Father of Photojournalism

theworldinlight.com

Throughout my career as librarian, one publication that I liked to keep as a complete set was the National Geographic Magazine.  If a collection was excellent, this would include owning the original 1888 publication.  In one community during the first week serving as librarian,  I questioned my assistant because she was using a permanent black magic marker to black out any naked skin displayed in the magazine photos.  I learned that the employees in this school district had been doing this for ten years!  My first decision as librarian was to put that practice to a halt ... I marched down to the principal and said that if he supported the act of defaming art and exploration of culture,  I would cancel the district's subscription.  Canceling the National Geographic was tantamount to mutiny in the library world - he rescinded the practice.

Two weeks ago I visited Grosvenor Arch named after the father of photojournalism and the first full-time editor of National Geographic Magazine, (Gilbert Hovey Grosvenor serving from 1899 to 1954).

Viewing the magnificent arch, named after a man who respected natural beauty, evoked many memories for me (like the one I shared ).  Each year during my career, an elderly person downsizing their living arrangements would sadly offer an entire magazine collection with the distinct yellow border for use in the library ... owning the issues and preserving them had meant a great deal to each individual. 

I spent more than an hour gazing at Grosvenor Arch; thinking about the magazine and how the contents enriched life; thinking about what is permanent; thinking about art; thinking about what is important to me.  Throughout this reminiscence, I did not use black magic marker - there have been actions that I would like to erase but I know that doing so would be counterproductive.