National Geographic Society Maps
Some of the most popular collectible maps are those issued as supplements to National Geographic Magazine. Not only are these maps widely accessible, making it easy to start a collection, they are also universally recognized as outstanding examples of the cartographer’s art.
The National Geographic Society, established in 1888 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., has always been known for the fine maps in its publications, although in its early years, the Society didn’t actually make its own maps; it distributed maps published by government agencies or other map makers. In 1915 the Society formed a map department and ever since has been producing and distributing its own maps. Today it prints millions of copies of each of its maps.
Through about 1920 the maps were lightly glued inside the front cover of the magazine and disbound copies may show traces of this glue. Since that time, the maps have simply been inserted into the magazine.
From the beginning the Society has dated its maps, usually with the month and year of issue, but sometimes with the year alone. In a few cases, the date on the map is different from the date on the magazine. Through the 1942 map of the Pacific Ocean, the maps were folded inside-out, with the blank side showing; consequently, it’s not uncommon to find these earlier maps refolded incorrectly with the printed side out. This misfolding is one type of damage to watch for when adding these maps to your collection. Another type is paper separation along the folds, especially in the earlier maps, which were printed on a thinner paper.
Since the 1960’s it has been standard to print on both sides of the paper, and text, artwork and photographs often accompany the maps. In a few cases, the magazine supplements are not maps at all, such as the June 1989 pictorial on dinosaurs or the September 1973 sheet on outer space. And in a few other cases, the Society has issued maps that were not included with the magazine. Examples include maps issued with various books the Society has published, maps offered for sale separately, such as the December 1960 map of the U.S.S.R., and maps such as the July 1944 large-format “Germany and Its Approaches – for use by War and Navy Department Agencies only; not for sale or distribution.”
You should generally be able to find copies of National Geographic Society maps in very good to excellent condition. Often, these maps have remained safely tucked inside the magazine and if they’ve been stored in a dry, bug-free environment, should be in fine shape. With care and patience, misfolded maps can be correctly refolded; it’s helpful to have an example on hand to use as a model. Even when these maps were removed from the magazine, they’re usually in reasonably good condition; these maps were typically not put to the same type of use (or abuse) as road and highway maps.
Generally, and not surprisingly, the older National Geographic Society maps are worth more than the newer ones. Far fewer were issued – and even fewer have survived. Values reflect this scarcity and a copy of the October 1898 “The Gold and Coal Fields of Alaska” would set you back at least $100, if you can find one. All of the other maps from the years 1892-1905 are also rare and will cost between $50 and $75 apiece.
Titles between 1906 and 1918 are also desirable and hard to find; retail prices may run between $10 and $25 apiece.
From 1921 onward the maps become noticeably more plentiful and prices will be lower – and tend to vary more widely from dealer to dealer. On average, titles from the 20’s and 30’s run $6 each; one exception is the April 1939 “Reaches of New York City,” which was displayed in the governor’s office on the TV show Benson and commands a bit more. Maps from the early 40’s usually can sell for $5 apiece, largely because of their tie-in with the Second World War. Another popular – and similarly priced – war map is the April 1961 “Battlefields of the Civil War.”
From the 50’s onwards, one map dealer may ask $3 for a given title and another one may only want a buck, but if you don’t mind poking through thrift shops, flea markets and garage sales, you can usually find these newer maps for 25 cents – or less – apiece, although there’s no guarantee you’ll locate the title you’re looking for. You can also contact the National Geographic Society itself; their current catalog lists for more than 60 of their most recent and best-selling maps – for $7.95 apiece plus shipping and handling.
Checklist of Supplemental Maps Issued by National Geographic Magazine
[Note: The date at left is the issue in which the map appeared; in a few cases the date actually printed on the map may be different. In its first half-dozen years the National Geographic Magazine was published on an “occasional” basis. (AP = Atlas Plate)
1889
Oct – Asheville District
1892
Mar 21 – Muir Glacier
Mar 31 – United States
1893
Apr 7 – Nuremburg Chronicle Map, 1493; Juan de la Cosa Map, 1500; Ruysch Map, 1508
1896
Jan – Russia in Europe
Feb – The Orinoco River
Mar – Submarine Cables of the World
Oct – Nansen Explorations
1898
Mar – The Gold and Coal Fields of Alaska
May – Cuba
1899
Jun – Theater of Military Operations in Luzon
Jul – Region Adjacent to the Nicaragua Canal Route
Aug – South Polar Regions
Nov – Vancouver’s Chart No. 1, Vancouver’s Chart No. 2
Dec – Seat of War in Africa
1900
Jan – Philippine Islands as the Geographical Center of the Far East
Sep – Northeastern China
1902
Jan – The Philippines (Two maps)
1903
Feb – Pilot Chart of the North Atlantic Ocean for February 1903
1904
Jan – Alaskan Boundary Decision
Mar – War Map of Manchuria and Korea
May – Alaska
1905
Feb – Cart of the World on Mercator’s Projection
Jun – Seat of War in Manchuria
Aug – Philippine Islands
Oct – Region of the Panama Canal
1906
Jun – Co-tidal Lines for the World
Oct – Cuba
1907
Jul – The North Pole Regions
1909
Mar – Africa
1911
May – Mexico
1912
Jan – Countries Bordering the Mediterranean Sea
Feb – Bird’s Eye View of the Panama Canal
Oct – China and Its Territories
1913
Feb – Central America, Cuba, Porto Rico & the Islands of the Caribbean Sea
1914
Feb – Alaska
May – Mexico
Aug – New Balkan States and Central Europe
1915
Jul – Europe and Adjoining Portions of Africa & Asia
1916
Jul – Mexico
1918
May – Western Theatre of War
Dec – The Races of Europe and Adjoining Portions of Asia and Africa
1921
Feb – Europe Showing Countries as Established by the Peace Conference
May – Asia and Adjoining Europe with a portion of Africa
Oct – South America
Dec – Sovreignty and Mandate Boundary Lines in 1921 of Islands of the Pacific
1922
Feb – The Countries of the Caribbean, including Mexico & Central America
Oct – Africa and Adjoining Portions of Europe & Asia
Dec – The World
1923
Apr – United States of America
1924
May – North America
1925
Nov – The Arctic Regions
1926
Sep – N. Carolina, S. Carolina, Georgia and Eastern Tennessee
1927
Feb – Maryland, Delaware and the District of Columbia