1940 Culverwell Pictorial Map of White Mountain National Forest, New Hampshire

This is a c. 1940 Tom Culverwell and New Hampshire Aerial Tramway Commission pictorial tourist map of White Mountain National Forest. Pictorial vignettes promote the White Mountain National Forest's many offerings, including both summer and winter sports. Campgrounds are emphasized, and the region's accessibility by car, train, and airplane is highlighted.

A Closer Look

The map depicts the area from the Percy Peaks to Plymouth and from Wentworth and Warren to Bethel. Pictorial vignettes fill the piece and highlight outdoor activities, including camping, skiing, fishing, hunting, and ice skating, alongside the region's iconic landscape and abundant wildlife. Other vignettes illustrate loggers, snowplows clearing roads, and the Old Man of the Mountains. Logging and tourist trains are illustrated, and towns, villages, and campgrounds are labeled. Mountain peaks are identified, and elevations are provided.

White Mountain National Forest

White Mountain National Forest is a national forest within the White Mountains. Established in 1918, the forest covers 1,225 square miles and is almost entirely in New Hampshire (just over 5% is in Maine). It is the easternmost national forest in the United States and is used for limited commercial activities (such as logging) in addition to the many recreational activities available to visitors. It ranks as one of the most visited outdoor recreation areas east of the Mississippi River.

Publication History and Census

This map was drawn by Tom Culverwell and published by the New Hampshire Aerial Tramway Commission c. 1940. We note 3 examples of this map cataloged in OCLC, which are part of the collections at the Osher Map Library at the University of Southern Maine, the University of New Mexico, and Dartmouth College. We also note examples that are part of the collections at the Leventhal Map Center at the Boston Public Library and the David Rumsey Map Collection. It is scarce on the private market.