Shortly after posting about the proposal to replace The Old Man of the Mountain with a glass structure I was contacted by the design’s architect, Francis D. Treves. He expressed concern about the way his design was being represented on the web and that the imagery and information that is widely available was not doing his work justice. Of particular concern was that the cropped, low-resolution photographs found on most websites were not giving an accurate depiction of the design – and that little was said about what these photographs were specifically trying to show. In addition, the technical schematics of the plan were largely unpublished.
Mr. Treves has been taking a bit of a beating in public forums over his idea, and the lack of real information about his proposal has not helped. Even while typing up my original article, I had to resist expressing any personal opinions about the plan… I just could not find out enough about it. So I certainly understand his desire to disseminate quality, accurate information. After all, having people reject your idea when they understand it is one thing… having them reject it when their understanding is partial or inaccurate is something else.
After a phone call and several email exchanges, Mr. Treves and I agreed that Towns and Trails would be a good place to present additional images and information about the project.
Copyright Francis D. Treves Architect All Rights Reserved
The schematic above shows a cross-section of the design. In it you can make out the access tunnel to the skywalk, which would allow visitors to walk out into the glass structure and look out over the valley below. You can also see a gallery with a skylight. But one of the more interesting features of this schematic is that it shows how surface water would be redirected into an internal waterfall within the monument.
This is the type of detail that is largely missing from most of the reports available online. For me, it really helps to drive home the scope and vision of the design. This is not some eclectic modern art project, and it is much more than just a glass replica of The Old Man… it is a monument of ambitious proportions.
Copyright Francis D. Treves Architect All Rights Reserved
This photo, which was widely published in news reports (but in poor quality), is a rendition of the mountain as it might look in the spring. Four of these images were created – one for each season. These conceptual images might be recreated once a more detailed light study is complete. I’m particularly interested in seeing a quality winter composite, which would provide a more accurate visual representation of the inspiration behind the project.
“The grand metaphor with this piece of glass on the mountain is it’s not really a piece of glass, it’s a piece of ice,” Treves said. The Old Man, he added, “was sculpted by the glaciers; the ice gave it birth.”
– The Boston Globe
You can find full-sized versions of both of the images above by clicking on the thumbnails below. There you will also find 3 additional images. One is another springtime composite of the design, but from a farther distance. There is also a previously uncirculated schematic, without the cross-section, which better shows the layering of the 24 glass panels. And the last one is a multi-panel image which includes a “White Massing Model” and a “Light Study Model.” The light study model was used to understand how light would be transmitted through the design.
My hope is that all of this presents Mr. Treves’ proposal more clearly – and in a way that is more closely aligned with his vision. Personally, the additional information has helped me appreciate the magnitude of his design, and grasp the impressive technical scope of it. However, whether a clearer understanding of his design will translate into public support is another thing. Transitioning from a beloved natural monument to a man-made one is a tricky issue, and there are many emotions and attachments involved. Even before considering its potential price tag.
Click on the thumbnails below for full size images
All images: Copyright Francis D. Treves Architect All Rights Reserved
Doesn’t anyone understand that what made the Old Man of the Mountain special was that it was NATURAL?
Why does man always have to be so arrogant to think that he can duplicate or improve that which was created by nature or God?
Just another sleezy attempt to bring in tourist dollars.
As a local growing up in the area, I miss the Old Man. Having driven through the notch countless times and everytime gazing up to see if he was there, I still look up to see him there. Even though he is gone, I can still see him. The exact point in the road where you look up and see, still there. I’m not against the building of a “monument” as long as it doesn’t cheapen what he stands for. A lot of men in the past have blistered their feet and hands to keep him there. My grandfather was one of the first of these men to hike up in the ’40s, to put the first cables on his forehead, so as a tribute to all that have tried to keep him “alive”, he will always be alive in our hearts.
I live in NH and I love the beauty of something that is natural. I don’t like the look of the clear glass. Maybe if it were dark tinted glass to look like it was before. Why not scuplt the old man into the mountain. NH can have its own Mount Rushmore!
How was the original natural? Do you have any idea of the amount of time and energy that went into keeping it from deteriorating (which would have been the natural thing for it to do)?
