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THE CRAWFORD NOTCH
Frank Henry Shapleigh (1829-1908)
Signed and dated lower right: F. H. Shapleigh 1881
Inscribed on reverse: The Crawford Notch / by / F. H. Shapleigh.
Oil on canvas, 38 x 60 inches
Private collection
Frank H. Shapleigh captured this view from the veranda of the Crawford House, one of the best-known hotels in the White Mountains. Shapleigh was the artist-in-residence at the hotel each summer from 1877 to 1893. A scenic attraction in its own right, the Crawford House is not in the picture, but its presence influences everything that is visible. As seen from the veranda, the Gate of the Notch, Saco Lake, and the Elephant's Head provide the backdrop for a smorgasbord of experiences the typical visitor might wish to recall. The looming mountains—Mount Webster on the left and Mount Willard on the right-provide the backdrop for a thoroughly tourist-oriented landscape, filled with the activities of vacationers. Everywhere in the landscape, visitors hike, canoe, or sail.
