National Geographic Around the World Program

[Michael G. B.]

Hey all, I am thinking of begining to add the Around the World booklets to my collection, I was looking for a little information before I get to far into my latest edition. I know that they were published by DoubleDay for the NGS in the 50s and 60s as an educational tool, but I was wondering if anyone had an idea or better yet a list of the different regions/countries that were put out. Note this is not the National Geographic School Bulletins that I am referring to. Thanks so much

[Scott T. Shier]

Michael,

Research the American Geographical Society (AGS). The "Around The World" and "Know Your America" series were VERY well done and interesing booklets. However, they were not N.G.S. related in any way.

I know that some sellers on ebay perhaps are confused, and do list them as NGS. I myself thought they were, and bought some -- then found out. It wasn't all bad though. I got to read through some well-done books, and they have sticker sheets in them too, where you place the sticker labels in proper locations throughout the text.

I also researched the AGS, a worthy if lesser known OLD Geographical Society.

Hope this clarification helps.

- Scott T. Shier

[Paul Crist]

More to Scott, than to original poster Michael, the AGS never had the editorial integrity or production quality that NGS displayed, especially in theyday under MBG's editorship/chairmancy. That having been admitted, I do have about forty of the ATW from continental to some of the smallest city-states. In particular, if the stamp illustrations are properly affixed or are in their original sheets, they have a decent value. I think I have six or seven "virgins" with perforated sheets in tact, and the rest roughly split between those correctly stamped and those only partially done or done in error or sloppily. Half of the latter catergory owing to my youth and inattention in the late 1960s. Replcaing my originals really got me collecting them. I have over time also accumulated about nine of the AGS gold-fronted slipcases for the ATW series. They are not particulalry sturdy and do not tolerate either storage under weight or much handling. The booklets are frankly sturdier than the slipcases. I and a now-deceased San Antonio collector traded these over several years. I do not think there are as many collectors of the Know Your America as there are for ATW. I have only a few of the former and have never seen a slipcase for Know Your America. I am also unaware whether they ever complete all fifty states, which I would think would be a necessary pre-condition for the series having any lasting value. I also would be interested if there were a difinitive list of the ATW series.

[Karen Hartman-Burcar]

I have 48 of the books and 9 of the little red cases (1 is in bad condition, but the other 8 are pretty good). I was thinking of selling them. Any idea what I could get for them?

I have:

States: Georgia, Kentucky & Tennessee, Illinois and Indiana, Arizona and New Mexico, Hawaii, California, Kansas, Alaska, Florida, New Jersey, New York, Pacific Northwest, Pennsylvania, South Atlantic States, Texas, Mountain States, Nebraska and Iowa, New England, Maryland & Delaware, Nevada and Utah, Arkansas & Missouri

Cities: Philadephia, New York City, Salt Lake City, San Francisco, St. Louis, The Twin Cities, Our Nation's Capital, Historic Cities, Dallas, Chicago, Annapolis, Boston, Detroit, Denver, New Orleans

Misc: Electric Power, America's Farms and Ranches, Iron & Steel, Mines and Mining, Railroads, Shipping, The Mississippi River, America's Favorite Vacation Spots, National Monuments, National Scenic Vacationlands, Indians of the Southwest, John F. Kennedy


Only a few of the books have the stickers removed and stuck in. The rest are like new. I also have a lot of the "Around the World" books and their cases.

[Paul Crist]

I might be interested if the stickers are in tact and not stuck together, a real problem on the Gulf Coast, though a tip was to place in the freezer and if not actually saturated, the humidity might be compensated and then they can be laid out. Let me know what you were thiking
Paul Crist
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713-797-9988