The original is gone, unless someone puts together the rock puzzle down in the valley. The empty space on the cliff is no longer special nor interesting. This is a way to use the space which will make it special and interesting, and mark where the original was in a way which echoes the original. Even if this structure is eventually abandoned, for centuries the resulting notch in the wall will clearly mark where the Old Man was.
Cool idea !!
Maybe the next project can be a glass re-creation of the glaciers that were here a while back that have also deteriorated over time. : -)
Phil
I live in Europe and visited the area last summer but with an outdated guidebook so was very sad to learn of the Old Man’s demise when I arrived at the small and well kept tourist centre in the valley below.
I think the idea is excellent and agree with other commentors that this is not a heavily tourist area and this initiative is not going to become a megabuck enterprise.
It is no more “artificial” than the work done by many generations of people who have kept the Old Man from collapsing in the past, using props and cables…
Yes they kept fixing it for years so fixing it some more will be as natural as it was to fix it all these years.
Yeah, who needs income
ok i have seen the real blue prints he the arciteck is my cusins brother and you know what, i think its awsome that he is doing this for NH. who in the world would take time of there life to help restore a LAND MARK i mean come on. ya being natrual is speacial but it take a spiecle man to do what he is doing.
I appreciate your reply that something nature has created, no one can reproduce, but aren’t we as human beings, nature? Yet we reproduce and we try to be in the image of God, but what did God really look like?
All we can be are images of what we perceive God looked like, rather, we should be images of what God did and what we can do to better mankind. This isn’t about blasting away on the side of the mountain trying to reformat a shape to resemble the Old Man, it’s a new image to represent what the Old Man was and with today’s technology, make it something special, as special as the natural formed monument. Using the materials we have, all natural, would enhance the spirit of the old man and possibly,we could turn this into a National Monument, like the Grand Canyon or Moab…
Dont you know EVERYONE misses him?
i agree with Redhawk
I rather think it’s a wonderful idea, as it will preserve that old feature in memory, and give a connection to the future what people of old were talking about (so long as it’s maintained–all eventually fades). It’s nice for memories, and it’s not a moral issue, so why’d you have to be a snot Redhawk?
If it’s made by nature, why’s it arrogant? Worshipping like Spinoza are you? If by God, why’d he have a moral objection to something sentimental, good for kids and the populace for memories and enjoying what else He’s made?
Just to be clear I’m for the latter option, but they’re rhetorical questions (said just in case). We get that’s what made it special, and I think it’s appropriate to maintain the memory for history–just encourage them not to do it in a sleazy, car-sales type-hyped way!
I am God and I approve of this project.
It’s like sending grandma’s corpse to the taxidermist and mounting her by the fireplace.
That, or maybe someone wants to honor a natural structure that so many of us didn’t have a chance to see before it collapsed. You know, either way, but I prefer less cynical, makes it easier to get through the day.
You’ve seen pictures, right?
Just because something is gone before YOU had a chance to see it doesn’t mean we should rebuild a cheap facsimile so you don’t miss out.
Get a poster if you want to see the Old Man. Climb Cannon Mountain if you want to learn what’s precious in this world.
My god, what is wrong with you Redhawk, nobody is suggesting that we are replacing Nature, the old man is gone. This is called making the best of a bad situation, putting a memorial up there, and something that a lot of people would be interested in seeing.
I like this. Redhawk gives enviromentalists and conservationists like me a bad name, please ignore the fool!
I like the idea. The old man is gone and it can’t be replaced but it was cool and being able to see an outline of what it was, where it was is a nice way to remember it. It’s not trying to recreate it, but to create something in it’s memory which is what we want.
@redhawk
You seem a bit harsh.
Another attempt?? There’s nothing about NH that’s sleazy. Additionally, the state’s not exactly a boon of tourism; this isn’t Orlando or Vegas.
And the type of tourist who actually gets up North to see the Man, isn’t trapped in a car or chained to his TV. This person is likely to hike around a bit, see some nature. This single man-made piece surrounded by nature is hardly overdoing it.
