Wender·Vista
Mount Washington summit observatory tower
shown on ceramic, 12-inch tileNew Hampshire
on the 6,288-foot summit of Mount Washington, New Hampshire

Mount Washington summit observatory tower

— — the small tower in the worst weather in the world.

— Where it lives

Not only on a wall.

A small tile on the nightstand catching the morning. A larger one above the fire. Yours, wherever you spend the slow hours.
— On the nightstand, a 6-inch on a walnut stand
— Among the books, a 6-inch leaning into the spines
— Beside the kettle, a 12-inch propped
— Down a quiet hall, an 18-inch floating off the wall
— Above the fire, the 24-inch in a walnut surround
— a note from the studio

“A squat instrument tower bolted to the granite at the top of New England. The Mount Washington Observatory has kept a continuous weather record there since 1932, with at least two people on the summit every day of the year. The tower rides on the Sherman Adams Visitor Center, chained to the rock against the wind. The pitot tubes turn in the rime; the cameras look out at cloud most days, at four states on the rest. — from the studio

from the studio
Mount Washington summit observatory tower
— bring it home

Mount Washington summit observatory tower, on ceramic.

Each tile is finished by hand in our Knoxville studio. Artwork is slowly infused into the ceramic surface under high heat and pressure, and rests beneath a thin glossy finish. The colour lives in the surface, not on top of it.

What kind of piece?
One tile — square or rectangle.
How big?
the popular one — counter, shelf, nightstand
6 × 6 in · 15 cm · 1.6 lb
Surface finish
A clear glossy finish — the artwork reads as if under resin. Ideal for show-pieces and framed wall art.
How it sits
A hidden cleat — sits ¼″ proud of the wall.
$58
Hand-finished and shipped from our studio at the foot of the Smokies. On your wall in about ten days.
— size
6 × 6 in
15 cm
— weighs
1.6 lb
solid in the hand
— surface
ceramic, hand-finished
art rests beneath a thin glossy finish
— from
Knoxville, TN
our family studio, at the foot of the Smokies
— start a Coaster Set

Pick any four 4-inch tiles — National Parks you've been to, a Smokies set, the four seasons of one place. $ for a set of , cork-backed, ready to live on the table.

— about Mount Washington summit observatory tower

The place, in three passes.

A little of what's known, in case you fall down the rabbit hole — or want to go see it yourself.
— the place

The Mount Washington Observatory is a private nonprofit weather station on the 6,288-foot summit of Mount Washington, founded in October 1932 by Joe Dodge, Salvatore Pagliuca, Alex McKenzie, and Robert Stone. The current instrument tower sits atop the Sherman Adams Summit Building, opened in 1980, inside Mount Washington State Park. Observers keep a continuous staffed record, with a crew of at least two on the summit at all times. The tower is anchored to the granite by steel cable to resist hurricane-force winds that arrive on more than 100 days each year.

— the air

The summit holds one of the most decorated weather records on Earth. On April 12, 1934, observers Pagliuca, McKenzie, and Wendell Stephenson recorded a surface gust of 231 miles per hour, a number that stood as the world record for sixty-two years. The annual mean temperature is roughly 27 degrees Fahrenheit. Fog or cloud covers the summit about 60 percent of the year. The observatory's pitot-tube anemometer and de-icing rig were developed on-site because off-the-shelf instruments do not survive the conditions for long.

— the visit

The Sherman Adams Visitor Center, which carries the observatory tower, is open daily from late May through mid-October, weather permitting. The summit is reached by the Mount Washington Auto Road from Pinkham Notch, the Cog Railway from Marshfield Base Station, or on foot from the Tuckerman Ravine and Lion Head trails. The observatory offers guided EduTrips and overnight stays in winter for nonprofit members. The state park building closes in winter; observers remain inside year-round.

— where
United States · Coos County, New Hampshire
— within
Mount Washington State Park
— elevation
1,917 m · 6,288 ft
— position
44.2705° N · 71.3033° W
— the neighborhood

What's nearby.

A handful of named places within an hour's walk or short drive. Some we've already painted; some we will.
1 km W
Mount Washington Cog Railway
mountain railway· on a tile
2 km SE
Tuckerman Ravine
glacial cirque
2 km SW
Lakes of the Clouds Hut
AMC hut
6 km E
Pinkham Notch
mountain pass
N
Mount Washington summit observatory tower
Mount Washington Cog Railway
Tuckerman Ravine
Lakes of the Clouds Hut
Pinkham Notch
— common questions

What people ask.

A few questions we get about Mount Washington summit observatory tower — and about bringing the piece home.
— about the place

A private nonprofit weather station on the summit of Mount Washington, founded in October 1932. It has kept a continuous staffed weather record ever since, with a crew of at least two observers on the summit at all times.

Hurricane-force winds hit the summit on more than 100 days each year. Steel cable anchors the tower and instruments to the granite so the structures survive sustained winds above 75 miles per hour.

Heated pitot-tube anemometers, ice-resistant thermometers, web cameras, radio antennas, and the observatory's own custom de-icing rig. Off-the-shelf weather instruments do not survive long in the rime ice, so most equipment is built or modified on-site.

Joe Dodge, Salvatore Pagliuca, Alex McKenzie, and Robert Stone, in October 1932. Pagliuca and McKenzie were on duty for the April 1934 wind record, alongside observer Wendell Stephenson.

The Sherman Adams Visitor Center underneath the tower is open daily from late May through mid-October. The instrument tower itself is staff-only; the observatory runs guided tours for nonprofit members during the open season.

By tracked snowcat up the Mount Washington Auto Road on shift-change days, typically Wednesdays. The crew rotates on an eight-day cycle and lives in the summit building for the duration of each shift.

— about the piece in your home

It tends to land well. The tower, the rime, the small lit windows in white-out are the images observatory members carry. A Medium with a studio note reads as a quiet salute to that work.

Mountain-modern, classic New England, and rustic-industrial rooms with weathered metal and dark wood. The pale rime palette and the steel tower read well against oiled oak, slate, and warm white plaster.

Yes. The current move in studies and reading rooms is one strong, place-anchored piece over a leather chair or a writing desk. A Medium or a single Large fits that brief without ornament.

Above a standard sofa, a single Large reads at the right scale, or a four-tile Mural for more presence. Above a console table, a Medium or a Triptych of three Smalls works well.

Yes, in the Dura Satin or Matte finish. Both are scratch-resistant and hold up to humidity, so the tile can live in a bathroom or above a kitchen range without clouding.

A microfibre cloth and warm water. The colour is slowly infused into the ceramic surface beneath a thin glossy finish, so it cannot be wiped off or faded by household cleaning.

Yes. Every piece in the WenderVista atlas is curated and finished by Reid Wender at Wender Studios in Knoxville, Tennessee. The work is not licensed from any third party.

— if this one stayed with you

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