The National Geographic Magazine, Vol. LIX, No. 4, April, 1931

Washington DC: The National Geographic Society, 1931. Presumed First Edition/First Printing thus. Wraps. Good. [12 pages of advertisements], pages 261-390, [and 18 pages of advertisements]. Illustrations (with twenty-four pages in full color. Maps. Cover has wear and soiling, with scuff at spine. National Geographic is the official magazine of the National Geographic Society. It has been published continuously since its first issue in 1888, nine months after the Society itself was founded. It primarily contains articles about geography, history, and world culture. The magazine is known for its extensive use of dramatic photographs. The magazine is published monthly, and additional map supplements are also included with subscriptions. On occasion, special editions of the magazine are issued. The first issue of National Geographic Magazine was published on September 22, 1888, nine months after the Society was founded. Starting with its January 1905 publication of several full-page pictures of Tibet in 1900-1901, the magazine changed from being a text-oriented publication closer to a scientific journal to featuring extensive pictorial content, and became well known for this style. John Hyde was the first editor. This issue includes: Under the South African Union with 99 illustrations by Melville Chater; Trekking South Africa with a Color Camera with 11 Natural Color Photographs; Faces and Flowers Below the Tropics with 14 Natural Color Photographs, Scenes on High Veld and Low with 13 Natural Color photographs; and Fire-Walking Hindus of Singapore with 11 illustrations by L. Elizabeth Lewis.