This Week in History - The National Geographic Society

Transcript:       It’s January 13, 1888 in Washington D.C. A chill runs down your spine as you walk through the mist down the pavement, holding your gloved hands stiffly in the pockets of your tweed jacket. Through the fog, you see the old Dolley Madison house silhouetted across the street. It’s now home to the Cosmos Club Network, a sumptuous country club for men of science who gather to trade theories, discuss new ideas, and stretch the boundaries of their intellectual world. Someone like you or me could only imagine the groundbreaking  conversations happening inside; yet there in the distance, 33 men hustle briskly through the cold into the club. If you were standing closer, you might see the excitement on their faces, hiding behind their peacoats and scarves, as they gather to embark on a historic passion project: founding The National Geographic Society.

But first, a highly simplified backstory: 

Gardiner Greene Hubbard, a lawyer and financier, was a curious explorer of ideas – which he pursued through business plans and angel investments. He founded the Clarke School for the Deaf in 1867 to create opportunities for his daughter, Mabel, who had lost her hearing to scarlet fever at a very young age. Ten years later, he founded the Bell Telephone Company, helping the telephone become unforgettable –  and widely accessible. The company stands today as the American Telephone and Telegraph company, or AT&T. As it turns out, he had had the best insider knowledge of the new tech, since his soon-to-be son-in-law was Alexander Graham Bell himself. Only 2 days after the company was founded, Mabel was married to Alexander and the two stayed in love for over 45 years. 

As clever as he was, Hubbard admitted openly that he was “not a scientific man”. Rather, he was curious. he allowed his curiosity to lean into what was pushing the boundaries of possibility, and then he used his civic skills to be an ambitious founder, putting himself right in the middle groundbreaking change. n So when the Cosmos Club Network opened in 1878, he fit right in as an esteemed lifetime member. Around him were distinguished men – scientists, governors, and lawmakers alike. Imagine being in a room with fifty interesting conversations buzzing around you – where would you gravitate? Well, Hubbard’s instinct for expansion and curiosity led him to sit at the table with meteorologists, cartographers, engineers, and explorers. After having fascinating conversations among themselves, 33 members were determined to redefine the scope of geography, and make its education accessible to a wider audience. Paraphrasing Hubbard’s words, geography was evolving from studying flattened maps and local climates into a broader study that encompassed all the aspects of studying the earth and her atmosphere. And in Hubbard’s mind, the Cosmos Club wasn’t the finish line—it was the launchpad to carry the expanding story of the Earth beyond the warm glow of their 4 walls and into the public imagination.

Which brings us back to January 1888, as they all walked in with this stirring new purpose seeded in their minds. They removed their layers to reveal their finest formal attire, and ordered drinks to warm themselves. The room buzzed with energy as one by one, each man trickled into the room and relaxed into their seats. Then, with light fare (or fancy snacks) passed around, their low, restless murmurs steadied into focused deliberation. By the time their conversations were done, their mission was clear: “to increase and diffuse geographic knowledge” by publishing a magazine meant to travel beyond their ivory tower into the hands of everyday people.

AI Generated image of a group of men at the Cosmos Club, ready to share ideas by the fire, creating the spark that would soon be The National Geographic Society.

By January 27, The National Geographic Society was incorporated. By October, their first issue was published. But the response was not exactly what they had hoped. Mostly scholars and other members were interested in the publication, but not the general public. The reasoning is fairly obvious, at a quick glance. The first issue was thick, using largely academic language and including no pictures. One man, a geologist, gave a thorough account of how to classify every kind of geographic phenomenon he could think of, jotting lists that would glaze the eyes of any light reader. Another article contained a clinical and uncaring recounting of a terrible storm that took the lives of 400 people just that year. He analyzes the storm step by step, while also taking the time to point out that it was “no means as violent as others which have occurred in the eastern part of the United States.”

All to say, the first publications were not as reader-friendly as they are today. But with the diffusion of knowledge baked into their mission, the magazine began to evolve into what we know now. It started to outgrow its early, technical voice. It followed the political and economic forces shaping the era, and widening its lens beyond U.S. borders. By 1905, their pictures became a focus for telling stories that captivated the reader. In February 1910, its iconic yellow border first framed the cover. Today, they are part of the Disney franchise, and still chasing the same promise: education that informs you delivers a story that lays the groundwork for every curious person to explore their deepest curiosities about Earth.

If you have ever looked to the sky and let your mind wander with questions, then you understand the roots of this iconic magazine. But when we look back to the seeds that started it all– from its very first spark ont he 13th to its very first print in October – it becomes obvious that the first try of anything is rarely perfect. National Geographic had some of the most distinguished minds of their time backing it, and it still wasn’t there yet. The scope of perspective that led to their success could only be gained through years of experience, ethos, and evolution — through friction. Yet as long as the idea was nurtured with care and consistency, it was guaranteed to evolve slowly into something beyond anyone’s wildest predictions. 

But imagine if these men had laughed off their society talk and put it to the side? Imagine if they were embarrassed or too worried about public opinion to act on it? What if they wanted it to be perfect and never published it? Or what if they never cared to catch the public’s attention, there were never pictures or a yellow border, and it stayed in its comfort zone – a dry academic journal – forever? We might not have the magazine, we might not have access to the same information, we might not wvwn live in the same world as we know today. 

The sooner you plant the seeds of your passion without fear or expectation, and do one thing each day to protect and nurture it, the sooner it starts growing. When you wait for a better time, it may never come, and then you're just wasting time. It’s a disservice to you and those around you, since you never know how your vision can change someone’s life, and even the world.

So what is the idea in the group chat that you’re sitting on? Or if you have a passion project, who do you know that can feed and challenge your ideas? Where are your feet taking you; what conversations draw your attention? While Elements of Us is a solo project right now, it has come from an amalgamation of friends from all different careers and walks of life dropping ideas and giving feedback. I hope to encounter more people that can give us segments spanning every topic you can dream of, from fun facts to philosophy. But Nothing can happen alone. Everything relies on the give and take that comes with putting something really raw and vulnerable out there and then receiving feedback about it. That feedback is the fuel for growth that can take you to new heights. So be brave, put it all out there, and get ready for your dreams to look nothing like you ever imagined.