Vacation Inspiration Courtesy of Gleason’s Pictorial!

There's still a solid month of summer left, which means there's time for one more vacation getaway! If you’re looking for inspiration, then turn to our August Collection Spotlight case. Displayed this month is the August 7, 1852 issue of Gleason’s Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion, with a picture of the Pleasant Mountain House on the first page.

Gleason’s Pictorial Drawing-Room Companion was published by Frederick Gleason in Boston from 1851 through 1859, though in 1855 its name changed to Ballou’s Pictorial when Maturin Murray Ballou took over. As per its name, you might find an issue of Gleason’s in someone’s drawing room, also known as a withdrawing room. These were formal spaces in a home in which leisure activities (like reading, needle point, or musical performances), or private or business conversations would occur. For the homeowner or guests, this weekly periodical would provide interesting information to read or discuss, along with illustrations to examine. And in case there is any confusion about where Gleason’s was published, the masthead includes a picture of Boston Harbor and the city skyline, with the dome of the State House prominently displayed on a slightly exaggerated Beacon Hill!

In keeping with the time of year, we’re displaying an issue that was published this month in 1852. Shown on the first page is an illustration of Pleasant Mountain and Pleasant Mountain House, located in Denmark, Oxford County, Maine. Pleasant Mountain rises 4,000 feet above sea level, and the text under the image describes the height as follows, “it is novel to look down upon the clouds, to watch the shower as it passes over different towns and villages, to see it creep around the base of the mountain, or up its side, to hear the rain below you, and be all the while yourself in sunlight.” The text concludes with a description of a hotel that was constructed atop the mountain by Joseph S. Sargent “a beautiful and commodious hotel, while the mountain has become one of the most favorite resorts in New England.” For those itching to visit, the text also makes a point to state that it is only forty-five miles from Portland, a very convenient location if you’re looking to get away!

Note that Pleasant Mountain is located in Denmark, Maine. A fun fact about Maine is that there are over 40 towns named after other countries or cities abroad! In addition to Denmark, there is Peru, Bath, Norway, Lisbon, Mexico, Naples, and Paris – just to name a few. Keep an eye out for some when you’re on your next road trip through Maine!

Gleason’s Pictorial is on display in our reading room from August 5 through September 2, so stop by to take a look. And if you’d like to read about a few of other New England resorts, check out our previous blog post on Souvenir of New England’s Great Resorts published in 1891, and a bird’s-eye view map of Magnolia on the North Shore between Manchester-by-the-Sea and Gloucester.

Elizabeth Roscio

Preservation Librarian