Mid-Century Geographic

Kodachrome by B. Anthony Stewart.

From “Wonderland in Longwood Gardens,” National Geographic, July, 1951.

In April the Rhododendron Bears a Treeful of Blazing Color

Ficus pumila, one of the figs, covers the pillar. Hybrid azaleas crown pots on the right.

Photo by Walter Meayers Edwards.

From “France’s Past Lives in Languedoc,” National Geographic, July, 1951.

Every Delicate Thread Is Set by Hand: Le Puy Lacemakers Exhibit Their Winter’s Work

Catherine de’ Medici in 1545 introduced lacemaking into France from her native Italy. Le Puy teaches the art to girls in its primary schools. Teen-age Marie Camille and Mauricette Archer, who throw bobbins back and forth on pillows as they twist the threads, work on the wide step outside their home. Doilies, tablecloths, and a child’s dress are displayed for sale on the walls.

Kodachrome by B. Anthony Stewart.

From “Wonderland in Longwood Gardens,” National Geographic, July, 1951.

Moistened Walks in the Greenhouse Satisfy the Azaleas’ and Camellias’ Craving for Humidity

The azalea and camellia house keeps temperatures cool — between 42º and 60º F. Marguerites, better known as daisies, brighten the foreground. Azaleas fill the center. Camellias appear in the far background.

Photo by Walter Meayers Edwards.

From “France’s Past Lives in Languedoc,” National Geographic, July, 1951.

French Pigs Come Equipped with Handles Such as Tails and Ears

Exploring Le Puy, the [photographer, Edwards] was startled by four men waving sticks as they chased a loose porker. When the animal darted beneath a cafe’s sidewalk tables, a woman screamed, upset her table, and spilled her coffee. Captured, the pig was hustled without a leash or goad into this waiting truck. Here, a drover, seizing a hog by the tail and preparing to twist an ear, shows how the runaway was propelled.

There’s a lesson in all this: Don’t spill the coffee.

Kodachrome by Volkmar Wentzel.

From “Building a New Austria,” National Geographic, February, 1959.

Painting with a needle, a Viennese embroiderer preserves in petit point a bygone scene in Grinzing. A ruled pattern guides her in setting some 1,600 stitches to the square inch. The work, executed for Frau Skokan’s shop on the Kohlmarkt, requires months to complete. It will adorn one side of a purse ordered by a British diplomat.

Kodachrome by Volkmar Wentzel.

From “Building a New Austria,” National Geographic, February, 1959.

Paper frills and fancies tax the skill and imagination of fashion students preparing for a moonlight show on the grounds of Schloss Hetzendorf, their school home in Vienna. Here, aided by one of the world’s largest libraries on dress style, young women study design, art, and textiles together with the standard academic subjects.

Kodachrome by B. Anthony Stewart.

From “Skiing in the United States,” National Geographic, February, 1959.

Swirling Snow Dots Skiers Riding a T-bar Tow up Spruce Peak, Vermont

An army of skiers, variously estimated at three to five million, invades the American highlands each winter. In the last quarter of a century more than 400 ski areas have been developed in 28 states, from mane to California, and from Canada to Mexico. Spruce Peak and its neighbor Mount Mansfield offer some 20 miles of trails and slopes. Both lie near Stowe, one of the east’s earliest and largest ski resorts.

Kodachrome by Kathleen Revis.

From “Building a New Austria,” National Geographic, February, 1959.

Neptune’s outrider salutes the public at Schönbrunn, where Marie Antoinette played as a child and Napoleon’s son grew to manhood. Originally designed by J. B. Fischer von Erlach to excel Louis XIV’s Versailles, the palace embraces 1,441 rooms — 139 of them kitchens — and dozens of staircases. Imperial furnishings remain.

Super Ansochrome by Kathleen Revis.

From “Skiing in the United States,” National Geographic, February, 1959.

Flying Clown Seems to Scrape the Treetops at Winter Park, Colorado

Outstanding skiers from all parts of the Nation converged on this resort last March for the 11th annual National Junior Ski Championships. The meet featured downhill and slalom races for boys and girls, a cross-country event, and jumping competition.

Why not?

Photograph by Charles Allmon.

From “Martinique: A Tropical Bit of France,” National Geographic, February, 1959.

Towering Tree Ferns Spread a Lacy Canopy Above a Martinique Hillside

These 20-foot relatives of plant ferns abound in tropical rain forests. The author [Gwen Drayton Allmon] inspects a stand near the village of Deux Choux (Two Cabbages).