Also, it seems as though Treves has put some thought and reflection into this idea.
I’ve skiied the Man and his valley, and would love to see the view from the glass.
Is that really all there is to it because that’d be flbaebrgasintg.
Well I think the design looks beautifull. I would love to visit if they do decide to build it.
This installation sounds interesting. I like the idea.
And of course human can improve on nature. That is what we do. We are building dwellers. As Heidegger once said:
“We attain to dwelling, so it seems, only by means of building.”
We make our being, our existence, our space. There is nothing natural about it. Even the natural is only given meaning when we imbue it with meaning. The man in the mountain is and was not a work of art or even anything beautiful. It was just a mound of rocks formed by the nearly incomprehensible scope of geologic time. Not put there by some god that some would naively have us believe. It is only after humans came along and recognized form in it that the mountain attained meaning and in a specific aesthetic sense beauty. The squirrels and deer don’t care about the curvature and shape of the mountain or the man in it. It is us that finds and makes meaning. And so I see no problem paying homage and memory to a past form.
Redhawk: It was a very cool natural feature that’s gone. What is proposed here looks like it would be more of a memorial than a tourist trap. If it is gone why would it be so bad to put something different but related back where it was?
Redhawk, I understand that.
What better way to show our relationship with the natural than to replace much-loved bits of it with artistic homages, as and when they crumble?
It’s sentimental, but cool.
People might argue that man-made structures always detract from natural settings, I’d disagree. But their position is a valid one, I just wish they’d focus on the big stuff. Of all the injustices we might visit on the natural world, this is a minor one, if one at all.
While I understand the enthusiasm Mr. Treves exhibits in his want to replace the iconic landmark for the public, I hope he will reconsider the fact that the significance of the Old Man was in that he was a naturally formed structure.
The mentality of those who would appreciate the Old Man is one of appreciation for nature, and the beauty that only nature can create. To construct such a contrived replica in the resting place of the Old Man would reach to the limbs of irreverence.
Man can do a great many things much better than nature and vice versa. Great architecture is a testament to mankind’s ingenuity; you don’t have to get all upset about this.
Mankind aspires to create and man is inspired by nature.
What a unique and artful way to introduce a viewing area that pays homage to the past.
A very interesting concept.
Am reminded of the glass terrace on the side of the Grand Canyon. Who says looking through a glass forehead out into the valley is especially interesting?
Who is this God you are talking about?
What is his last name and how come he gets to be on par with nature but when someone else tries to make something they are being arrogant?
And what were his parents thinking? Sheesh!
Giving a kid a name like God. Haven’t they ever attended high school?
Hint: Don’t give your kids names of imaginary things. Kid called Fairy, Dragon, Frodo or God will get the shit kicked out of him in high school. Until he flips out and brings a gun to the school.
And then everyone will be like: “Oh god, why did the God kill all those children and why didn’t the police take him out with a sniper sooner?!”
They already have all these scenic lookouts that can be used to view the “New Man of the Mountain”. They have all these signs (including state route markers throughout the state) with either the name or profile of the Old Man. There are lots of motels and little shops that reference it. And then there are all the quarters. Why not build something new so all the old things that made reference to it will still make sense?
Don’t think of it as an affront to God or nature, think of it as recycling! 😉
I am so sick of hearing people talk about how this is’t natural or that is natural. get out of god dam mother fucking suv, go spear a woolly mamouth and then we will talk about whats natural. You know those highways you drive your SUV on god didn’t make them.
I think it is a good idea, the loss of the man on the mountain means loss of tourism in that area, this idea is not to create tourism because it was already there.
It is to remember something that has been a part of all our lives, to memorialize history as it was.
Beside “Redhawk” isn’t it hypocritical to say something made by man is not made by god/nature and still say man is made by god/nature. We are a part of gods creation/nature and any product we make is the result of that god/nature. How ever you look at it our creations are simply byproducts of our natural reactions as a sophisticated social life form.
The natural reaction to a loss is to fill that loss with a substitute, this reaction is no less natural then ice forming and cutting through stone.
No, it’s not hypocritical. And your rationalization is typical of the convoluted twisting of facts that is used by humans to alter things they shouldn’t meddle with.
