Bellwether Trees update version 1
Astronomical Autumn began on Sept 22 this year. These photos were taken around that time to document the progress of this year's fall foliage.
The color began creeping in slowly around mid-September. It can start with a single leaf or a handful of leaves on an otherwise green tree. It seems to start in the swamps and stressed trees along the road.
Here you can see what I call a "bellwether" tree.
While this tree has almost entirely cloaked itself in its autumn attire, the rest of the trees in the photo have not even begun the process.
A wether is a castrated male sheep. The term "bellwether" refers to the dominant sheep fitted with a bell around its neck that leads the flock. The bell tells the shepherd where the flock is heading. The term then refers to something that helps predict where things are going.
Notice that the tree above already has a good start on a fluffy bed of leaf drop to help facilitate our annual Snoopy and Charlie Brown ritual.
You rake, I jump.
I picked today to post this blog to correspond to the sketch by Thomas Cole below that I believe was done 197 years ago.
It captures the spirit of our early foliage season and hints at the profuse and brilliant reds, oranges and yellows of the peak season to come.
Entitled View Near Tamworth, New Hampshire; In The White Mountains, the sketch now resides in the collection of the Detroit Institute of Arts. FMI follow this link here.
You can download a high resolution TIFF from this website and check my observations. The website describes the medium as watercolor, graphite pencil, pen and black ink on off-white wove paper
The image is not dated, but using evidence in the artwork itself, combined with Cole's record of this trip, I conclude it was probably drawn on Oct 2, 1828, the day before he and a fellow artist Pratt climbed Chocorua.
Looking at the top half of the sketch, one might assume that is a view of Chocorua...
...but it is not.
Chocorua was a very popular subject for artists. They painted it from many directions. To see some of the many artworks see this White Mountain Art website here.
The actual mountain peaks depicted in the sketch are well known for those who live in and love the White Mountains. For those of you "from away," the answer can be found if you start with the most famous view of Chocorua and visit this pull over along rt 16 known as Chocorua Basin View. To get directions go to this website here.
To learn about the mountain peaks you can see from here there is a handy interpretive sign.
from right to left
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Notice Chocorua has three knobs along the ridge to the right that are not seen in the sketch.
insert sketch again here?
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A sign with this same profile of mountain peaks can be seen from nearby White Lake State Park
Here is a detail of the view and the sign below.
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put here about the alternating pyramid and flat? mountain peaks
from left to right list names
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pyramid, toadback, pyramid
chocorua, Paugus, Passaconaway, Wonalancet,
all Indian names
toadback paugus flanked to the east and west by triangle, pyramid shapes of Chocorua and Passaconaway
see previous blogs 5 guys and theclio
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back to the sketch
insert pic again?
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At the top of the page Cole wrote "View near Tamworth NH." In the middle of the page he continued "In the W. Mountains"
the page has two sections divided by a horizontal line
start with upper section
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insert pic top sketch again?
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Let's try to see if we can find a more exact location from which this sketch was made. Unlike Chocorua, this part of the Sandwich Range was not a popular vista for artists, so it takes a bit more sleuthing. For this we will turn to maps.
Part of problem to id the specific location it that the area is now 80-90% forested
during Cole's time area would be 80-90% clear due to farming
so one may not even be able to find a place to get an exact match
However to get a rough idea we will start with an 1816 map to identify roads Cole and Pratt could have traveled on twelve years earlier. You can view the map online here. This website has an excellent zoom feature to study the map closely.
we know from the journal and other sketches that they travelled through Center Harbor, Red Hill, Squam Lake,
roads identified as dotted lines
rivers as solid lines
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1816 map does not show Paugus or Passaconaway
they would be on that ill defined hatch marked ridgeline labeled Sandwich Mountains between Chocorua (spelled Corway) Peak in the town of Burton (now Albany) and Whiteface Mt. in then ungranted land.
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the likely route they would have taken, lead to Center Sandwich village,
where 5 points converge just above the "h" in Sandwich.
then probably the road leading northeast
shape nearly matches current 113A
from Center Sandwich to North Sandwich
insert pic usgs to match these locations
or 1860, etc. from LOC, etc.
see 1931 nurses map and other paper maps I have of the area, tamworth only?
lidar and usgs overlays, etc.
blue link to NH Stone Wall Mapper here.
click on the "OK" in the blue box bottom right, but
without additional evidence can't be sure
then Whiteface, then east crossing the town line for Tamworth town
then curve north to Wonalancet (a village in Tamworth)
then east around Great Hill Pond
then southeast down to Tamworth Village identified on the 1861 map as Gilman M (for Gilman Mill)
where they wrote stayed night
all this of course but only conjecture
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to find out more precisely where it could have been
map use yardstick looking to line up a bend in a river with the conjunction of the mountain peaks
where the river bends the way it does in the sketch
the 1816 map not clearly show rivers
so we turn to USGS maps
insert pic deb take of me doing that
use USGS maps
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Unfortunately for finding the view, the area is now heavily forested
during cole's time, 80 - 90% cleared for farming
move comparison pic up here?
