The Royal Geographical Society Illustrated - Softcover

The history of the Royal Geographical Society and that of photography run parallel, for both were born in the same decade. The new invention of photography became an indispensible tool for explorers and travellers because it enabled them to make a visual record of what they saw. Many of the pictures they took have found their way into the Society's unique photographic collection, and over 300 of those pictures - some in colour, most in black and white, dating from as far back as 1861 - form the basis of this book, the RGS Illustrated. Organised according to geographical region, the photographs offer a fascinating glimpse of the world's varied landscapes and habitats, its peoples and ways of life. Some of the pictures recall historic moments in time - Scott finding Amundsen's empty tent at the South Pole, Tenzing Norgay photographed by Hillary on the peak of Everest, the ferryman who took David Livingstone across the river on the last day of his life. Other pictures are remarkable as records of vanished or vanishing peoples, or simply as beautiful pieces of art in their own right.

Lavishly produced, the RGS Illustrated is a book to treasure - a unique view of the world in all its variety, and a pictorial reminder of some of the greatest achievements in exploration. Founded in britain in 1830, the Royal Geographical Society has for more than 160 years provided a focus for geographical research and worldwide exploration, at both national and international level. After its merger in 1995 with The Institute of British Geographers, the Society now forms the largest and most vigorous geographical organisation in Europe with a current membership of some 13,000, inluding Fellows, Associate Fellows and Corporate bodies. The Society's role, as defined in its original Royal Charter, is 'the advancement of geographical science and the improvement and diffusion of geographical knowledge'. The many ways in which the Society honours these terms include supporting expeditions to all corners of the world, organising conferences and lectures, publishing books and journals, and maintaining an unparalleled record, in archive material, of some of the greatest geographical discoveries and studies.

The Society continues to encourage the widespread enjoyment of geography, as well as fostering an awareness of those pressing environmental issues that face the world today.