As as far as your “natural reaction”, then let the engineers figure out how to get the ice to cut through the stone and duplicate what was lost over the same span of time that it occurred naturally.
This does not attempt to duplicate or improve – it pays homage to what was once there.
People want to have a way to remember our fascination with that which nature allowed us to witness for a sliver of its progress through time (the “mass wasting” of rocks).
This project seems to pull that off in a wonderful way.
Redhawk – no such thing as God. I think that a tribute to a natural structure that collapsed is a fine gesture. Don’t be so quick to judge.
They should do it for the lulz
It’s not sleazy, they’re building a large structure to get tourists in. Same method as the Eiffel Tower or the Gateway Arch in St. Louis. It also makes more sense if you remember that most of the income for the region is from tourist dollars. They’re in the same boat Detroit will be when the car companies go out.
Yeah, let’s take an area that bases it’s tourism on NATURE and put in a huge MAN-MADE memorial to a NATURAL rock formation that NATURALLY fell apart. And then let’s compare that to memorials/tourist traps in cities around the world.
Hrm. Let’s not and call it a day. Or, you could take a look at this design instead, which honors nature a bit more than carving out another highly-visible and clearly fake tourist-only attraction.
http://www.oldmanofthemountainlegacyfund.org/memorial-design.htm
You have to admire the ingenuity and artistry of this idea. It’s an interesting option for restoration. My only criticism would be that the glass head might be made to resemble even more closely the original feature, using apropriately dark-tinted glass and/or better conformance to the original contours (some depictions look too rounded at the crown).
As far as the “arrogance of improving that which was created by God”, let’s hope you wear deoderant anyway.
“Why does man always have to be so arrogant to think that he can duplicate or improve that which was created by nature or God?”
Why is man blind to the point of assigning so much worth to some random rock formation that was formed over millions of years by natural erosion, and just happens to have the rough appearance of a face?
That notwithstanding, I think the structure would be a low-key and tempered tribute to the monument. Ghostly.
I don’t think it’s sleazy for NH to collect tourist dollars. The state bears a cost preserving the natural beauty which many visitors enjoy. I’m on the fence though regarding the appropriateness of the monument. It reminds me of the giant glass tetrahedron in front of the Louvre (by I.M. Pei I think?).
As seen on slashdot: “It was a natural formation that had a remarkable, curious structure. You cannot ‘remake’ that. Should Old Faithful stop spewing, are you going to replace it with a pumping structure? In what way is that special? I could dig a hole right here and install a water pump.
What made this monument a monument was that it was a natural curiosity. Remaking it cheapens it.”
[…] article revisiting the replacement of the Old Man of the Mountain was picked up by ”news for nerds” website Slashdot early this morning. Slashdot is a […]
Ah folks, we’re talking here about a pile of rocks that happened to resemble a mans face when seen from a particular angle. Let’s not make this a pagan shrine to an idol. I worship the God of the BIble who most clearly revealed himself in his son Jesus, not a pile of rocks on a mountainside in my beloved NH (No matter what Daniel Webster may have said 😉 This guy wants to recreate it – great, its not like its sacrilege – it was a pile of rocks!
The entire region will continue to have tourists as it always has and having a man made monument in place of the original natural feature is ok by me.
The creation of “Man Made” attractions is truly American and part of our history. Look at some of the other attractions in the area like “The Flume”. A natural destination made accessible by man. It’s also protected and maintained to insure its beauty for many years to come.
Anyone ever been to Mt. Rushmore?
As this is in the White Mountain National Park, federal involvement would be required to make this project happen, therefore additional hard earned tax dollars spent to make this happen. I’m sorry NH has lost their rock, but I really don’t think the majority of Americans would want their tax dollars wasted on the red tape that would need to be navigated to build this monument.
This project would also require drastic changes to the surrounding unstable geological environment and supplemental infrastructure (roads, parking, tourist comfort and support). Our national parks were created to protect and preserve nature as it naturally exists – this means preserving the effects of any naturally occuring changes – including the resulting landslide that removed the face. Implementing this project would violate the very purpose that Teddy Roosevelt’s National Park Act was created for.
