semiotics_nat geo covers

8/14/2019 Semiotics_Nat Geo Covers

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Uncovering National Geographic

MAGAZINE COVERS: 1980 - 2009

DevhutiLakshmi

NitikaSaikat

SamyukthaUtsav

Vasuta


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INTRODUCTION

Began in 1888, published by the National GeographicSociety

Typical early subjects were geology, meteorology,oceanography, and history of exploration

85% of the sales in the US

Strong emphasis on photography since the 60s

The red shirt school of photography Subjects wore overtly colourful clothes


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The Shock Doctrine

The cover image is intentionally stereotypical National Geographic's pictures, with rare exception,

were all pretty much of the picture postcard type of idealistic beauty, rather than photojournalism

The cover story breaks the imagery and the story createdby it

It attempts to de-cultivate the world view the west holds

The cover makes for a captive audience, and the storyshocks the people out of their opinions


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NOVEMBER, 1983 tries to connect modern

day photography with theancient history of paintings.

painting of the Last Supperincluded in the coverinvolved Jesus blessing thebread and wine - serenescene.

the King James Version of Bible clearly says that The

Last Supper was a nighttime feast howeverLeonardo set his stageduring the day (Lookoutside the windows


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Relation with the Story: This 1983 National Geographicarticle provides a brief history of Leonardo Da Vinci's Last Supper, discussing damages done to the painting over thelast 500 years. The most recent attempts at restoration of the famous mural began in 1977 and have provided cluesto the changes it has undergone and new insights onLeonardo's techniques. This most recent restoration effortwas completed in 1999.

Context: The last Supper is a 15 th century mural paintingcreated by Leonardo Da Vinci. Its basically a picture aboutthe scene of The Last Suppers which is considered the lastmeal taken by Jesus when Jesus announces that one of histwelve apostles would betray him.


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Relation with the story:From Pakistans Kyber pass toBangladesh, author Paul Therox and photographer SteveMcCurry travel a monumental rail system where every day10 million passengers ride 10000 trains to experience IndiaRailway which is a lifeline for such a populated nation.

Context:The railway was one of the greatest imperialachievements of the British raj, and now, a larger systemthan ever in a subcontinent divided into sovereign nations,it still has the powerful atmosphere of empire about it. Itsone of the major contributing factors of Indias prosperity asa nation since last 130 years.


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large eyes, striking fearand terror at the sametime

iconic image, came torepresent Afghanistan fora long time

depiction of the countryas a woman

the state of the refugee

JUNE, 1985


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the fallen statue man on the statue, sitting

on the chest the dual meaning of the

colour red the expression of anger

and contempt trying to brush away a

past

NOVEMBER, 1990


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MARCH, 1991 taken at a time when there

were military issues in MiddleEast military balance of power

after Persian Gulf war peace talks & Madrid

conference was going on textual

battuta: Denoting iconicMiddle East

visual:

conservative, orthodoxwomen expression of fear in her

eye glance showing insecurity

timid, submissive, Arabianwomen


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SEPTEMBER,1993

the author spent nearly 3

months travelling with tribalgroup, Rabari camel, desert indicate signify

the Great Indian Desert,Rajasthan, the native place of Rabaris. Slowly spread acrossstates, but remainedthemselves.

their endurance, smooth life,women being treated asequal, well-bonded associety all signs that theyare progressive

at first glance, would seemthe stereotypical way of showing India

but, the cover story breaksthe mythit doesnt evokes m ath but res ect &


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MARCH, 1993 A Broken Empire, Statue made of Stone;

symbolic of unrelentinghardships, inflexibility of communism

Statue is of a soldier/Generalsignifying someone in power,maybe an autocrat.

Scarred/burnt facesignifying fighting in a longwar and possibly a crusadefor freedom

The Red blindfold implicatesthe shortsightedness or eventhe blind nature of thesenations when they opted fora communist regime.


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JULY 1999 Iranian women yet to taste

liberation Steeped in Tradition and yet

hesitantly embracingmodernity. The absence of aburkha, the exposed hands, useof colours and yet the face islargely covered.

