Map Indexes

[Jeffry Persons]

I would like to add a few more map indexes that I have not seen listed.  They are as follows:

1.1949 Europe and the Near East; I have both a dark globe and the uncolored globe

2.1950Classical Lands; I have both globes

3. 1950 Africa...; I have both globes

4.  1951 World; I have both globes

5.  1953 Historical Map of US; I have both globes

6. 1954 California; I have both globes

Also for clarification on the 1945 USSR indexes:

rear page blank has a dark globe

with publications the globe is dark

with books the globe is uncoloured

I also have three proofs with notes attached dated 1956; one with publications and an uncoloured globe, one with

books with uncoloured globe and the last with a blank page with dark globe

Also with the 1942 Asia indexes:

Washington in scroll has publications

25 has a blank page and 25 also has publications

Also of note I have three indexes where there is a noticeable difference in the printing within the scroll; one is very dark and muddy and very slightly smaller and the other is very clear and slightly larger.  I feel that this most likely is due to two different printing runs.   Those indexes are 1936 Canada; 1938 Bible lands; 1939 Central Europe and 1940 Europe and Near East.

I also looked in one of my map cases to see what map indexes were present.  This is what I found:

1948 Australia

1949 Top of the World

1950 Classical Lands with uncoloured globe and no banner

1952 Southwest Asia

1955 Southeast Asia

1955 Atlantic Ocean

1956 Alaska

1957 Europe

1961 USSR with no globe

1962 Western Europe with uncoloured globe and a straight banner (empty)

1962 Pacific Ocean with uncoloured globe with nothing in the banner

1962 Canada, Alaska, Greenland with no globe and nothing in the banner

1964 Lands of the Bible Today with no globe and nothing in the banner

Jeff Persons

[George Thomas Wilson]

Jeff,

This is awesome!  Thanks for the info.  It'll take me awhile to absorb it all.

I suspected additional uncolored globes (I know of at least 9 now - probably more).

It is the last 4 items you listed that really caught my attention.  These indices from the sixties I was totally unaware of.  I have a "Lands of the Bible Today" from 1962 and Nathan documents one from 1967, but 1964 that is so cool.  And the three you mention from 1962, wow.  Do you have the maps associated with these indices?  If so, would you please let me know the dates of the maps?

Thanks in advance,

Tom

[Jeffry Persons]

Tom,

I do have the maps readily available from the map case, but the other ones would be very hard to dig out at this time.  I will get you the map dates soon.  Because of that note on one of my proofs dated 1956, I also believe that there are probably more uncolored globes out there.  I still have more map indexes to find; they are stashed somewhere in storage.  I also feel that with each map case that some of these indexes were probably special printings to bring the map case current prior to presentation.  If that is so, there re probably many more out there that will never be in general circulation

Jeff

[George Thomas Wilson]

Jeff,

As for my map date request, I was just interested in the 4 from the sixties for now.  I'm trying to update my spreadsheet of map indices to aid in my search.  (I only have 62 at present.)

Tom

[Jeffry Persons]

Tom,

Here are the map dates from the four you requested:

Canada, Alaska..June 1956

Lands of Bible; 1963

Western Europe; 1961

Pacific Ocean; Dec. 1952

Jeff

[George Thomas Wilson]

Thanks again Jeff,

I'm sorry to keep doing this to you but I need one more piece of information before I can make any sense of this.  Would you please let me know the numbers of place names on the covers of these four.  I promise I won't ask you for any more data.

After I have this info, I will be making a post about it here.  It might take a while though, I'm a bit under the weather.

Yours in collecting,

Tom

[Jeffry Persons]

Hi Tom,

Here are the place names numbers:

Western Europe:  8699

Pacific Ocean:  5958

Canada, Alaska...:  5607

Lands of Bible:  4252

Let me know if you need anything else.

Jeff

[Scott T. Shier]

Jeff I concurred w/ your comment here the other day. Those Indices that came w/ the Map Cabinets (circa 1940's - 1980ish) would be the bane of a collector's fortitude & good humor. I cannot fathom how likely it is that there are a bunch of one-off, or single printed versions of a given index (a date with perhaps place names qty. that only may have existed for one custom set of maps that was given to an Admiral Halsey or Juan Trippe, for instance). 

