World Art Utopia

Old Man of the Mountain

The Old Man of the Mountain in Franconia Notch, New Hampshire: granite ledges on a frosty cliff forming the profile of an old man's face, photographed in April 2003
Artwork FileFranconia Notch, New Hampshire, USA

Old Man of the Mountain

GoneMay 2003

Natural rock formation · Franconia Notch, New Hampshire, USA

Photo: Jeffrey Joseph / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

The Old Man of the Mountain was a group of five granite ledges on Cannon Mountain whose silhouette resembled a human face. Surveyors recorded it in 1805, and it became New Hampshire's state emblem in 1945. The profile collapsed in early May 2003. Source Source Source Source Reported

Collapsed May 2003. Evidence date: 2003-05-03. Source Reported

💡 4 things to know

  1. Five ledges, one faceThe Legacy Fund says chance removal of the right pieces of granite left five ledges with an uncanny likeness to a man's profile. Source Reported
  2. Reinforcing the ledgesThe New England Historical Society reports that funding approved in 1957 supported repairs with cement, steel rods and turnbuckles. Source Reported
  3. Different dates in the recordsThe Legacy Fund and New England Historical Society give May 3, 2003 for the collapse. A contemporary GSA abstract gives May 2. We follow May 3 because it is repeated by the site's custodians and historical account. Source Source Source Conflicting
  4. Recreating the silhouetteAt the memorial beside Profile Lake, seven steel profilers can be lined up with Cannon Cliff to reconstruct the lost face. Source Reported

📍 Where it is

Cannon Mountain, Franconia Notch State Park · Franconia Notch, New Hampshire, USA Source Reported

Open in Maps

Former location. Map pin is approximate; use the named site or address to locate the formation.

🗓️ Sightings

  1. 200326 Apr

    Photo taken a week before the collapse

  2. 20033 May

    Collapse date given by the Legacy Fund

Green stamps mark dated photographs; amber stamps mark records or reports; red stamps mark loss. Publication dates are not camera dates.

✅ The facts

Formation type
Five natural granite ledges, no artist Source Checked
Rock
Conway Granite, Jurassic in age Source Checked
Surveyors’ record
1805, the first recorded observation by white settlers, according to the Legacy Fund Source Checked
Height above notch floor
About 1,200 feet Source Checked
Size
40 ft forehead to chin (NEHS); a 1972 marker gave 48 ft Source Source Conflicting
State emblem
Since 1945 Source Checked
Collapse date
May 3, 2003 (Legacy Fund and NEHS); May 2, 2003 (GSA abstract). We follow the custodians and historical account. Source Source Source Conflicting
Memorial
Seven steel profilers at Profile Plaza beside Profile Lake Source Checked

🔗 Related

All sources & image credits

Photo: Jeffrey Joseph / Wikimedia Commons (public domain)

Last checked: 26 October 2026 · How we verify art