Taxes,
Please take the time to educate yourself of the differences between a national park and a national forest. There is no White Mountain National Park.
After that, please feel free to continue to spew vitriol regarding your precious tax dollars.
I’ll get off your lawn now.
I think that this is a quite promising proposal – if anything it draws attention to the natural forces that shaped the mountain originally.
As a rock climber who has climbed Cannon Cliff several times, I have to say that this is an extremely bad idea. First, Cannon is beautiful as is, and doesn’t need any improvement. Second, Cannon is quite unstable: some may not know that for years before the Old Man FELL OFF, folks had been trying to stabilize it with cement and cables. Slides at other locations are a frequent occurence, and spontaneous rock fall occurred every time I was there.
The modest number of tourist dollars that might result from this project can’t make up for the damage that will be done to the mountain, and there is a decent chance that the glass Old Man might go the same way the stone one did. What’s next? A casino on top of Mt Washington? Please leave this beautiful place alone.
This will never get built, never even have a chance. It’s so much against the local character and mindset, and has absolutely no local support, that it doesn’t even rise to the level of crackpot idea. No one in NH likes the idea, no one feels the need to build a replacement Old Man.
This is above and beyond the fact that it isn’t an appropriate homage to the Old Man; it’s more like building a Disney attraction on a battlefield. The project that is already being built is on the ground and of a much more appropriate scale.
BTW, it’s in Franconia Notch State Park. There’s no National Park in the area, the surrounding forest is National Forest which operates under very different regulations under the Dept of Agriculture.
There is a large contingency in NH that is for this! It is not that we feel a need to “replace” The Old Man, but to honor what was once there, beloved, and don’t want to be forgotten. This design is beautiful and everyone I talked to wants to walk out on that observation deck.
Stop sewing the seeds of discontent on behalf of those of us born and raised in NH. Let us speak for ourselves and you speak only for yourself…”No one in NH likes the idea?” Wrong, please, do not speak on MY behalf.
This is an interesting idea. The old man is used all over the place in NH. Every time I’m in that area I go look at Indian head. Its just a neat as the old man.
I’m sorry, but Mr. Treves is just another architect who is trying to make his lasting impression. Architects need to think bigger than their ambitions and egos. Such an idea proves that he has little or no appreciation for wilderness or nature. Come up to the White Mountains and do some hiking in that area and then you will think this idea is as ridiculous as 90% of the people from New England do.
I hike there and love all of NH (I’m a native) but this beautiful piece of artwork would certainly create more delight (from natives and tourists alike) than the fractured mess left from when he fell!
I think it is a wonderful plan, far from ridiculous. I don’t know where you get your 90% statistic from. Everyone I talk to from NH is intrigued! The only person I could find against it didn’t want any “large funds” diverted from more worthy projects like education.
What I meant to say was:
This is an interesting idea but I”m not sure it’s really needed. The old man is used all over the place in NH including T-shirsts and I think the license plates. Every time I’m in that area I go look at Indian head. Its been there a long time just like the old main was and its just a neat as the old man. Also its right at the bottom of the notch.
Is anyone else getting a kick out of the fact that Google must have picked up on the words ‘Old Man’ in the title of this post and is generating “Dean Martin” ads for this page?
Franconia Notch is perfectly awesome even without the old man. The cliffs themselves are awe inspiring. And what about the fact that the old man was invisible except from a very specific viewpoint? This monstrosity will look like a crystal wart from every direction.
What may not be obvious, as I do not point this out in the article, is that this design is not under serious consideration at the moment. To the best of my knowledge, no one from the state or the Old Man of the Mountain Legacy Fund has talked seriously with the Architect about his design (please correct me if I am wrong)… despite it winning 2 awards (one from a New Jersey architectural association, and one in New Hampshire) for best “unbuilt project”. This lack of consideration, in and of itself, is a bit of an interesting story that I would love to explore if I had more time. Apparently a state senator also proposed a statue-esque replica (in copper, I believe) soon after the collapse and was similarly tar and feathered for his idea.
