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A Treasure of Maps

Filed Under graphic design, international travel, retrotravels.net

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!

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

Scandinavia (1963)

Australia (1963)

West Indies (1962)

South Central United States (1961)

Japan & Korea (1960)

Hawaii (1960)

Africa (1960)

Southern South America (1958)

British Isles (1958)

Alaska (1956)

Eastern South America (1955)

West Indies (1954)

The Great Lakes Region (1953)

China Coast & Korea (1953)

China Coast & Korea (1953)

The Top of the World (1949)

Europe & The Near East (1949)

Classical Lands of The Mediterranean (1949)

The Southeastern United States (1947)

The United States of America (1946)

The Philippines (1945)

The Northeastern United States (1945)

The Pacific Ocean (1943)

The Theater of War in the Pacific Ocean (1942)

The Indian Ocean (1941)

The Atlantic Ocean (1941)

The White Mountains of New Hampshire (1937)

Africa (1935)

Africa (1935)

Arctic Regions (1932)

Louisiana (1930)

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