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so to get a sense of where it could be from we have to do a field trip to an area that has a clear view known in New England as intervales,
options include Ferncroft, Wonalancet, Whiteface, Beede Flats, and Fellows Hill Road
fieldwork and map work
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near Durgin Bridge over the Cold River.
The original bridge was built in 1828, so Cole may have passed through here or forded the brook/stream like he often did
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add pic of durgin bridge sign
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currently being restored
during Cole's time area would be 80-90% clear due to farming
now 80-90% forested
thanks to local residents mowing
we can get a glimpse of an approximate location
likely near here
insert photos
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old maps here or later?
see 1931 nurses map and other paper maps I have of the area, tamworth only?
1816, 1860, etc. from LOC, etc.
lidar and usgs overlays, etc.
blue link to NH Stone Wall Mapper here.
click on the "OK" in the blue box bottom right,
USGS Quad map 26, Mount Chocorua
use string to map out peaks with bends in the river
river sharply curves
road along the river
with handwritten notes of
distance, color,
details of cole notations for view here
match to photos i took
do up cole "view" in theclio
and wma org follow footsteps chrono and geo
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notations on the left he wrote "bank" and "stream"
to the right on the other side of the stream he wrote "meadow"
throughout the scene he depicts standing dead trees or snags as we know them.
in the band of trees, row of trees along the far side of the stream he wrote "? forest"
beyond the forest, he uses a single simple line to depict the familiar outline or profile of mountain peaks
contour
ridgeline
ridge
ledge
during Cole's time area would be 80-90% clear due to farming
now 80-90% forested
a clue to this
farms,
lidar
for the most part did not build stone walls in the forest,
yet here they are
previous blog stone walls and shepherd songs
thanks to local residents mowing
we can get a glimpse of an approximate location
likely near here
the peak on the right Paugus (3,198 ft) and the one in the center Passaconaway (4,043 ft) in the Sandwich Range Wilderness of the White Mountain National Forest.
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best photo I could get to match
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the best option, Fellows Hill Road, in Sandwich NH, the adjacent town just west of Tamworth,
so near not in Tamworth
Fellows Hill Road
near house built by Stephen Fellow in 1806
author and historian Cornelius Weygandt lived there in 1941 (in p. 23)
113 years after Cole passed by
when his chapter
7 Miles to Tamworth Vill. pp. 20-27.
published in his book November Rowen, 1941,
explain what rowen is
during Cole's time area would be 80-90% clear due to farming
now 80-90% forested
thanks to local residents mowing
we can get a glimpse of an approximate location
likely near here
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on Passaconaway with its distinctive pyramid shape he wrote "10 m"
indicating he estimated the peak to be ten miles away
google maps tells us ...
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he very accurately indicates ledges on Passaconaway
and a knob on the left
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to the right he outlines the profile of Paugus
with its several knobs
on its face, just below the peak he sketched what we recognize as the "Kilroy" feature on Paugus.
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compare with photo
Paugus trails from www
Chocorua Lake Conservancy, Chocorua Mountain Club here.
old shag
toad back
FMI on name toad back see here.
see wodc old and new maps under bed
also tamworth maps old, 1816, 1840, etc.
lower section
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in the foreground on the left he wrote "Rock bank with yellow trees"
on the large rock on the right he wrote "grey"
in the middle band left to right he wrote "green," "rich brown," "earth bank," "yellow, "
continuing across the stream he wrote " evergreens?" and another word I can't make out.
beyond above the forest row, above the dead tree on the left he wrote "? with ? foliage"
While some notations are indecipherable to me what I can read on the mountains from left to right he wrote the following descriptive terms:
ledges
yellow and brown
insert detail pics of these sections?
to the right he sketched a few vertical lines that indicate a ravine down which flows Whitin Brook on the mountainside
that matches the photo
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lawrence trail?
over the "valley" he wrote
gray
whitish
gray ? dark
yellowish
indicating a scar,
coulwar?
patches
exposed ledge
slab
ravine
near the top of the peak he wrote "white patches"
and above the peak he wrote "5 miles"
To me, this seems to be just further along the stream, north and east?
you see the road along the stream on the left
these clues in the artwork and Cole's journal of his 2nd trip to the White Mountains leads me to conclude it was probably painting on Oct 2, 1828
link to journal, manuscript original here at DIA here.
typescript Erwin through Jstor here.
you can register for a free account to read the essay
From Cole journal
"We left Concord at 4 o'clock in the morning of the 2 Oct. 1828 it was very dark and the rain fell in torrents..."
