Did National Geographic Produce The Magazine In Annual Books

[Sean o'donnell]

I am looking for information about annual books from national geographic I have books from the 50s and would like to no if they are original books not done by a independent book binder

[Melvin L. De Vilbiss]

Sean,

The only bound volumes of the "magazine" I'm aware of the NGS producing are the 18 reprint volumes from 1964.

Any original magazines otherwise bound were done by binderies outside the purview of the NGS.

I hope this helps.

Mel

[Dale]

Mel,

Up until a couple of days ago, I thought this was the case too. Now I am just confused.

On the back covers of the August 1899 and September 1899 NGM issues, there is an NGS notice that reads:

"Bound volumes of The National Geographic Magazine for 1896, 1897, 1898 may be bought for $3.50 each"

This would seem to imply these bound volumes were published under the imprimatur of the NGS, probably by Judd & Detweiller, printers of the NGM. Does anyone have any more information?

Dale

[Melvin L. De Vilbiss]

Dale,

I read through the first 18 volume reprints so long ago I can't remember what and where anymore. As soon as I read this, I remembered the advertisement - kind of like slapping one's forehead and saying, "I should have had a V8!" (That's an American advertisement if you don't know where I'm coming from with it.)

At the same time - I then recalled another advertisement in one of the older magazines. You'll find it on the inside of the back cover of the December1899 issue and reads in part, "The National Geographic Magazine has a few UNBOUND (my emphasis) volumes for the years 1896, 1897, and 1898... ."

It's like a sieve, the more one digs, the more one has to dig...

SEAN - there IS evidence, produced by Dale, the NGS was at least sponsoring the sale of bound volumes. Whether or not these were "repurchased" volumes as was the practice by the NGS back in those days, or formally assembled volumes under the auspices of the NGS for sale .... I'll leave to Dale to discover (hehe!)

Sean, with respect to your specific volumes in question - can you read or make out any of the details of the trademark?

Here's an eBay link to "a single 1964 reprint volume" published by the NGS:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/05-1893-1894-National-Geographic-REPRINT-Fa...

 

[Dale]

Mel & Sean,

The bound volumes Sean has were bound by Kingkraft Covers Co. based in Kingsport, Tennessee. I have seen much earlier volumes bound by the same bindery on eBay. They are very beautiful.

Below is a copy of a post to a much earlier thread (29 Nov 2009) to this website on much the same topic from Paul Grist that may answer the question of those NGS notices:

I will disagree with Charlie on one point, throughout the teens and probably back to 1897 or 1898, back issue were bound in house at the Society for Society officials, important board members or public servants and were available (on a limited bases and usually only for a couple years after the printing) to members for I think $6 ppd for most of those years. Some years seem to have had more offered, other years 1903-1905 may have had none available to regular members or the general public

For instance while later naughts andf teens were routinely advertised in the magazine, I have never seen and so far as I remember having seen in those years' issues or otherwise hearing of, any Society-bound 1903-1905. Also some Founders or other early members bequeathed their bound sets back to the Society, and decades ago Bob Finch laid his hands on some. If recollection is right, he offered us a set of about 20 years continuous run and then a couple of more years in a different binding from nobody important's estate he bought from the Society for probably less than $1000 and possible in the $200-$300 range. He quoted the premium for Society bound issues and wanted something like $4000, which in 1970s money was above our resources. It was my father doing the negotiations, so I am not certain on the details, but it disappeared from his price list in three or four quarterly mailings, so he likely got much of what he was asking.

I do not think there is a particular premium on Society bound volumes, unless it was for a Grosvenor, Bell or someone like John Wesley Powell who conveys value in the owners own right, rather than some nobody either was given or bought a Society bound set. I have seen and passed on a couple of such sets, as like Charlie, single intact issues are what I wanted. However, I also vaguely recall some Congressman's or Justice's complimentary set on Koopmann's website at some point. Maybe that deserves some premium, but not a large one if at all.

Also, with the exception of Grosvenors' outside the DC-Baltimore area, I would think it would be rare to come up with Society bound other than on the East Coast, unless a dealer bought them from the Society and relocated them.

[Dale]

Ooops, I meant Kingskraft Press Inc.

