Comprises: 35 total hardcover volumes, with: Volumes I-XVIII (complete run from the very first issue of 1888 to December 1907), the facsimile 1964 reprint issues, uniformly bound in brown cloth, spines lettered in gilt, with facsimile brown paper wrapper covers inside; Volumes XX-XXVII (January 1909 to June 1915), uniformly bound in half red morocco and cloth, stamped and lettered in gilt, “Eugene C. Mills” lettered in gilt on spines, original wrapper covers and ads not present; Volumes LV-LVI (January-December 1929) and LIX-LXII (January 1931-December 1932), uniformly bound in National Geographic official specially decorative embossed brown cloth, stamped and lettered in gilt, original wrapper covers and ads not present. Plus, 5 more bound volumes but each without hardcover exteriors, Volumes LXIX-LXXIII (January 1936 to June 1938), original wrapper covers and ads not present. * Individual issues gathered together loosely inside brown paper covering bundles and tied with string, includes: Volumes XVII-XIX (1906-1908); XXI (1910); XXVIII-XXX (1915-1916); XXXII (1917); XXXIV-LIV (1918-1928); LVII-LVIII (1930); LXIII-LXVIII (1933-1935); LXXIV-LXXXIV (1938-1943); LXXXVII-LXXXVIII (1945); XCI-XCVI (1947-1949); XCVIII-CXII (1950-1957); and CXIV-CXV (1958-1959). Some with their yearly indexes. * Loose individual issues, include years: Oct. 1917; 1920 (Jan.-Dec.); 1958 (Jan.-June); 1959 (July-Dec.); Jan. 1960-June 1962; Aug. 1962-June 1970; Oct.1970-Dec. 1979; and two from 1988 (Feb. & May). * 3 cloth-bound Map volumes officially stamped and lettered in gilt issued by The National Geographic Society, with pocket sleeves containing a total of 35 large folding maps (mostly in color) and 19 corresponding index volumes, loosely laid in. Maps date from 1920-1954 and include: Africa, each of the Americas, Asia, Australia, the British Isles, The Caribbean, Europe, Mexico, Map of the Western Theatre WWII (backed in linen with some foxing), several of the U.S. and various U.S. regions and separate states, the Travels of George Washington, The White Mountains of New Hampshire, California, the World and The Top of the World, etc. Most issued by the Nat.Geo.Soc., a few from other sources. Plus 2 large folding printed photos, laid in. * A box containing 96 loose folding color maps and 5 index volumes, dating from 1907-1950’s from around the globe, including: the Arctic regions (Alaska, North Pole - 1907, etc.), New Balkan States & Central Europe, Races of Europe, Louisiana – 1930, Florida – 1930, The Antarctic – 1932, and much more. * 2 volumes of the National Geographical Society Cumulative Index, Volume I (1899-1946), Volume II (1947-1956), edited by Gilbert Grosvenor, blue cloth, lettered in gilt. * Also, this set includes a short run of The Geographical Magazine, London, 47 issues, most edited by Michael Huxley, with various issues dating from 1936 to 1966.
Facsimiles of the rare issues of the first twenty years of National Geographic Magazine, certainly one of the most influential periodicals of our time, bringing the vast reaches of the world into the living rooms of America. Produced in an issue of 1000 copies only, for the benefit of subscribers who found the original issues impossible to procure. This set also with original issues, chiefly from 1907 to 1979, mostly original loose individual issues, some bound together in hardcover by year and volume number. The following National Geographic magazine issues not present or missing pages: 1906 (Nos. 5 & 10); 1907 (Nos. 1, 8, 10); 1915 Oct. issue missing pp. 339-340; 1928 July-Aug. and Nov.-Dec. missing some pages; and July 1962 and July-August 1970 not present. A nice set to begin a National Geographical Society collection, with only a few missing earlier issues and only needs issues beginning from 1980 to the present to complete the set (which are not difficult to obtain).