0
0
While browsing some garage sales a few weeks ago, I came across a lawn loaded with stacks and stacks of old magazines dating back to the 60s. These included a number of National Geographic magazines, a society well-familiar with bringing to life an exciting combination of history, society, geography, nature and more.
These National Geographics instantly stole my attention, because amongst these piles of ads and fads lay some of the most intriguing insights into our social past, which the historian in me was thrilled to uncover.
This Rewind series follows my thoughts and reflections upon some of the editions set between the early 60s and late 70s, largely the astounding change between perspectives then and now.
In this August 1964 edition I will delve into themes prominent across all 4 segments – such as exploration and technological development – as well as into the historical stories of people and places. Largely, this includes the lasting impacts of colonialism, industrialisation, and consumerism which – at the time – were only just being recognised.
Inside Europe Aboard Yankee
In the first segment of the National Geographic’s August 1964 magazine, we step onboard the Yankee sailboat to accompany Irving and Electa Johnson on a patchworked journey along the waterways of inner Europe.
While many are dissuaded by the impracticality of living a life untethered, these two sea-lovers fully embraced the non-traditional lifestyle. The Irvings recount their voyage in a way which sends readers into an envisioned trance of timeless days decorated with the refreshing colour of adventure.
‘we lost ourselves in the remote countryside; every day we felt closer to the people with whom we mingled with at back doors and besides fields and orchards. We could almost tell time by the activities we observed as we cruised along at only 4 miles an hour’
Having completed 7 overseas journeys in the previous 25 years, this inner-continental cruise was a shift in gear both for the boat style and daily life. While it spanned an impressive 50 feet (over 15 meters), the Yankee was designed and tailored for the unique purpose of traversing the tight and narrow locks which divide France, Belgium, and the Netherlands.
The way these new features are described at the time (mid 60s) is nostalgic for those who argue that globalisation has rendered tourism overtly consumerist. For example these serene and niche experiences are increasingly more difficult to observe, or are already well-visited (even if in an online form).
Regardless of the hindsight which grasps for the golden ‘old days’, the Irving’s report highlights the enduring desire of many to see the world as it comes. For those like the Irvings – water is the key transport into the unknown.
‘well we aren’t going to do anything silly like moving ashore!’
Mozambique: ‘land of the good people‘
The second segment of the August 1964 edition hones in on Volkmar Wentzel’s visit to Mozambique. Beginning with a flash-back to the origins of Portuguese occupation on the island, the history of this ‘land of the good people’ has been intertwined with that of Portugal’s since the arrival of Vasco de Gama in 1498.
Wentzel projects a beneficial perspective upon current (1964) situation in terms of a lasting colonial legacy. In terms of industry, the article takes interest in the rapid development of the production and trade of goods – like cashews and tea – under Portuguese influence.
As with other colonial societies, this lasting influence is cemented in the very foundations of modern Mozambique, having dominated architectural development thus resetting a foreign cultural tone across the nation.
Beyond its physical makeup, the arrival of Portuguese settlers and their integration into Mozambique’s society sparked further socio-cultural effects. At the time of writing, Wentzel stresses that Mozambique’s population of 6 1/2 million – encompassing a mix of Africans, Portuguese, and Arabs – had created ‘a racial mosaic’ of harmonious demographics.
Deemed ‘an island of tranquility’ amidst ‘a continent seething with strife and ambitious hopes’, Wentzel explores the ways in which Mozambique continues to blend together its cultural diversity while benefiting from the structure brought by its colonizers. However, today’s reflections on the effects of colonisation can reveal the bias and cultural superiority behind this ‘transformation’.
‘Busy evening classes proved that here the emerging tribesman realises education is key to “white man’s magic”.’
observations of a school in Nampula
It is important to recognise that this article is not a stranger to the societal norms of its time, and the particular use of language and observation are embedded within wider popular assumptions. Wentzel himself ensures to quote local interviews within the contexts they are rooted in.
For instance, while discussing the ways in which native Mozambicans were socialised in the ‘Portuguese ways’ to increase profit and efficiency, it becomes very apparent as to whom determined these standards of success and development.
The effects of colonisation are not entirely ours to determine or judge, and historical analysis (as always) is limited by us having not lived through or experienced these events directly. However we can recognise their continued relevance in societies worldwide as historically and culturally rooted in the systems and structures of many post-colonial societies.
Northern Ireland: From Derry to Down
In a charmingly descriptive commentary, Robert L. Conly takes us through his adventures to explore the geographical, cultural, and political uniqueness of Northern Ireland.
