National Geographic Opens Its Vaults : The Picture ShowBy Claire O'NeillThe magazine has been around for a long time. Since 1888, actually — way back when photography was still in its infancy. As the medium continued to improve, so did photojournalism, resulting in the cachet of that little yellow ...
The Dome Room, Carlsbad Cavern National Monument, New Mexico, 1924. (Ray V. Davis/National Geographic Society/Steven Kasher Gallery)
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The magazine has been around for a long time. Since 1888, actually — way back when photography was still in its infancy. As the medium continued to improve, so did photojournalism, resulting in the cachet of that little yellow rectangle. Perhaps National Geographic is feeling wistful in its old age: It has recently decided to not only dust off some treasures from its vaults but also — for the first time — offer a limited series of photographs and illustrations for purchase.
Coal Miner, Omar, West Virginia, 1938. Published in the May 1944 issue of National Geographic, this photograph shows that perfection in portraiture could be achieved well before digital.
Anthony Stewart/National Geographic Society/Steven Kasher Gallery
Hunting Deer with a Camera, Northern Michigan. George Shiras III did some of the earliest work in nighttime flash photography. He later became a U.S. representative to Congress from Pennsylvania.
George Shiras III/National Geographic Society/Steven Kasher Gallery
Tsemoling, The Boy God of Choni, Tibet. A farmer's son was declared by the Dalai Lama to be the reincarnation of the Tibetan king. This photograph was published in the November 1928 issue of National Geographic magazine.
Joseph F. Rock/National Geographic Society/Steven Kasher Gallery
Jitterbug Dancing, Hattiesburg, Mississippi, 1941. This unpublished photograph shows dancers at a weekly Friday gathering hosted by the service club of the 37th Division of the National Guard at Camp Shelby.
J. Baylor Roberts/National Geographic Society/Steven Kasher Gallery
The Dome Room, Carlsbad Cavern National Monument, New Mexico, 1924. This photograph appeared in the September 1925 issue of National Geographic magazine.
Ray V. Davis/National Geographic Society/Steven Kasher Gallery
Ice Grotto, Antarctica, 1911-1912. The Terra Nova Expedition, or the British Antarctic Expedition, led by Robert Falcon Scott, ended in disaster. Not only had the Norwegians beaten the British to Antarctica, but the entire British exploration party died.
Herbert Ponting/National Geographic Society/Steven Kasher Gallery
Self Portrait, Antarctica, 1911-1912. Herbert Ponting, considered the father of polar photography, poses by a movie camera and tripod. He spent 14 months on Antarctica's Cape Evan with Capt. Robert Falcon Scott's exploration team.
Herbert Ponting/National Geographic Society/Steven Kasher Gallery
Scott Expedition Team, Antarctica, 1911-1912. This unpublished photograph shows Robert Falcon Scott's exploration team before it reached the South Pole.
Herbert Ponting/National Geographic Society/Steven Kasher Gallery
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New York's Steven Kasher Gallery will be hosting an exhibition of the prints, titled "The World in Black and White: Vintage Prints from the National Geographic Archive." It is the first of four exhibitions coordinated by National Geographic and Steven Kasher Gallery, in an attempt to share the archival history contained in National Geographic's Image Collection — a reservoir of over 10 million photographs, of which fewer than 2 percent have been published.
Iron Hoop Cave, 2009. (Stephen Alvarez/National Geographic)
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For one month beginning Thursday, 150 unique black-and-whites by more than a dozen photographers from the society's earliest days will be on display. There are photographs of Capt. Robert Falcon Scott's ill-fated Terra Nova Expedition to Antarctica (a conquest for the British Empire ending in the death of an entire crew). A photograph of Carlsbad Cavern National Monument in New Mexico, taken in 1924, shows the early days of cave photography continued today by National Geographic photographers like Stephen Alvarez. Photographs from all over the world illustrate a congenital dedication to exploration and discovery.
This initial exhibition is merely a preview of the National Geographic Society's vast reserves. Stay tuned for more exhibitions in the coming year.
