White Horse Ledge B v3 climber geologist

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send draft to Athea 

others for permission 

before posting 

then do a theclio on this easel spot for this painting and for intervale scenic vista too

At first glance, the painting above seems like a pretty generic landscape that could be almost anywhere. 

However, if you look closely, it has many stories to tell about a very specific place in New Hampshire's White Mountains just a few miles north of the Conway Public Library's Henney History Room. You can basically see the same view today from the same "easel spot" with few changes. 

While many observers might be drawn first to the tallest peak (North Moat Mountain), crowned by a halo of pink and silver-edged clouds and silhouetted by the setting sun, I would like to draw your attention instead to the lower, rounded, dark knob just to the right of the painting's center point. 

Hiding in the shadows here are a few small, simple, seemingly insignificant brushstrokes. Captured in subtle shades of gray, these brushstrokes can easily be missed or misunderstood by art historians and casual observers alike. However, placed into a variety of historical, cultural and scientific contexts they can be "read" to reveal chapters of meaning hidden in the artwork. 

For example, can you spot the "white horse" for which the ledge is named in the detail of the painting below? 

It is right there for all to see, but I doubt that many do, at least at first, without some guidance. 

Here it is outlined in yellow below. 

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and in closer detail below. 

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How about now that the white horse is outlined below in a yellow box?

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The white horse is a quartz rock formation from which the painting gets part of its title. The painting is in the collection of the High Museum in Atlanta Georgia. The museum's website lists the painting's title as Moat Mountain and White Horse Ledge, Study, North Conway, New Hampshire and the artist as James David Smillie (1833-1909). It is dated September 1867.  

For more information on the painting there see this link here. (I am indebted to Athea King, Assistant to the Chief Curator and Director of Collections and Exhibitions at the High Museum of Art for her assistance with research on this painting). 

It is not clear from the available records exactly how this painting came to have "Moat Mountain and White Horse Ledge" in the title, but the description is accurate. 

White horse ledge was a popular tourist destination in the nineteenth century and remains so today, but for different reasons now that would shock those early tourists. (I'll give you a hint: it has to do with carabiners, cracks, shallow dihedrals and spectacular dikes).     

This is actually the first of several blogs we will do on this painting. In this first blog we will look at this painting from the perspective of the sport of rock climbing and science of geology. 

future blogs we will look at this same painting from tourist, artist community, and farmer. 

Let's take an even closer look at the rock ledge as depicted in the painting. 

Now can you see the white horse? 

How about now that the white horse is outlined below in a yellow box?

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It is not common practice to display post cards with artworks. 

I don't remember seeing many artworks displayed with post cards, but I think in this case if this were to be displayed it would helps understand the art better to display post cards next to it. 

The Conway Public Library's Henney History Room has a number of post cards in which the white horse has been enhanced and encircled as seen in the post card below. 

Here are some more examples of these popular tourist souvenirs.  

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Now look at the same section of the painting and you can see another feature known as the "roof" outlined in yellow.   below and to the right of the white horse. 

another feature known at the "Roof" can be seen to the right of the horse below its feet and to the right of the horse. in the painting x 

back to the detail of the painting, 

If you look at all the post cards above again, you will notice that the "roof" can be seen in all of them. I bet you didn't notice the roof before, but it well known by rock climbers and geologists. 

another feature known at the "Roof" can be seen to the right of the horse below its feet and to the right of the horse. in the painting x 

back to the detail of the painting, 

insert pic roof here 

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Now let's look at the granite dome from the perspective of the geologist 

the painting not as generic way, 

in the roof and the slabs to the right of the white horse and the roof, you can actually can identify the cracks, the 

onion skin exfoliation of the geologist 

FMI here. 

the painting and photos in this blog illustrate geological features

the climbing routes take advantage of these cracks and 

it is these rock patterns that make the cliffs valuable for rock climbers 

So let's compare the detail of the painting we saw before ...

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use yellow boxes to label white horse, roof, slabs 

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the slabs also detailed artistically produced map available at local outdoor outfitters. 

which shows even more routes linked to geological features. 

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promoted as being "visually stunning, amazingly detailed" 

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Rock climbing super-topo

it is indeed 

published 2003 by TMC Books 

has phone # to call 

credits the text, photos and digital art by S. Peter Lewis. 

watercolor cliff paintings by T.B.R. Walsh 

combination of photos and artwork, text, diagrams 

shows even more trails, routes than the photodiagram from above 

depicts each crack and crevice as if life depends on it 

in some cases it does, 

use variety of colors and codes/symbols, icons to represent .... 

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ghi

You can see some other extreme wedding photos in a blog draft about adjacent Cathedral Ledge see here.

it is here but need to add the word wedding so they can find it

and here? etc. 

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... with a "photodiagram" of the ledge below as illustrated for rock climbers. 

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this illustration and the accompanying text provides insight into the unique perspective to these geological features.   that Rock climbers have 

FMI see the website here. 

insert the other climbing map here. 

need to insert cover of the rock climbing book here. 