He goes on to write "...Leaving Centre harbour, the magnificent range of the Sandwich Mountains opened upon us -
This range without exception - (in forms & colour) is the most picturesque in the United states.
(Cole repeats this sentiment in his Essay on American Scenery, that the Sandwich Range is the best, he is also revealing the route, Concord NH to Center Harbor, what route would that have been? see his 1827 trip, itinerary too)
high praise for a man who knew well landscape of New England
from Catskills to Acadia
with the stage set, now to the watercolor section
with the stage set, now to the watercolor section
in the center of this section, watercolor to depict the "tints"
a grouping of about eleven trees
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Cole's journal continues "The forests in the valley below the Sandwich Mountains are of a rich and varied. and as we passed them in many places we could not help they called forth our admiration - The rich tints of autumn were upon them Not Every variety of tints and form and fine(?) light and shadow was upon them Not Every variety of tints and form and fine (?) light and shadow was upon them and the sun which now in his decline shone upon them with full splendour and lighted The foliage of the American forest exceeds is wonderfully beautiful in colour in the early part of Autumn - Every tint is on them from the lightest to the darkest green - from the straw colour to bright yellow from orange to scarlet, from crimson to purple. with all the browns olives &c and these more brilliant than the artist can place on his pallet and yet often so blended and harmonized together as to make a delightful whole."
in the posted version I cut the beautiful bit
perhaps put it back in because of cole notations on that image?
problem is it is dated Sept 30 before they left Concord NH, but were perhaps on their way from Boston?
or do this in 2026 as a new blog
problem is it is dated Sept 30 before they left Concord NH, but were perhaps on their way from Boston?
or do this in 2026 as a new blog
or?
Cole used similar language in notations he made on this sketch a few days earlier dated September 30, 1828,
Cole used similar language in notations he made on this sketch a few days earlier dated September 30, 1828,
however, his thoughts of that day were not recorded in his journal of the trip
assume this location was north of Boston, south of Concord NH.
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Titled "Beautiful Groups of Pines; Tints from Maples, New Hampshire" this artwork is dated sept 30, 1828
The date is just below the splotches of color.
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Tints from maples sept 30, 1828
there is nothing in the sketch that helps to identify the location
according to the travel journal this would have been before he and his companion were in Concord NH
FMI follow this link here.
FMI follow this link here.
The website describes the medium as watercolor and graphite pencil on off-white wove paper.
The image is divided into two sections separated by a horizontal line.
The image is divided into two sections separated by a horizontal line.
The notations describe and compare the pines and the maples
The top panel
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You can see the number 1 to the right of the tall pine in the right hand corner of the page.
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he keyed the text with numbers that correspond on the sketch
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text
below the trees he wrote (copy/ck with gdoc)
Beautiful group of pines
1 tall pine very dark
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on the left are five splotches of color
to the right of the green splotch he wrote the number 1.
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to the right of the top splotch he wrote the number 2.
also seen below the tall tree on the right, in the empty space below
#2 text
2 Chestnut tawny colour
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see the #3 to the lower left
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The number 3 in the text corresponds to the number 3 in the sketch
3 rich pine full and in some parts tawny and generally light warm for a pine
This time of year, the White Pines do show a bit of "tawny" color.
particularly like the drought conditions we have had recently
some of the leaves show browning
pine barrens around Concord NH,
Karner Blue, Nabakov
Below the horizontal line he wrote "The White pine is a tall stately and often picturesque tree particularly when seen in groups its trunk is generally straight, though often bending suddenly towards the top - "
You can see what he is describing, writing about in this detail of the artwork.
the tall tree on the right
tied to its history and nature ...
"trunk is generally straight, "
"trunk is generally straight, "
"though often bending suddenly towards the top - "
straight mast tree
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he continues his description of the form, shape of White Pine
"trunk is generally straight, "
"though often bending suddenly towards the top - "
Cole continues "? forms of the trunk is often so much hidden by its foliage that it is far from disagreeable"
"the branches ? ? trunk horizontally generally turning up at the ends - but then higher branches often ? up ? often there are dead branches ? in young trees is a cool dark green - but when older ? in some parts tawny - when the sun shines on the pines in the evening it takes on an extremely warm rich green"
writes with skill of naturalist if not scientist
one of the trees in the left group shows a split trunk
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while he does not describe this feature of the White Pine, there is a reason behind it...
white pine weevil
splitting trunk in two
tender shoots of the terminal bud
insert pics
tree responds
in the lower panel he did splotches of color
swab of paint
sprays of color
patchwork quilt
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Beneath the color splotches he wrote "Tints from maples sept 30, 1828"
delicate
translucent kaleidoscopic
quality of light this time of year
watercolor particularly appropriate, to capture these ephemeral ... moments
properties of
watercolor techniques here or later?