Through images and voyages, the eerie remoteness of Northern Ireland’s vast landscapes is revealed to be underlaid by a wild temperament and masked beauty. Also known as Ulster (linked to its Gaelic origins), Conly begins in the capital, Belfast, to witness the bustling hotspot of production activity and rising industry.
Following World War 2, the city adopted an ‘aggressive and intelligent campaign’ designed to jumpstart its economy. This influx of foreign investment, combined with a largely unemployed and growing population, provided the materials for building the manufacturing hub that Belfast remains today.
‘There are 1,500,000 people in Northern Ireland, and almost as many different accents.’
Alongside this urbanisation came the inevitable mix of different societal demographics, including immigrants from wider Great Britain. A country well known for its complex inner tensions, the article builds towards the political unrest (still evident during the 60s) by examining its particular humour, pride, and religious demographics.
Conly describes Ulster’s factioned society as ‘fragmented like a broken mirror’, testifying to the multifaceted nature of Ulster’s intense religious divergence. It’s here where the value of this article is highlighted through its primary discussion of the recent (1956-62) events unfolding between various groups – notably the IRA (Irish Republican Army).
Conly’s historical explanations for the events occuring at the time show a perspective worthy of appreciation – both for its fullness in debate but also for its predictions for Ulster’s future.
‘Personally I hope that over the years or decades, the Irish sun and rain will fade the difference between the orange [Irish Protestants] and the green [Irish Catholics] until someday the Irish themselves will no longer be able to tell which is which.’
Peru: uncharted
This segment epitomises the inexplicable desire to immerse ourselves into the untamed wilderness, and emerge from the unknown with the name and heartbeat of a seasoned explorer.
Likely stemming from the mysterious wonders beheld by ancient civilizations like the Incas or Aztecs, in the 1960s much of Latin America remained uncharted and dangerously unknown – and it fascinated the West.
‘Rumours of ruins, Inca gold, indian taboos, and sacrificial lakes in the sky shrouded it in mystery. No scientist had ever examined its plant and animal life.’
Thus in an epic tale worthy of screen-time, Brooks Baekeland and Peter Gimbel (along with their tech and science team) embarked on their 1963 Vilcabamba expedition – sponsored by the National Geographic Society and the New York Zoological Society.
Even weeks before landing in Peru’s uncharted terrain, the voyage proved to be one requiring great technological development and planning. For example, their initial descent into the perilous Andes mountain range required them to jump from a plane using a new type of parachute (the ‘para-commander’) to slow their descent and avoid crash-landing into land unreachable to airplanes or helicopters.
‘What awaited us in these mysterious heights? No one knew.’
With only the use of a radiophone, the team recounts the incredible challenge of gathering supplies while lugging their packs across icy gorges and dense jungle. The men soon referred to the steep and treacherous area above the Pichari River as the ‘Valley of the Shadow of Death’, remaining painfully aware of the ease with which it could dismantle their team. At one point, Baekeland relives his experience getting stung by wasps – becoming blinded and unconscious within seconds.
‘Fate, however, was preparing a checkmate. The rainy season had come.’
One of the most intriguing aspects of their adventure was their sudden contact with the Machiguenga people. Though social norms of the time are revealed by their interaction with these people – classifying them ‘Indians’ and alluding to Jean Jacques Rousseau’s notion of the ‘noble savage’ – the team are anthropologically delicate in appreciating and analysing the Machiguenga’s traditions.
‘Though we felt we had been observed, we couldn’t be sure. Three days later we knew it.
For example, the Machiguenga wished to remain unnamed, understandable given both their scarce contact with outsiders, as well as their shy tendency to avoid direct questioning. Further, the team observe the distinct blue facial tattoos which decorate their hosts and attempted to reflect on their historical significance. While now they have been culturally adopted, they began as markers used by slave-owners in the 1800s to identify those who could best smell the rubber trees.
~~~
Today many of us wonder whether there is still anything left to explore on our vast world of wonders. The answer is of course yes. With the enticing possibilities provided by land, sea, and even space, our home can always be travelled unique to each own’s experiences.
For years the National Geographic Magazine has been bringing these possibilities into our tangible vision, and making the incredible journeys like that of these explorers possible.
My reflections on these old magazines are thus solely an attempt to understand, analyse, and learn from the insights of the time, and I hope that I have adequately conveyed their historical intrigue and social significance.