Books, scan p. 148 Handren, North Conway Rock Climbs at cpl here. 
Map
Names of trails, vertical to map numbers on photo/map p. 148
vocabulary 

terminology 

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The roof and many of the distinctive cracks which rock climbers follow are the result of a process the geologists call onion 

As far as I can tell, the painting's artist James Smillie had no formal training as a geologist or experience as a rock climber, however, nature study was part of an artist's study, training. 

Geology was a popular subject on the lecture circuit during the time. For more information about the historic link between art and geology see Rebecca Bedell's The Anatomy of Nature: Geology and American Landscape Painting, 1825-1875. 

While not intending to create a geology guide or map for rock climbing routes, Smillie's  training combined with his natural artistic talent, insight, and eyesight, 

observation skills and recording, documentation 

reveals a remarkable accuracy, able to unconsciously document, record, describe, see 

key, in fact dozens of identifiable, unique, geological features that would be recognizable and named by rock climbers today. 

to better understand the science behind the formation of these features ... 

put here about glacial plucking .... 

Geology of the area
the same kind of insight, accuracy geologists/climbers can imagine, see 

also speaks to climbers/geologists, (who to do first? prob geologists) 

they see 

Physical difference between white horse ledge and cathedral ledge

and between the granite ledges with the Moat Mountain range beyond. 

The Moats 

bedrock geology maps 

online from Conway's arcgis and lidar too? 

lidar usgs maps show road across the intervale 

bit about sheep back here?

compare the two adjacent ledges 

White Horse and Cathedral, 

different patterns, formations due to different nature, composition of the stone, 

crack and erode in different ways 

Talk to a geologist about this

for similar exploration, reading of adjacent Cathedral Ledge see the clio entry, video and blogs  
How created by glaciers (see previous blog on adjacent Cathedral Ledge) here. 

See 

a helpful text book to bring it into context 
Eusden, et. al, Geology of NH (scans, see already scanned book scans, 

cover photo and art 

do not have the pages I want

Eusden, et. al The Geology of New Hampshire's White Mountians available at the Conway Public Library through this link here. 

A different book available at cpl include link to koha entry here. 

Eusden, et. al. pp. 140 

slabs, col, tarn, talus geology  

see also the map surficial geology and the other book presidential range 

now we will switch perspectives from rock scientists to rock climbers

a different type of text book

context 

As we will see, they have a different way of describing the geological features created by the onion exfoliation process studied by geologists. 

Rock climbers have their own unique perspective, language and imagery for/ to these geological features.   

So let's compare the detail of the painting we saw before ...

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... with a "photodiagram" of the ledge below as illustrated for rock climbers. 

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this illustration and the accompanying text provides insight into the unique perspective to these geological features.   that Rock climbers have 

FMI see the website here. 

need to insert cover of the book here. 

Books, scan p. 148 Handren, North Conway Rock Climbs at cpl here. 
Map
Names of trails, vertical to map numbers on photo/map p. 148
vocabulary 

terminology 

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Their own way fascinating way of illustrating their vertical trails

use of “photodiagram” pp. 134-135, 148

The photodiagram shows eight vertical trails or routes on White horse ledge. 

Note they do not feature the actual white horse of the 19th century tourist. 

They view, perceive, see, five sections an “apron of slabs” with “shallow dihedrals” and “spectacular dikes.”

I love it when I have to look up words to read something.

See incredible detail, descriptive interact with nature

as well as poetic, 

Cracks, flakes, crux, bulge, chimney,

they are also evocative with historic and literary references

Honoring those who pioneered them


Includes route names such as loose lips, swinging hips and frog hairs



Climbers have their own unique perspective, epic, appreciation, aesthetics, aesthetic appreciation, beauty, even ironic, droll, sardonic, sense of humor and wonder that is reflected in their descriptions, terminology, vocabulary

I read/approach climbing books as poetry,

Novel like narrative

Lyrical climbing terminology

rock and ice climbing 

extreme sport 

change from when most extreme experience for tourists was to get their feet wet in a wagon and listen for echoes 

see waterman book history climbing etc. at cpl 

started as early as 1922 with a ski jump built into the natural talas slope of adjacent Cathedral Ledge 
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pics ryan rock climbing 

waterman history, rock and crag 

Here is a more detailed photo of the Roof identified in the photo above as Area letter C above 

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photo detail below from website here. 

The roof and slabs on the ledge as well as the sandy beach of Echo Lake can also be seen in the painting below by George Inness, Sold Thomaston Place Auction Galleries, Thomaston, Maine on August 29 2020. 

fmi here. 

notice the similarities between the paintings and photographs in water stains, edges and patterns of the forested areas. Below is a closer detail. 

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The area to the right of the roof is known as the slabs. The slabs also make a good place for a "white wedding" 

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FMI 

see here. 

email ok to use this photo? and the text, info 

The photo is accompanied by some interesting comments such as "I'm just glad Natasha was leading... that route is scary!! She hammered 3 new pins and added 5 bolts to Standard Route. By hand on the lead, of course. It should be a lot safer now."

