Leavitt, Franklin
Franklin Leavitt (1824 - 1898) was an American 'jack-of-all-trades' who held jobs as a guide, hotelier, and contractor, and also aspired to be an artist and poet. Born in or near Lancaster, New Hampshire, Leavitt worked in the Notch House, an inn near Crawford Notch, as a young man, and also helped build trails and the Carriage Road (now the Auto Road). With the advent of a rail connection into the White Mountains, Leavitt apparently came to the conclusion that tourists would soon follow, and would create a market for a souvenir tourist map. He drew one and took it to one of the best printers in Boston to be printed. Leavitt then sold the maps himself in hotels and train stations throughout the region. By the time of his death, Leavitt had created six different pictorial tourist maps of the White Mountains.
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We don't yet have any maps by this cartographer in stock — but that's more a matter of timing than availability. New acquisitions arrive regularly, and pieces from this maker do surface. Check back soon, or reach out if you're specifically looking for one — we're always happy to keep an eye out.
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