1852. While the maps were “cartographically ludicrous,” when viewed as souvenirs for tourists, they make sense.  Large and detailed, the maps conveyed the appeal of the mountains to the city dwellers when travelers brought them home for display. Winter nights studying Leavitt’s maps inspired more people to visit the mountains.

• Drawn to the White Mountains
• Franconia Notch
• Northern Presidentials
• Summit of Mount Washington
• Crawford Notch
• Conway Valley
• Guidebooks and Souvenirs
• Return to Exhibition