From its inception in 1888, National Geographic became synonymous with far-flung adventure and "exotic" encounters — at least for white audiences of the global North. Earlier this month, the magazine took a dramatic step toward acknowledging its historic perpetuation of ethnocentric and racist narratives. The magazine's first-ever female editor in chief, Susan Goldberg, introduced the race-dedicated April issue by addressing the publication's editorial failings. For Middlebury's James P. Blair, 86, NatGeo's efforts at redress have provided an opportunity to revisit the three decades he spent as one of its staff photographers. Meantime, he's been immersed in a more localized study of image-making. For the past year, Blair has worked with the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History and its Stewart-Swift Research Center archivist Eva Garcelon-Hart to curate the current exhibition, "Our Town: Love, Joy, Sadness and Baseball — 100 Years of Photography from the Sheldon Museum." One particular photograph of Blair's has been widely circulated in recent considerations of NatGeo's legacy: a 1976 image of Winnie Mandela, South African activist, politician and then-wife of Nelson Mandela. Smiling, with her right fist raised high, Mandela stood before a rally crowd in Durbin. The 1977 story, "South Africa's Lonely Ordeal," was written by William S. Ellis and included accompanying images by Blair. Both Goldberg and National Public Radio noted it as an earlier watershed moment in NatGeo's turn toward more accurate and equitable international coverage. It contrasts with a 1962 article that glaringly omits mention of apartheid. Blair called the latter story "a disgrace" in NPR's March 21 story "National Geographic Turns the Lens on Its Own Racist History." He replayed that interview for this reporter at his kitchen table last week. "We changed the magazine," Blair told Seven Days, referring to the 1977 story. "It became much more direct and honest ... We effectively did what [Goldberg's letter] does — changed the magazine's editorial focus." Blair said he initially turned down the 1962 South African assignment, infuriating Robert E. Gilka, who served as NatGeo's director of photography from 1958 to 1985. Blair's reason? "We hadn't done an honest story on South Africa. If I had to shoot a story that was not honest, I wouldn't be able to live with myself." With the encouragement of his first wife, World Bank economist Patricia Wohlgemuth, however, Blair pivoted. He decided instead that the assignment "would give [him] an opportunity to take…
From its inception in 1888, National Geographic became synonymous with far-flung adventure and "exotic" encounters — at least for white audiences of the global North. Earlier this month, the magazine took a dramatic step toward acknowledging its historic perpetuation of ethnocentric and racist narratives. The magazine's first-ever female editor in chief, Susan Goldberg, introduced the race-dedicated April issue by addressing the publication's editorial failings. For Middlebury's James P. Blair, 86, NatGeo's efforts at redress have provided an opportunity to revisit the three decades he spent as one of its staff photographers. Meantime, he's been immersed in a more localized study of image-making. For the past year, Blair has worked with the Henry Sheldon Museum of Vermont History and its Stewart-Swift Research Center archivist Eva Garcelon-Hart to curate the current exhibition, "Our Town: Love, Joy, Sadness and Baseball — 100 Years of Photography from the Sheldon Museum." One particular photograph of Blair's has been widely circulated in recent considerations of NatGeo's legacy: a 1976 image of Winnie Mandela, South African activist, politician and then-wife of Nelson Mandela. Smiling, with her right fist raised high, Mandela stood before a rally crowd in Durbin. The 1977 story, "South Africa's Lonely Ordeal," was written by William S. Ellis and included accompanying images by Blair. Both Goldberg and National Public Radio noted it as an earlier watershed moment in NatGeo's turn toward more accurate and equitable international coverage. It contrasts with a 1962 article that glaringly omits mention of apartheid. Blair called the latter story "a disgrace" in NPR's March 21 story "National Geographic Turns the Lens on Its Own Racist History." He replayed that interview for this reporter at his kitchen table last week. "We changed the magazine," Blair told Seven Days, referring to the 1977 story. "It became much more direct and honest ... We effectively did what [Goldberg's letter] does — changed the magazine's editorial focus." Blair said he initially turned down the 1962 South African assignment, infuriating Robert E. Gilka, who served as NatGeo's director of photography from 1958 to 1985. Blair's reason? "We hadn't done an honest story on South Africa. If I had to shoot a story that was not honest, I wouldn't be able to live with myself." With the encouragement of his first wife, World Bank economist Patricia Wohlgemuth, however, Blair pivoted. He decided instead that the assignment "would give [him] an opportunity to take…