National Geographic - Found

Bengal tigers crouch as animal trainer carries a 300-pound lion in Moscow, March 1966. Photographer Dean Conger.

There is something so intriguing about old photographs. Nothing else can quite take us back to that moment, that culture, that time in history - I think - than a photograph. 

Photographer’s reflection in a cut-out silhouette in a window. Photograph by Maynard Owen.

Children swim and play in oceanside pool, February 1955. By Franc & Jean Shor.

Motorcycle club members wear studded leather jackets and rakish caps in London, England, June 1966. Photographer James P. Blair. 

National Geographic have launched a blog entitled 'Found', a collection of photography from their extensive archives. The idea is to honour their 125th anniversary with select images, many of which have never been seen before. Some details have been lost over time, the exact locations and photographer credits, but what remains is a very special glimpse into the past. 

A grouper is examined by three kittens at Marineland in Florida, 1938. By Luis Marden.

A photograph of a Spanish dancer posing in her costume. Photograph by Wilhelm Tobien. 

I first stumbled across this archive at Miss Moss's blog. Diana is a graphic designer living in Cape Town, South Africa.

A student works at the Bezalel School of Arts and Crafts in Jerusalem, 1927. Photographer Maynard Owen Williams.