link to ARTIC Homer techniques and tools
complex color tones
free brushwork
light, thin wash, adding more pigment
dry brush
wet on wet paper
overlaying colors or keeping them separate
adjacent harmony, colors on the color wheel
sponging, scratching
In the maple beautiful gradations sometimes in one tree is seen red on the extremities of the
below the date he wrote, "The gradation of colour was extremely beautiful
More brilliant that I have represented"
He continues "The maple is one of the most beautiful trees of the American Forest"
"Its stem rises gracefully with branches leaning obliquely upwards and bending at the ends as beneath the weight of its foliage. The foliage is luxuriant in the extreme."
"Its stem rises gracefully with branches leaning obliquely upwards and bending at the ends as beneath the weight of its foliage. The foliage is luxuriant in the extreme."
"? and in ? projecting masses. Scarcely a stem is to be seen - Its colours are the most brilliant imaginable - in spring a light warm tender transparent green - in Summer darker, in Autumn yellow, orange, vermillion, crimson, tawny green, rich green, purple, and its higher branches orange or yellow on the lower parts and on the extremities of lower branches Then comes the green in the interior parts - the bark is a delicate gray"
insert here about watercolor t&e?
insert here about watercolor t&e?
During the 19th century watercolor paint sets were available
watercolor popular as a hobby for the wealthy and well traveled.
American Made watercolor paint box by George C. Osborne1830- 1840
Osborne was was one of the few 19th century American makers of artists paint. Many artists of the time believed the especially clear paint colors by Osborne to be equal or better to any made in Europe. The paints for an Osborne paint box were made by Smith & Hodgson which later became the Bullock & Crenshaw's Drug and chemical store, in Philadelphia from 1820 to around the 1840'sLewis Haehnlen took over manufacturing the watercolor paints around the 1850's to possibly 1860's This large box is earlier from 1830's to 1840's
smaller set
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American Made: George C. Osborne watercolor boxed set Manufactured by George C Osborne in Philadelphia around 1827-30 The lid of this box slides out to reveal a wonderful of 10 different watercolors. The colors won them an award for being as good as the best British made paints of the time; as noted on the label not for sale The re-wettable paint cakes have a embossed Eagle on one side and the name on the color on the back side. Photo below showing the front and the back sides beneath.
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FMI here.
smaller even,
traveling set
pencil, quill pen, ink
no color
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insert example of cole b&w ink wash
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FMI here.
while not know of a documented surviving Cole watercolor set, we do know of watercolor sets from
....
John Constable, Turner,
Winslow Homer
loose, spontaneous
During Cole's life watercolor was used primarily as a study to help later studio oil painting.
During Cole's life watercolor was used primarily as a study to help later studio oil painting.
As a .. comparison, we do have Thomas Cole's oil paint box
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FMI on this paint box follow here.
note the oil paints stored in pig bladders at the bottom left.
FMI on the role of farmers in art, art of farming, see blog here
taste for the fine arts
While I have not found any Cole oil paintings to match these sketches, in 1839 after his third and final trip to New Hampshire, Thomas Cole applied his careful observation and analysis of autumn colors and his research into color theory later when he took a sketch he did in summer into a portrait of full autumn foliage.
applied Autumn colors to a sketch he did in Summer
FMI see our previous blog here.
insert cole sketch and notch oil
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painting NGA
study the color of fall and pines in cole notch
FMI on Cole's view of the notch see previous blog here.
During the later part of the 19th century, watercolor started becoming more acceptable as a finished work of art,
J.M.W. Turner,
John Singer Sargent
Winslow Homer watercolors at MFA Boston from November 2, 2025 to January 19, 2026. FMI follow this link here.
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Societies devoted to elevating watercolor's status were established to promote its diversity and encourage popularity among professional artists and amateurs.
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The peak period for Fall foliage (and tourists) is usually around Oct 12 or so.
It is also around that time that the weather turns crisp, tart and dry like the taste of Northern Spy apple. I had my first one this year on September 27. hollow hill orchard in Tamworth
insert pic northern spy apple
perhaps my cell phone photo? it seems i did not take pictures there?
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FMI follow this link here.
and our previous blogs here.
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According to tradition, that apple was named for its reputation as a "spy" apple because its late bloom helped farmers "detect" frost in their orchards.
So it is in fact, a bellwether apple.
temps, cool, morning and night more frequent fires in the fireplace.
humidity
comfortable during the day
on Sept 28 noticed beginning of that phase where the leaves drop like rain, shower down like rain
twisty tornado created by car ahead
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