New Hampshire on Skis

New England Ski Museum

The Society will present a talk by E. John B. Allen on "New Hampshire on Skis" on Tuesday, July 17 at 7:00 PM. The program will be held at the Ladd Street School and will be free and open to the public.

Allen is Professor of History, Emeritus at Plymouth State University; Historian of the New England Ski Museum in Franconia; and author of several books, including From Skisport to Skiing: One Hundred Years of an American Sport 1840–1940 and The Culture and Sport of Skiing: From Antiquity to World War II. His most recent book, published last year, is Historical Dictionary of Skiing.

New England Ski Museum

Professor Allen’s illustrated lecture traces the key role that New Hampshire played in the development and popularization of skiing in America. In the 1930s, the state led the country in ski activity, inspired in part by Dartmouth College’s Outing Club and Winter Carnival. Prior to World War II, Germans and Austrians–some fleeing Nazi persecution–found the White Mountains to be suitable terrain for the downhill skiing styles of their homelands.

Innovations such as the Cannon Mountain Tram helped make the sport even more accessible, and after World War II, development of ski areas expanded greatly. Allen will trace the development of the industry from its European-inflected roots to today’s resorts that offer a variety of winter activities.

Professor Allen’s lecture is made possible by a grant from the New Hampshire Humanities Council.