I never wanted to mention these Cabinet Index variants to anyone here for fear of exploding some heads! You are right, they are never in circulation generally, and the ones that have been sold from the families of these assorted dignitaries are most likely being hoarded by a very few or couple collector's who will sit on them for decades, never sharing knowledge from them, never looking at them themselves, and then I always worry what the kids of one of these collector's will do after -- it's quite common for children dealing w/ estates to just wrinkle their face at a bunch of papers, maps, and magazines and say "umm, let's rent a dumpster anyone?".

I cringe every time I've been told of such an instance by those who have done it. Oy vey!

        ~ Scott 

[Jeffry Persons]

Scott,

I wonder what map indexes President Obama has in his map case?

Jeff

[Scott T. Shier]

I remember having a similar thought some years back. I was wondering if since "priorities" had drastically changed, if perhaps President Bush and Obama's map cases had one (enlarged) map solely dedicated to Iraq, Afghanistan . . . in addition to the typical middle east map. If so it would seem to go w/o saying there would be a unique Map Index per country (Irq, Afgh.).

Then again, do we even know if the latest generation of Map Cabinets are even still inclusive of individual map index booklets? I wonder.

[George Thomas Wilson]

Jeff,

Sorry for the delay getting back to you.

This reply references Collectibles of the National Geographic Society compiled by Roger E. Nathan (hereafter cited simply as Nathan).  Also, Dale has provided a list from Bill Cole which includes Reprints of map indexes, something which Nathan make no mention.  The main difference between an index Revision and an index Reprint is that a Revision also has a new map while a Reprint uses the same (read old) map.

After reviewing your information on the four map indices we've been discussing and collating it with data from Nathan and my collection (meager as it is), I can make the following observation.  Taking them one at a time, I'll present my findings as best I can.  Please feel free to make any corrections as I am often in error about things.

I. Western Europe

The original supplement map was issued December 1950 and the map index is also copyrighted 1950 as per Nathan.  (Note I do not possess one but have a poor image of one with the number of place names at the edge of resolution.  I think it says 8,005 but I'm not sure.)  Nathan also states that the map was revised November 1961 (and again in 1966).  He does not mention an index for this revision, however obviously there is one because you have it.  Copyrighted 1962 it has 8,699 place names.  [Index is definitely a Revision]

II. Pacific Ocean

The original supplement map was issued December 1952 and the map index is also copyrighted 1952 as per Nathan.  (Again, I do not possess one and have no way of knowing the number of place names for the original index.)  Nathan makes no reference to a revision for this map.  You possess a map index with 5,958 place names copyrighted 1962.  [Index is probably a Reprint]

III. Canada, Alaska and Greenland

The original supplement map was issued June 1947 and the map index is also copyrighted 1947.  I have the original index and it has 5,613 place names.  Here's where this one gets weird.  Nathan states that the map was revised in April 1963, a good match for your index's 1962 copyright with it's 5,607 place names.  However, you state that your map is dated June 1956 (the same date as a map supplement for Alaska).  Nathan makes no reference of this revision date.  [Index is definitely a Revision but you may not have the correct map with it]

IV. Lands of the Bible Today

The original supplement map was issued December 1956 and the map index is also copyrighted 1956.  I have the original index and it has 4,252 place names.  Nathan states that the map was revised January 1963 and the index 1962.  I have these items with the index having 4,252 place name but the map only having the year 1963, no month.  You have the same map as me but your index is copyrighted 1964 again with 4,252. [Index is probably a Reprint (or Reissue) of a Revision]

I hope this post hasn't totally confused you and remember, I am relatively new to map index collecting and have joined the 'Corner to learn from more experienced collectors like you and Dale.

Tom

[Scott T. Shier]

RE: Jeff's 1962 Index for CAN-AL-GRNLD :

Jeff, is there a 1 or 2 page intro. in this copy (as was common for the Map Indices) that would help clarify what the Index was for? I say that w/ regards to Tom's wondering if you have the incorrect map w/ it.

General query -- Did the post-1960 Index copies no longer have the little intro. essays? All 70 or 80 of my Index(es) are all 1950's or prior only. My only (current) exception is the Index guide booklet that came w/ the deluxe Centennial Index set.

- Scott

[Jeffry Persons]

Scott,

All the 1960's have a 1 or 2 page intro as well.  Once I get my computer back I will be able to look at map dates as well.  I must have over a 1000 maps, supplements, plastic,  linen, flat (all sizes).  Everytime the Society came out with a new printing I purchased it.

Jeff