The Old Man of the Mountain: Substance and Symbol

On Thursday, April 14 at 7:00 p.m., the Leach Library will host the illustrated presentation “The Old Man of the Mountain: Substance and Symbol” given by Maggie Stier.

Maggie Stier is the author of Into the Mountains: Stories of New England’s Most Celebrated Peaks, which was co-written with Ron McAdow. She has taught at Colby-Sawyer College and Plymouth State University, and holds degrees from Vassar College, Boston University and Antioch New England. She has been affiliated with the Old Man of the Mountain Legacy Fund since 2006, and was appointed by Governor Lynch to the New Hampshire State Parks Advisory Council in 2008.

In this program, Ms. Stier will explore the story of the Old Man of the Mountain and its importance to the story of New Hampshire itself. Utilizing images of paintings, literary passages, souvenirs and film clips of interviews with those closest to the Old Man, Ms. Stier will show how the symbol is reflected in our history, arts, literature, geography, philosophy and even public policy. Over the course of the evening, the audience will be challenged to think about the different and evolving ways that this image has touched the public imagination over its 200 year history.

The event is free and open to the public, and will be held in the library’s lower-level meeting room. Light refreshments will be served.