Further adding to the story is the fact that, again to my knowledge, there has been no economic study done to determine the impact (if any) the demise of this attraction and state symbol has had.
Anyway, the design that IS being considered, and I think may already have some funding, is a monument at the base of the mountain that involves several monoliths that when viewed at the right angle approximate the original Old Man. You can get more info at their site here: http://www.oldmanofthemountainlegacyfund.org
I’m honestly not sure how I feel about any of these ideas. I do sympathize with the local businesses who claim they are hurting in the wake of its collapse. Doing something to bring visitor dollars back isn’t such a bad thing is it? And the geek in me can’t help but get excited when I see plans for a project like this – I see it as much more Statue of Liberty-ish and Mt. Rushmore-ish in scope than that of just a replica. And I also do not completely buy into the “this was natural and so you can’t replace it with something man made” argument. As some have pointed out, the ‘natural’ Old Man was being held together by cables and epoxy for some time now.
But still, the outdoorsman and naturalist in me has a hard time imagining what it would be like to climb, or camp, or hike in the area and have this glass monument overhead. After all, the original was only visible from a certain viewing angle – from all other views there was just a mountain to be seen.
In the end, I am having a hard time budging from my original conclusion about this area… that it might just be time to move on.
Fascinating discussion regardless.
Bad idea, never mind that the top of the cliff is a mile or so away from the top of the Cannon Tramway, and Cannon’s a tough climb…
What really annoys me is that the project would create a three dimensional face, which was never there before. The old man was a -silhouette- only visible from near Profile lake..
Finally I see some people see what I mean when I say “Natural”. I’m not talking about the environment…
What made the Old Man unique was that it was a “natural” formation, formed by the forces of nature. And it was a great landmark.
This glass “monument” or anything similar to it is nothing more then another man made thing that you might find anywhere else. Compared to say Mount Rushmore,or the Crazy Horse memorial (which for those interested is the “sleeze” I am referring to) it pales in comparison.
And for the other argument about a “memorial” to the Old man. Ok, let me see if I have this right. Now we create memorials to monuments? Yep, makes all the sense in the world to me. Especially in these economic times. Build a memorial to a monument. Our infrastructure is fine, All the roads and bridges are in good shape. The schools don’t need any help, and the finances of the state and it’s towns are in great shape. So we’ll spend a few million on a monument to a monument. Can’t think of anything else that the money could be used for.
If The Old Man is the only thing that New Hampshire had going for it, then the states in serious trouble. I jest of course because I think that New Hampshire is a beautiful state with wonderful people. And man is so smart, it’s taken him this long to start to figure that out.
It’s a shame that The Old Man had to succumb to natural causes, but everything has to come to an end some time. Time to move on and find a more productive use for the money which would be spent on this project.
As for the person who claims that man can do much better then nature, well all I can say is look around. Flooding, drought, mudslides, forest fires, etc, all pretty much a result of man “improving” on nature.
And the earth survived and nurtured itself for eons before man appeared. In a relatively short time, humankind has managed to pretty much mess things up. So, really, takes a course in reality.
This is not going to be built. It’s not even being considered; it’s just a “what if” design concept. Several people proposed rebuilding the Old Man when it fell and they were quickly and completely shot down. The locals don’t want that, the State doesn’t want that, the visitors don’t want that. This project has even less support than rebuilding the Old Man out of stone.
It’s interesting at how raw a nerve this proposal struck. I think the impression it leaves is of someone “from away” knowing better than the locals — and that doesn’t go over well, especially in northern NH. It’s so out of character, so out of place, that it touches on the worst fears on the locals. It’s the Disneyfacation of the north country, taking the rugged and raw natural resources of NH and turning them into a playground for the city-folk.
Anyways, the design is interested, but unsolicited.
With the politics of NH shifting leftward, they’ll probably rebuild Old Man of the Mountain in Obama’s likeness.
I think this is an awesome idea. I can’t imagine how awesome it would look lit up.. And people in NH are going to act like NH people.. like its a secret or something. Small town locals afraid of out-of-towners driving thru their town. Nature is for everybody to enjoy and it seems like this project serves to edify that more than a pile of rocks which sit now.
