The End of the NatGeo Map Supplement?

[George Thomas Wilson]

In recent years National Geographic has published fewer and fewer maps as supplements to their monthly magazine.  From the 1940s through the 2000s there would be 4 or 5 maps per year.

In October 2009 National Geographic started a new type of supplement which they referred to as a "poster".  It is a multi-page foldout made with the same glossy paper stock and ink as the magazine pages but it had perforations for removal.

Since that time there have been 12 such posters published but only 7 loose maps (3 in 2010, 2 in 2011, & 2 in 2012).  There were no maps in 2013.  The last map was in September 2012, almost a year and a half ago.  There have been 6 posters published in that time.

For several decades, maps have been flagged in red lettering on the magazine binding.  The posters, however, were not.  That is until the 125 anniversary poster in the October 2013 issue, followed by the "IL Duomo" poster in the February 2014 issue.  Both are flagged in red lettering like the maps used to be.

Alas, in the age of GPS and Google Maps, foldout maps have become passé.  I am hoping that the NatGeo maps do not go the way of the yearly indexes.  After all, what is a geography magazine without maps?

Any thoughts or comments on the matter?

Tom Wilson

[George Thomas Wilson]

Just got my September 2014 number.  No map/supplement.  It been two long years now.  I still haven't given up hope.  I'm hoping for a World and/or USA map.  Any issue now.  Any issue now.

Tom

[Scott T. Shier]

...maybe they will issue a new one going into 2015, since it's coming up on the centennial of the establishment of their vaunted cartography department. They're already showing the upcoming release of their Centennial World Atlas -- the 10th & anniv. edition. 

Maybe they'll do an article in NGM about this and there'll be a map supplement. I would hope so! I'm skeptical though, since NGM has taken the Society, self-awareness, and the Membership out of the magazine since Chris John's make-overs. There's no "Us" or "We" in NGM since 2005 forward   : ( 

   - Scott


avail. for pre-odering now, will ship 9/30/2014 ~ though I thought'd they'd time it for the actual 2015 anniversary   ----> 

http://shop.nationalgeographic.com/ngs/product/books/atlases-and-re...;

[George Thomas Wilson]

Just got my October 2014 issue and lo and behold it has another poster "California's Water Challenge".  This one has NO red lettering on the spine.  Maybe they are going back to using that distinction for true maps/supplements.  I hope, I hope, I hope.

[Philip Riviere]

Tom,

Haven't got my issue  yet. Is this new poster one of those little perf jobs or are we finally getting a real "Poster"

Phil

[George Thomas Wilson]

Phil,

It one of those perf jobs, but no red lettering on the spine.  That's what has got my hopes up.  Probably false hope, but hope all the same.

Tom

[Scott T. Shier]

Grrrr, 

well this wouldn't count as the first time we've had a "perf" poster that was not ID'd w/ any lettering (red or otherwise) on the NGM spine. 

This will just be MORE inconsistency if they are not planning on issuing "real" supplements in the near future...

[George Thomas Wilson]

Soooooo glad I was wrong.  It took three years, two months but There Back!

[George Thomas Wilson]

They're, not There.  I need to proofread more before I hit [Enter] and walk away.

[Scott T. Shier]

You mean the Nov. "Amazonia" map supp., right? 

: - )

[George Thomas Wilson]

You betcha.