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Aug
2

A Treasure of Maps

Filed Under graphic design, international travel, retrotravels.net

National Geographic Maps

A treasure of maps was recently “dug up” in my parent’s storage space and returned to me.  Around 1994, when I moved away from home to attend college, I was forced to get rid of most of my National Geographic Magazines - a nearly-complete collection of every issue back to 1929.  However, I was able to keep all of the supplements/inserts since they didn’t take up much room.  I’ve been looking through the three boxes and have found more than just maps, folded posters, and old panoramic photos. I’ve also found one of the reasons why I love travel. I think most people would start to feel a desire to explore the world after looking at a few maps. The beautiful and distinct fonts, the colors, the clarity. A National Geographic map is good enough to hang up on the wall and call it “art.” In fact, President Roosevelt used National Geographic maps in the White House Map Room during World War II. Today, a case of world maps presented by the National Geographic Society still resides in the Map Room.

Below you will find a small selection of the hundreds of maps from my collection showing “snap shots” of the quality work National Geographic has produced in their world-famous cartographic department. If it takes a while to load or you’d like to view them in a flickr slideshow (800 x 800p res) by clicking here.

Have the urge to share a story about your National Geographic magazines or maps? Share it in the comments!

1965_Viet Nam Cambodia Laos & Eastern Thailand
Viet Nam, Cambodia, Laos & Eastern Thailand (1965)

1963_Scandinavia
Scandinavia (1963)

1963_Australia
Australia (1963)

1962_West Indies
West Indies (1962)

1961_South Central United States
South Central United States (1961)

1960_Japan & Korea
Japan & Korea (1960)

1960_Hawaii
Hawaii (1960)

1960_Africa
Africa (1960)

1958_Southern South America
Southern South America (1958)

1958_British Isles
British Isles (1958)

1956_Alaska
Alaska (1956)

1955_Eastern South America
Eastern South America (1955)

1954_West Indies
West Indies (1954)

1953_The Great Lakes Region
The Great Lakes Region (1953)

1953_China Coast & Korea02
China Coast & Korea (1953)

1953_China Coast & Korea
China Coast & Korea (1953)

1949_The Top of the World
The Top of the World (1949)

1949_Europe & The Near East
Europe & The Near East (1949)

1949_Classical Lands of The Mediterranean
Classical Lands of The Mediterranean (1949)

1947_Southeastern US
The Southeastern United States (1947)

1946_USA
The United States of America (1946)

1945_The Philippines
The Philippines (1945)

1945_Northeastern US
The Northeastern United States (1945)

1943_Pacific Ocean
The Pacific Ocean (1943)

1942_Theater of War in the Pacific Ocean
The Theater of War in the Pacific Ocean (1942)

1941_Indian Ocean
The Indian Ocean (1941)

1941_Atlantic Ocean
The Atlantic Ocean (1941)

1937_The white mountains of New Hampshire
The White Mountains of New Hampshire (1937)

1935_Africa02
Africa (1935)

1935_Africa01
Africa (1935)

1932_Arctic Regions
Arctic Regions (1932)

1930_Louisiana
Louisiana (1930)

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