“A Legacy of Landscapes” exhibit at the New Hampshire Historical Society
The New Hampshire Historical Society, a member of the New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail, has opened “A Legacy of Landscapes: Selections from the Linda and P. Andrews McLane Collection.”
Featuring 61 paintings by 41 different artists, the exhibition showcases selections from what is considered the world’s preeminent private collection of White Mountain landscape art. Assembled over several decades by Linda and P. Andrews McLane of Hebron, most of the works have not been on public view for many years.
“White Mountain landscape art is at the very core of New Hampshire’s identity,” said Jenn Walton, Assistant Director of Education and Public Programs at the New Hampshire Historical Society. “These artists were part of a broader cultural movement working to create a uniquely American identity, using our mountains as symbols of the nation’s limitless natural beauty and resources.”
The collection includes works by renowned artists such as Thomas Cole, Benjamin Champney, and Frank Henry Shapleigh. Highlights include Cole’s 1827 “Mount Chocorua, New Hampshire,” one of the earliest White Mountain landscapes ever painted by the artist known as the father of American landscape art.
The paintings range from sweeping views of the Presidential Range to intimate scenes of picnickers and farms, showcasing “every nook and cranny in the White Mountains, from Dixville Notch to Lancaster,” according to Walton.
Capturing moments when the White Mountain region seemed virtually untouched, the exhibition also documents the interplay between art and tourism development. “The artists are memorializing this pristine natural beauty, and those scenes lured visitors from cities to experience it firsthand,” she said.
The more visitors that came, though, the more the landscape changed, as “huge grand resort hotels, carriage roads and railroads, and hiking trails” were built to accommodate tourists. “In time, those scenic vistas that the artists and tourists alike held so dear were threatened,” explained Walton. “That dynamic is really fascinating.”
A New Hampshire native and Dartmouth College graduate, P. Andrews McLane has deep family ties to the state. His great-grandfather, John McLane, served as New Hampshire governor in 1904, where he helped secure funding for highway links to encourage White Mountain tourism.
According to Walton, the collection consists of more than 300 paintings by almost 100 different artists, with the first few exhibitions to serve as a sampling, highlighting its depth and breadth. “The collection, combined with the Society’s already existing holdings, offers all sorts of possibilities for future exhibitions, whether organized by region, artist, or theme,” she said.
Jeff Barraclough, President of the New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail, said the exhibition demonstrates “the world-class collections that make New Hampshire’s cultural institutions so valuable.”
“The works in the McLane Collection not only capture New Hampshire’s natural beauty but also helped establish our mountains as symbols of American identity,” he added.. “It’s exactly the kind of unique heritage experience that Trail members offer throughout the state.”
“A Legacy of Landscapes” runs through December 31, 2025, at the New Hampshire Historical Society, 30 Park Street, Concord. Click here to learn more.
The New Hampshire Heritage Museum Trail connects the public with culturally rich heritage institutions across the state’s Lakes Region, White Mountain Region, Merrimack Valley, and Seacoast. Member museums showcase diverse heritage from art and history to science and industry, offering unique stories and unforgettable experiences for all ages.