Noel, Dan White Mountain Collection

      (9600 ft.) si., col. ; 16mm
      mid 20th century
      Brownfield, Maine
      Gray, Maine
      North Conway, New Hampshire
      Martha's Vineyard, Massachusetts
      The collection consists of 15 reels of silent, color 16 mm film, totaling approximately 9600 feet. The films, collected by Dan Noel, were shot by Henry Lester 'Jim' Utley. The collection includes scenes of vacations, sporting events and skiing, shot in New Hampshire and Maine. Also included are films made for the Maine Department of Fish and Game, featuring fish hatcheries, and the Brownfield forest fire in 1947.
      [Biography of Jim Utley provided by Dan Noel]

      "Henry Lester "Jim" was born in Ware, Mass. November 9 1885....

      I recall that he was an early Cinematographer for Pathe News in Washington DC. I do not know for how many years, but I do recall his mentioning covering several Presidential events. Jim started coming to the North Conway area in the 1930's. He stayed with [h]is wife Nan at my parents Inn, The Clarendon, in Intervale for prolonged periods of time, both summer and winter. I believe that after leaving Washington that he owned a laundry in Mass. He continued to shoot 16mm color film of his travels in just about all the New England states. 

      Jim would cart his beloved Cine Special with him all the time. He would edit and splice his film, and would travel around with his projector and large screen, showing his films and giving the running narration. He would show his films to hotel guests and various organizations. I don know that he charged for the event, but do not know how much. Jim eventually purchased a home in Kearsarge, which is part of the town of Conway.

      I recal Jim staying at the Clarendon, but it was when I really became keen on photography (age 8) that I saw Jim more often. I was mostly fascinated with still photography. Jim was very helpful and understanding. He was a real newshound until the end. I became a stringer for several newspapers by age 15, and for WCSH-TV at age 17. Jim would call when he heard of a breaking news story, and vice versa. Jim was very active in Rotary International and several other organizations. Nan passed away and Jim did less and less in the movie area. he came up with several tourism promotions, and worked in a gift shop in North Conway. While I was at Rochester Institute of Technology Jim would keep me posted on home town news events. He did get together with other cinematographers when they were in the New Hampshire area. Phil Coolidge, Nemo Gaskill and Urban Santone were always keen on sharing war stories, and Jim was keen to hear them...

      Jim passed away in an area nursing home on April 5, 1977."

      Dan Noel (1941-2010) was a lifelong resident of North Conway, New Hampshire. He studied photography at the Rochester Institute of Technology, and worked as a photographer for various newspapers and news stations, including WCSH and the Associated Press. He collected thousands of items related to the history of the White Mountain region, 9000 of which he donated to the Museum of the White Mountains in Plymouth, New Hampshire. Dan Noel passed away on February 14, 2010.
        Northeast Historic Film
        The Collection is open for research.
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        5 Items in this collection

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