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You can locate the "Standard Route" labelled "G" on the photodiagram we saw before. 

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... and you can easily identify it on the Smillie painting as well. 

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You can see a bit of an adjacent ledge in the Smillie? can see it in the Bierstadt. 

tie to blog on nearby cathedral ledge 

how climbers changed that title on the Albany painting 

call/email Albany on that 

then send them copy my blog, etc. the clio, video reel history 

Insert pic of the Albany Durand painting 

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FMI see their webpage on the painting here. 

They have pdf of their labels. See number 3 here. 

They also have nice virtual tour in which you can find the painting here. 

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the physical label (but not the webpage or the pdf label) credits a specific "rock climber who saw the painting ..."

interesting collaboration with visitor and curators. 

open mind, willing to learn, adapt, update, 

sadly not always the case with art historians and curators 

see previous blog here for the still unresolved case tale of two paintings. 

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send albany my info on this painting 

large rocks in the foreground formed feature known as the devil's den 

talus slope used as ski jump 

wonder if they would add that to label, or at least webpage, files 

log to do up the clio on wh ledge and echo lake when these blogs done and can link to that

put after rock climbing, 

If you want to explore the area is a less strenuous, less extreme manner, you can take some of the many hiking trails through the woods to reach top

see bcltp pics to add, wm trail collective, etc. work on stone steps, retaining walls, 

pic trail map bryce-path-and-whitehorse-ledge-trail 

and/or cathedral, echo lake and white horse 

add if don't want to summit by rock, can walk through the woods to reach top

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put hiking in this blog or later with tourism? 

maybe both, 

or say we will explore these trails in more detail in a future blog 

cut to blog C tourist artist 

older form/s recreation, slower time, less extreme, with boating on lake, buckboard, feet wet most thrilling and dangerous  

see there 

online hiking trail maps 

put the wedding here 

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To better understand the geology of the, underlying the artwork, 

for more on geology let's look at another painting showing White Horse ledge by Albert Bierstadt and others of the scene from intervale vista from the geologist's perspective 

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zebra 

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Note the low ramp like shape of the northeast or right part of the ledges compared to the sharp broken cliffs of the left or southeast part of the ledges. 

This is the classic iconic "sheep back" shaped ledges known in French as "roche moutonnee" For more information see this link here. 

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previous blog on this here. ? 

fmi on this view see my article "Patterns in the Landscape" in Beyond the Notches, pp. 103-108, where I cover the role played by settlement history trends, folklore, fire, soils, plants, ecology, history, geology, agricultural history, floods, hydrology, in shaping this view. see scan and post link to archive org and/or expand on it with my old notes

fmi see previous blog here, (about nearby Cathedral Ledge has glacial plucking pics, virtual bob, etc.), theclio here (need to do), wma com here. 

The characteristic rock cliffs that we see are the results of glacial polishing and plucking and ongoing freeze and thaw cycles. 

The characteristic rock formation that we see here ongoing freeze and thaw cycles. 

insert rock fall, talus slope here or elsewhere? maybe with bierstadt currier

when do that be sure to compare currier photo bierstadt with painting 

to better understand what is going on here geologically let's go back around 10,000 years ago when this area was covered by glaciers. 

note the "farthest fallen block" it below. 

now go up along the talus slope 

define this term, 

talus cone 

fmi see this link here.

We will get to the dome in a bit, but let's jump over the dome and look at the range of mountains behind 

they are volcanic, see bedrock geology map 

sheep back mountains, glacial action, plucking 

use pics from this blog here. 

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Cottrell, patterns, beyond notches p. 108 also ravaged by fire

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This logo used by Friends of the Ledges similar to the Bierstadt painting. 

abstracted view 

friends of the ledges here. 

wm trail collective here. 

access fund here.

etc. 

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in conclusion, while not immediately obvious, upon closer examination it reveals fascinating 

If you look closely, there are a number distinctive, identifying, details that may go unnoticed unless pointed out, examined closely and 

more associations revealed, unveiled 

more to this painting that meets the eye, at first seems typical, 

more to this painting than first appears, apparent 

When reframed in context with period maps, guidebooks, archival from the Conway Public Library's Henney History Room. 

illuminated, illuminates 

suggest art historians and exhibit curators expand their thinking. Their course of study should include geology, agricultural history, etc. 

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for a number of years I have been using art to inform history, nature and science and using multiple perspectives academic disciplines and extreme sports to inform art. 

in different projects I have worked with specialists to provide unique perspectives on art including anthropologist, botanist, farmer, meteorologist,  maritime historians, cartographers, etc. (see notes vitae re: florida painters grant) 

this painting provides fascinated changing attitudes over time

farmers productivity of land, protecting crops and livestock 

then discovered by tourist promoters, including artists, but also seen in tourist guide books, newspapers, etc. hotels, roads and bridges, 

floating bridge 

then loggers and quarrymen who saw a different kind of product, more destructive use

then activated preservationists 

to rock climbers who see in the same landscape an adventure that never seen before

what next? 

leave view from the top and then start next blog with that

add virtual bob? at the end

see you next time! 

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