Portsmouth, New Hampshire celebrated its 400th anniversary of settlement in 2023. The PNH400 Committee headed the efforts, forming subcommittees focused on Signature Events, Legacy Projects, Events, Community and Neighborhoods, Maritime and Military, Oral Histories, Commerce and Trade, Arts and Culture, Merchandise, Public Relations, Sister Cities, and House Plaques. The Executive Team included Karen Conard, Portsmouth City Manager, Susan Labrie, Community Engagement Officer, Valerie Rochon, Managing Director, Denise Wheeler, Minister of Fun, and Trevor Bartlett, Technology and Social Media.

Throughout the year, the city hosted dozens of events, exhibits, and projects designed to honor its diverse history. Signature events included the PNH400 Grand Parade, the Little Italy Carnival honoring the history of the North End, a special STREET.life! dinner with tables running down the middle of Congress Street, and the Great PNH400 Community Picnic held at Leary Field. Legacy projects included two books – Portsmouth, NH 400th History Lights Our Way 1623-2023, edited by Jody Record and Chuck McMahon, and 400x400: Portsmouth NH 400th In 400 Photos, edited by Karina N. Quintans; the installation of Sijia Chen’s sculpture, Endeavor, at Bohenko Gateway Park; a student-led oral history project; the revitalization of Portsmouth’s Historic House Plaque Program; and the world premiere of the Portsmouth Symphony Orchestra’s commemorative commissioned piece At This Point.

This collection of images was produced by PNH400’s team of volunteer photographers. The group included Christiana Ribeiro Arsenault, PNH400 Social Media Manager, Rick Dumont, Ken Goldman, Suzanne Laurent, Photojournalist, David Marcotte, PE, Structural Engineer, Appledore Marine Engineering, David J. Murray, Alex Nikulin, Karina Quintans, PNH400 Newsletter Editor and Photography Team Coordinator, Michael Sterling, John Willoughby, Will Zimmerman, and Barbara Zulkiewicz.

This collection was created by Karina Quintans and gifted to the Portsmouth Public Library by the PNH400 Committee in 2024. Susan Kindstedt, Project Archivist, processed the collection in 2025.

More photographs will continue to be added as they are processed.