Fearlessness and eye contactdespite having been previouslyinhibited

Iranian flag depicted through

the use of the red colour Traditional dress belies Irans

claim for modernity through theuse of the backdrop


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JANUARY 2000 Special Millennium

Issue, Celebrations of Earth

and Beyond..., Life Beyond Earth,

Rediscovering America, Tibet Embraces the New

Year, Enigma of Beauty, and

Light in the Deep.


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The stars on the background resemble a bonanza of glitterand diamonds, echoing the theme of Celebration

The typography of National Geographic gives the feelingof motion and also speed.

It seems as though the letters are moving away from us tosomething beyond. Now that can signify The cover story: Exploring outer space. The millennium issue: Anticipating the future and what

lies beyond the 20 th century.


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Taken after the US led invasionof Afghanistan, thephotographer searched for thegirl and found her in 2002Covers the following:

FOUND: After 17 YearsAn Afghan RefugeesStory

Yucatan Cities AncientMaya ruins stud Mexicoshill country.

Maya Mural Researchersuncover a unique Mayawall painting.

Muskoxen Hunted nearlyto extinction for theirmeat and coats, the

bearded ones againthrive in the Arctic.

APRIL, 2002


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The first picture was taken at the Nasir Bagh refugee camp in1984 by photographer Steve McCurry and was the coverphotograph of Nat Geo June,1985. It soon became the mostrecognized photograph in the world

Picture #1: The girl seemed tough, curious, perplexed,somewhat intimidated and defiant.

Picture #2: As a woman, she seems more hostile, ravaged,

violated, humiliated, defensive yet resigned. The essential colour palette of the Picture #1 is quite similar to

colours of the Afghanistan flag (Red, Green and Black). In thesecond picture, the lady is clad is blue with faint traces of redin her scarf as well (American Flag???).

In the main cover photograph, the figure in blue, with letteringin bold red and white echo the American Flag colours.

The blue figure seems to encompass the lone photograph fromall sides, and seems to represent the struggle of the defiant yetoverpowered Afghan surrounded by American forces.


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human-like face,caveman looking straight at the

reader disfigured face,

penetrating look searching for something

story - life and extinction The Other Humans: the

other race, the other(inferior)

OCTOBER, 2008


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adornment with gold The True cost of a Global

Obsession: extent of obsession, covering upevery inch

closed eyes, subtle smile:satisfaction

hands: artificial, craftedby humans

striking contrast betweenthe face of gold and thehuman hands : referenceto those who use it and

those who mine it

JANUARY, 2009


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Over the years


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1888 -1895

1896 -1899

1900 1901 -1903

1904 - 1910 - 1920 - 1959 -


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1979


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Evolution of Covers

Early issues were short, technical, and unattractive, withplain red-brown covers, conveying that it was anexploratory journal

As the scope of the magazine grew, the covers evolved In the 20s came about the ubiquitous yellow frame, which

has been a mainstay since then The advent of colour photography was the turning point, as

then they chose it as their medium to talk to the world


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four different views of theglobe

covers the entire world scientific

NAT GEO LOGO


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consistent for a 100years, now a trademark

frame of a photograph showing the world

through the lens of acamera

reinforces the Nat Geoideology of showcasingthe real through a world

of surreal and myths

YELLOW FRAME


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SYNTAGM

distinctive yet plain yellow border NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC in bold white letters

(Times New Roman Condensed), whatever be the

background. The name is at times obscured byimagery page is always clean, well organized images and

text always in two columns Formata Medium font - subtle when small,

pleasingly formed when large


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SYNTAGM

photographs depicting myth-shattering, revealing,and often radical realities which are not known bythe world: always relevant to the times

usually, the image on the cover is a verystereotypical or rather unremarkable (frequentlydepressing). Yet the cover story pertaining to itcarries a twist to the tale, often ending in a note of

hope unusually exotic, first-person narratives, stunning

photos people: close up of faces, use expressions to make

an impact


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PARADIGM

range of topics covered: politics, social, science,history

analysing the same matter from different pointsof view

paradigms changed with the times, from anexploratory journal to a microcosm of the world


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"To increase and diffuse geographic knowledge

while promoting the conservation of the world's

cultural, historical, and natural resources."


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Thank You

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