The Guardian yesterday wrote an editorial praising the National Geographic magazine. Excerpts:
On Jan. 13 1888, 33 people met at the Cosmos Club in Washington DC with the modest aim of establishing “a society for the increase and diffusion of geographic knowledge”.
Later that year the first issue of the National Geographic magazine was printed. Alexander Graham Bell, inventor of the telephone, was the second president of the society.
Little could its founding fathers have dreamed that, 120 years later, the same magazine would have more than 40 million readers and that its television arm, the National Geographic Channel, would reach over 270 million households in 166 countries.
This in addition to the educational and exploratory work that has turned it into one of the most respected nonprofit organizations in the world. This week marks a further milestone. It is taking over part of the geography of Regent Street in London by opening a shop on three stories to sell goods and maps from around the world, to showcase activities and to host such activities as a chamber that simulates extreme temperatures. It joins other stores in Regent Street — such as those run by Apple, Nokia and Ferrari — that are as much about brand promotion as selling. The National Geographic’s shop will feature a prominent nine-meter palm tree in the middle of the store.
At such uncertain times as these, it is comforting to know that the National Geographic continues to provide a beacon of stability.
