Stories on Paper and Glass

Stories on Paper and Glass is a collection of the early National Geographic photographs with the story of how they came to be. Many of the photographs in the book have never before been published or exhibited, and they are a sheer delight to look at. The illustrated text accompanying the pictures tells the layered story of the how they were created, selected, and used. A portfolio of pictures introduces the book and the collection, and touches upon its important qualities. The text follows the portfolio and opens with the story of the Grosvenor family as collectors, their impulse and how it grew into a passion. That passion led to pioneering work in photo reporting and printing technology. National Geographic photographs cover a wide range of themes and each one is represented and examined here: exploration, science and industry, natural disasters, wildlife and landscape, America, and exotic cultures. Of particular interest are the Geographic's sixteen Special Collections comprising about 150,000 photographs. The Special Collections include rare Autochromes, vintage Edward Curtis photographs of the American Indian and much, much more.
Following the text is a sequence of remarkable and important pictures organized thematically.