Gems from National Geographic’s Archives

Like many Americans, my family held on to their National Geographicmagazines like treasures. I was always in awe of the sheer volume the collection took up — hundreds of glossy covers containing thousands ofphotographs. But when you consider the ratio of what photographers shoot versus what ends up in print, those iconic shots are just the tip of the iceberg. National Geographic sits on a massive archive, most of which has never seen the light of day, until now.

In honor of the magazine’s 125^th anniversary, National Geographic started a Tumblr, aptly called “Found.”Each day it offers shots from preeminent photographers capturing everything from a play performance in Greece (1930) to a Native American sendingsmoke signals (1909), to aCasablanca boutique (1971). And like great albums, the B-sides of National Geographic rival the hits. These images aren’t just examples of great photojournalism — they’re splendid compositions.

A woman walks a dachshund across pavement with undulating wave patterns in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, March 1955. (Photograph by Charles Allmon, National Geographic)

A flock of birds fly up from an enclosed courtyard in Old Havana, December 1987. (Photograph by James L. Standfield, National Geographic)

Geometric patterns enliven a wall of an auditorium in Caracas, Venezuela, March 1963. (Photograph by Thomas J. Abercrombie, National Geographic)

The small monastic church of St. John at Kaneo sits perched atop a rocky precipice overlooking Lake Ohrid in Macedonia, Yugoslavia, April 1982.(Photograph by James L. Standfield,National Geographic)

A teacher and a deaf student practice making sounds in front of mirror at the Clarke School for the Deaf in Massachusetts, March 1955. (Photograph by Willard Culver, National Geographic)

A British airman gives a signal to another friendly aircraft, 1918.(Photograph by Central News Photo Service,National Geographic Creative)

A welder works on cowls for liberty ships in California, 1942.(Photograph by Acme News Pictures, Inc.)

View of the Hagi city landscape through a fish aquarium in Japan, 1980.(Photograph by Sam Abell,National Geographic Creative)