45 Cool Photos National Geographic Kept Hidden In The Archives

Published March 31, 2017
Updated January 16, 2019

To commemorate their 125th year of publication, National Geographic has released some astounding, never before published photos.

Rare National Geographic Photos
A Thai woman poses in a Panung, the national costume, 1907.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Victoria Falls
A rainbow arches over Victoria Falls in Zimbabwe.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

National Geographic Photos Ojibway
A portrait of an Ojibway, or Native Chippewa Indian girl, 1907.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

National Geographic Photos Gramophone Dog 1911
A dog observes a gramophone during a South Pole expedition, 1911.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

National Geographic Photos Flag Sewing
A child looks on as stars are sewn onto a US flag, 1917.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

National Geographic Photos 1917 World War One Dog
A World War I soldier bandages a Red Cross canine helper, 1917.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Girl Calf
A girl pets a calf in Scotland, 1918.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Herding Sheep
A man herds sheep with the help of his collies in Scotland, 1919.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

National Geographic Photos Police Dog Bites
A police dog biting some ankles during a training exercise, 1919.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Tulip Fields
Locals relax by the tulip fields along the canal in Haarlem, The Netherlands, 1931.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Canadian Railway
Inside a Canadian Railway classroom, 1932.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

LaSalle Station
A man roaming Chicago’s famous LaSalle Street train station, 1936.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Drugstore Cowboy
A Drugstore Cowboy prepares to make deliveries, 1938.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Blue Ribbon Mare
A blue-ribbon winning mare with its owner in Waterloo, Iowa, 1939.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Charlotte Sunbathing
People sunbathe beside a swimming pool in Charlotte, North Carolina, 1941.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Dog Leaping Over Woman
A dog leaps over a woman, 1941.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Razor X-Ray
An x-ray demonstration of the new Westinghouse electric razor, 1941.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Algerian Tattoo
An Ouled Nail woman in Algeria wears a tattoo customary for dancers, 1949.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Hillside Houses
Hillside houses overlook smoke-belching steel mills in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, 1949.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Snake Feeding
Force-feeding a shake to ensure its venom supply, 1950.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Metal Aircraft
A demonstration shows how a metal aircraft sheds lightning, 1950.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Boys Penguins
Uniformed boys pose with king penguins at the London Zoo, 1953.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Canary Islands
Children play barefoot in a cactus garden on the Canary Islands, 1955.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Niagara Falls
Niagara Falls illuminated with rainbow flood lights, 1956.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Alaskan Malamute
A man examines the teeth of a 10-month-old Alaskan Malamute puppy near the South Pole, 1957.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Felled Tree
A woodman notches a felled tree’s trunk for sectioning in Western Australia, 1962.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

People Picnic
People picnic on the rocky heights overlooking Harpers Ferry in Maryland, 1962.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Grace Kelly
Princess Grace Kelly in Monaco, 1962.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Caracas Venezuela Metropolis
Long exposure of Caracas, Venezuela, 1963.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Chorus Line
A chorus line high kicks during a show at Cafe Le Can Can in Miami Beach, Florida, 1963.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Bondi Beach
Surfers overpopulate the waves off of Bondi Beach in Australia, 1963.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Ontario Kids
Children playing at sunset in Ontario, Canada, 1963.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Kitten Attacks
With claws bared, a kitten attacks its own mirrored reflection, 1964.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Aida Opera
A performance of the opera, Aida, in New York City, 1964.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Irish Guard Down
Members of the Irish Guard ignore their fainted comrade, 1966.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Chicago Balcony
The Chicago skyline as a backdrop for rooftop party-goers, 1967.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Yellowstone Bison
Bison roaming Yellowstone National Park, 1967.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

1969 Neon
Marines walk the San Diego streets amid neon signs, 1969.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Ragtime Piano
A Ragtime piano man enjoying the spotlight, 1969.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Cairo Nightclub
An Egyptian belly dancer performs for tourists in a nightclub in Cairo, 1972.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Sugar Beet Farming
Women farming in sugar beet fields, 1974.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Abu Dhabi
Patrons of a KFC in Abu Dhabi, 1975.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Murmansk Kids
Kids in Murmansk, former Soviet Union endure their daily dose of Vitamin D by lamp-light, 1977.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Zambezi Bicycle
A shadow of a man holding a bicycle appears on a wall near the Zambezi River, 1996.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

Peruvian Nuns Ball
Nuns in Peru take a break to toss a ball around, 1998.Tumblr/NatGeo FOUND

In 2013, National Geographic began to release many rare photographs from its archives, putting history at our fingertips like never before.

The professionally-curated collection goes by the name of FOUND, and offers a clear vision of cultures and places lost to time.

"We hope to bring new life to these images and the history they represent by sharing them with audiences far and wide," the magazine says. "Many of the images are missing their original date or location, but each represents a story, captured in time yet in many ways timeless."

In the gallery above, you'll find a chronological collection of 45 images that were once lost but now are found.


Enjoy these National Geographic photos? Check out these great shots from the magazine's past travel contests.

author
Erin Kelly
author
An All That's Interesting writer since 2013, Erin Kelly focuses on historic places, natural wonders, environmental issues, and the world of science. Her work has also been featured in Smithsonian and she's designed several book covers in her career as a graphic artist.
editor
Savannah Cox
editor
Savannah Cox holds a Master's in International Affairs from The New School as well as a PhD from the University of California, Berkeley, and now serves as an Assistant Professor at the University of Sheffield. Her work as a writer has also appeared on DNAinfo.