Article was picked up by ‘Soapbox, The non-official physics and astronomy blog at Dartmouth.’
http://dactyl.dartmouth.edu/wordpress/archives/2009/05/13/rebuilding-the-old-man/
Good. Ship it. (that’s what we say at the software company)
I am 55 yrs old and was born and raised in NH and enjoyed The Old Man every year until he fell.
I LOVE the design and proposed monument by Francis D. Treves! Driving past we still see the old man, and how I would love to stand on the observation deck he proposes!
Why would people prefer a fractured empty space instead of this beautiful piece of art celebrating the Old Man? I also think it would renew interest in the site. Please build it! I will donate to a fund…just tell me how!
This design is beautiful and exciting!
I think it’s a fantastic idea….imagine the different ways it will look at different times of the day during different kinds of skies – skies with clouds, without, with fog, during and after snowstorms, with the glow of a full moon shining upon it. All those facets of glass glinting in brilliant sunshine. Fantastic!
I understand your point of veiw to this. I think the same thing Redhawk. But you don’t need to slam his idea in the dirt. His idea is trying to save the natural memory of the historical mountain. It’s falling apart and wont be here much longer. If we do nothing all we’ll have left are pictures in history books. I do think the CLEAR glass would be a bit much, darker glass might be better. It is not an attempt to rake in the money, it is an honest to goodness attempt to keep the memory of the wonderous natural phenominon alive. You people are being very narrow minded.
TO THE BELIEVERS THAT GOD DOES NOT WANT IT TO HAPPEN: If God did not want the land mark saved, then why would he have this man try to restore it?? ~
hi that be a grat idear please billed the face. you should mack a dvd on your plands to rebuld old man of the mts. rase money to help in cost.i have a tatto of the old man of the mts. i love the stone face.
[…] Replacing the Old Man of the Mountain – revisited, with information from the Architect –… […]
hi to old man mts. fans it a cool idear to recorat a glass face on the old man on the mts. nh it would be a torest ataction. a momerail to the stone face. a reminder how inportain it was to see and to remeber what was. A cd of your plans could help pay for the cast to bield a glass face please e-mail me if you seal a dvd movie of restoring the old man of the mts, nh thacks
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[…] Hampshire has taken a few other lumps in recent years. First they lost their state emblem when the Old Man of the Mountain collapsed, and last year the beloved Mt. Washington Observatory mascot, Nin the cat, passed […]
The gateway arch is really an impressiv building. Especially the elevators are awesome. I really recommend everybody to check it out.
Hi Fran – I think it`s brilliant ! I hope they go ahead with it. Good luck.
For all those who have enjoy reading the trail and pingback dialog on Dave’s site from last years posting; I recently launched a web site to bring to the public more history and up date design information to provide interested individuals what my project proposal to Redefine The Old Man of The Mountain as a 21st century Monumant is all about. Please visit my wedsite, leave comments if you wish or join in on the forum. Have a Happy 4th of July.
There is another.
I grew up visiting the Old Man of the Mountains. Every family vacation, we stopped to see him. I’ve seen the helicopters fly in over the years to do their yearly maintanence of the profile. He would have fallen a long time ago if it were not for the men that helped keep him up there. So, in regards to it being a natural formation, yes, it was, but it was also kept together with cement, epoxy and steel turnbuckles to keep it from falling, which is what it did in 2003. I’m all for the replacing of the Old Man profile. Natural or not, it’s something that I miss, and I think the Architects got it right on the money with their design. Everyone knows what was there, and those who don’t know or never saw him can read about and see him in the memorial down below of what he used to look like. I think the new proposed plan is something I’d love to see materialize. I hope it does or something similar materializes soon.
I would have loved to see the Old Man before he fell. This glass monstrosity looks like Disney World. NH has natural beauty, and that is how it should stay, if the old man is gone, he is gone. Sorry to see him go.
1/20/’14
I feel privileged to have seen the great stone face years ago.
To see the image from the road was Awe inspiring.
The memory of something that old and mysterious should be honored.
The effort to replicate is Trite compared to the time and effort expended daily harming our planet.
Honor the memory and the inspiration.