[Sean o'donnell]

Thanks Mel
So the books that I have are independent not national geographic. Are there any photos of these reprint books about?
Did you see the photos of the books I have. The book cover has a trademark on the back?
I have got a lot of plain cover book form ngs and was looking for the same cover as the 1950's that I have
I must thank you mel for the quick reply it has saved me a lot of time looking for the answer

[Philip Riviere]

Hi Sean,

     I'm an avid collector of early geographics (especially Maps & Supplements). I do have 8 bound "reprint" editions as well as many different other bound editions. The point I want to make to you is that ONLY reprint editions are reprints...ALL other bound editions are genuine ORIGINAL National Geographic magazines that their owners had bound for them by various binding companies.. A bound 1899 original magazine (no matter what company bound it) is worth usually 10 times more than a National Geographic Reprint bound 1899 volume. Originals like you have are much more desirable than National Geographic reprints from the National Geographic Society...Also only the National Geographic Society printed "reprints" in single unbound magazines.Most collectors believe the society then "bound" the singles into the books we see today. The society has never admitted to binding them.I hope this helps to clear up your understanding of your bound volumes. Bye the way, your set is a beautiful leather set that would demand a premium price.( Bound Reprint editions from the National Geographic Society are not in leather)

Best,

Phil

[Philip Riviere]

Sean,

Reprints were printed (In the 1920's & 1960's) only for national geographic issues   between 1888 and 1907... ALL issues after 1907 are originals...  Your 1950's bound books are ORIGINAL National geographic magazines that their owner wanted preserved forever in bound book form. 

Phil

 

[Dale]

Hi Phil,

Just a few points:

1. It is surprising to me that the 1964 reprints, especially the loose issues, have become collectibles in their own right. A full set of the individual 1888-1907 reprints could cost about $9,000. And of course, the obsessive collector must then also have the bound versions.

2. I always understood that the bound reprints were bound by Judd & Detweiller, the long-term printer the NGS used.

3. I agree that Sean's bound originals are a beautiful set, but I do not believe they are leather. I believe that they are made of Fabrikoid (a Du Pont imitation leather). Same material used by the NGS for many of their 1920's and 30's books (also called black molloy, produced by Albrecht Press I think) and in the popular Albrecht airplane covers for bound NG magazines.

[Philip Riviere]

Mel,

Thanks for the clarification. Sean  I think was worrying whether his set was real or "reprints".. I hope I clarified that for him.

Phil

[Melvin L. De Vilbiss]

Sean,

The bottom line is: your books are “original NG magazines” bound by an independent bindery.

Phil,

I’m getting a little confused here with the conversation,

Re: reprint versus original

& bound versus individual

& and NGS bound versus independent bound.

So if I may attempt to clarify “my” understanding…

The key date to remember is 1907!

All of the books Sean shows pictures of are “younger” than this date and therefore “ALL are original” National Geographic Magazines that have been “independently” bound by some bindery other than one sponsored by the National Geographic Society (NGS).

Now to the REPRINTS sponsored by the National Geographic Society:

Please refer to Chapter 7, page 70, of Edwin C. Buxbaum’s, “Collector’s Guide to the National Geographic Magazine, 3^rd Edition.”

In the June 1964 magazine the NGS made a preliminary announcement for the REPRINT publication of the first 18 volumes of the NG magazine.

In the November 1964 issue, pages 688 & 689, the NGS made its formal announcement of the reproduction, “…Initially, the Society is reproducing only 1,000 copies of each… .”

When the dust settled, only 1,000 copies of the “individual” issue reprints were recorded. However, the total number of “NGS sponsored” bound reprint volumes was apparently NOT recorded and is therefore publicly unknown. I still haven’t determined which printer bound the REPRINTS for the NGS.

The eBay link, I provided Sean earlier, shows just one of those 18 NGS sponsored bound REPRINT volumes.

There are numerous examples of "other" reprints sponsored by the NGS – but I believe that discussion will simply confuse the issue here. I would be more than happy to discuss all the variants on another thread.

Again Sean, the bottom line is: your books are “original NG magazines” bound by an independent bindery.

Now, if you’re still absolutely and totally confused – I apologize! Please let us know so we can clarify things for you?

Have a good day!

Mel

[Sean o'donnell]

Another thing I forgot to say I saw a program about the ngs and the person being interviewed from the company had all the magazines in a large bookcase also in a smaller bookcase was book form anuals from early year's I can't remember the dates of these this is why I was looking for information about