My favorite childhood book was an atlas
Jul 1st, 2006, 09:34 AM
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My favorite childhood book was an atlas
As with most of you, one of my absolute passions in life is travel. While helping my daughter with a school report, I realized that my love of travel began when I was 8 and my mother bought me a world atlas.
I grew up at a time when “regular” people did not travel to foreign countries. Most of the people that I knew spent their vacation time at home or visiting relatives and so no one that I knew shared travel stories.
Once I had my atlas, I could “travel” the world while sitting on the living room sofa. I spent many wonderful Saturday afternoons, exploring exotic sounding counties and far flung islands. As I went from continent to continent, I made lists of all the places that I wanted to see someday. My atlas opened up the entire world for me.
Although I never met anyone whose favorite childhood book was an atlas, I imagine that there are those of you on this board who have shared this experience.
I grew up at a time when “regular” people did not travel to foreign countries. Most of the people that I knew spent their vacation time at home or visiting relatives and so no one that I knew shared travel stories.
Once I had my atlas, I could “travel” the world while sitting on the living room sofa. I spent many wonderful Saturday afternoons, exploring exotic sounding counties and far flung islands. As I went from continent to continent, I made lists of all the places that I wanted to see someday. My atlas opened up the entire world for me.
Although I never met anyone whose favorite childhood book was an atlas, I imagine that there are those of you on this board who have shared this experience.
Jul 1st, 2006, 09:45 AM
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Well, Road, there are more of us. My dad worked shift work, and before he left home at night to work the graveyard shift (11P-7A), we'd all gather around the atlas and plan our yearly family vacations. The kids in our family always looked forward to the week he worked that shift. And I, too, loved studying the atlas as a child. As a matter of fact, my parents have world maps hung all around their family room. My dad went on to be with the Lord this year, but my whole family will always treasure the atlas! 
Jul 1st, 2006, 09:46 AM
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Hi roadlesstraveled, I too loved the big world atlas my father bought me when I was about seven years old. I then received a world globe.
Since I had a lot of family members plus family friends from a lot of different countries I really enjoyed those two gifts! Thanks for reminding me of the pleasure of daydreaming about travelling when I was growing up.
Since I had a lot of family members plus family friends from a lot of different countries I really enjoyed those two gifts! Thanks for reminding me of the pleasure of daydreaming about travelling when I was growing up.
Jul 1st, 2006, 09:56 AM
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Hello from a fellow atlas aficionado! Globes and atlases were among my favorite possessions as a child. I also pored over my Dad's National Geographics and Holdays each month. And, oh, the excitement that ensued when my parents would return from their trips and my Dad would pull down the screen and put on his famous, (and very long!) showings of the slide photos from exotic lands.
Social studies was, naturally, my favorite class in high school. And when choosing a college, I considered only those which offered geography and indeed, choose this subject as my major. One of the required courses was cartography.
Social studies was, naturally, my favorite class in high school. And when choosing a college, I considered only those which offered geography and indeed, choose this subject as my major. One of the required courses was cartography.
Jul 1st, 2006, 10:20 AM
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My grand father bought me an Atlas for my birhtday when I was about 8. My friends thought I was ripped off!
I secretly loved it. I paged through that book for years.
I loved Geography class too and always recieved an "A".
I have tried to install this love of maps/geography etc with my chilldren in planning vacations, etc..
I secretly loved it. I paged through that book for years.
I loved Geography class too and always recieved an "A".
I have tried to install this love of maps/geography etc with my chilldren in planning vacations, etc..
Jul 1st, 2006, 10:21 AM
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Meet another map freak! When my youngest aunt (who is still alive today at 96!)gave me a subscription to National Geographic for my 12th birthday (knowing of my love for maps), I soon became enamored with the idea of working as a cartographer in NG's map dept.(never came to pass). Later, I totally mapped out a family trip from Massachusetts to Georgia and my dad actually depended on me to get us there! (gasoline was 18 cents a gallon then). I got my first atlas that next year (Hammonds) and the incurable travel bug bit me badly! My first overseas trip at 17 (as a soldier stationed in Japan right after WW II) made the bug bite chronic and it hasn't subsided one bit for the past 60 years.
Whe I frequently meet people who don't like travel a bit, I'm speechless.
Stu T.
Whe I frequently meet people who don't like travel a bit, I'm speechless.
Stu T.
Jul 1st, 2006, 10:24 AM
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Atlas geek here. As a child I would basically study all kinds of maps, from road to topographic. I have no idea why I have this passion/weirdness but I am confident I can navigate unfamiliar cities before I arrive due to studying maps. It's a sickness really. I've given directions to people on the street in foreign cities on my first day there while my wife just shakes her head in disbelief.
John
John
Jul 1st, 2006, 10:27 AM
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I remember asking for a globe for my fifth birthday, and being enraptured by it--as I was with the articles on the various European countries in my World Book Encyclopedia. To this day, I could stare at maps for hours.
An early obsession with Switzerland (which I've seen very little of, strangely) began with the movie "Heidi." My grandfather sent to the Swiss tourist board, and a package of brochures and maps arrived at my house. I spent untold hours with these treasures.
An early obsession with Switzerland (which I've seen very little of, strangely) began with the movie "Heidi." My grandfather sent to the Swiss tourist board, and a package of brochures and maps arrived at my house. I spent untold hours with these treasures.
Jul 1st, 2006, 11:09 AM
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What a fun thread!
Did anyone have the jigsaw puzzle that was for the US? Mine was made out of wood. Wish I still had it. Each state had their capitol marked on it. I hadn't started school yet and I used it constantly. So before I started school I knew how to write out and spell all the names of the 48 states (there were only 48 states then).
We purchased a world globe for our daughter when she was about five years old. I know many people thought that was a "strange" present for a little girl. She loved it and still loves maps. Just last year I bought her a fabulous world atlas of the world..a "I love you present". She was thrilled!
I still have the National Geographic map and their Index book for Europe and the Near East which was copywrited in 1943.
Did anyone have the jigsaw puzzle that was for the US? Mine was made out of wood. Wish I still had it. Each state had their capitol marked on it. I hadn't started school yet and I used it constantly. So before I started school I knew how to write out and spell all the names of the 48 states (there were only 48 states then).
We purchased a world globe for our daughter when she was about five years old. I know many people thought that was a "strange" present for a little girl. She loved it and still loves maps. Just last year I bought her a fabulous world atlas of the world..a "I love you present". She was thrilled!
I still have the National Geographic map and their Index book for Europe and the Near East which was copywrited in 1943.
Jul 1st, 2006, 12:57 PM
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My grandfather gave me his Europe wall-map in the 50s. My geography teacher gave me some funny looks when I answered questions in class. I later discovered the map was dated 1903. Plus ca change....
Jul 1st, 2006, 01:08 PM
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I was taught that only the very wealthy traveled and the rest of worked and then took measly little two week vacations at a resort or visiting relatives. Fortunately I had a few 'wealthy' relatives and family friends, who traveled extensively, always sent postcards address to ME. I loved looking at their vacation pictures and hearing about their trips - mostly to Europe in those days.
Thanks to them, at a very early age, maybe 5 or 6, I started dreaming of another kind of life when I grew up.
When I was in the sixth grade, 11 - 12 years old, I was housebound with mono (no cure then), for about six months. No outside visitors etc...
Fortunately in those days, all of the Consulate Generals' tourist offices were here in San Francisco. I went through the phone book and called every single one of them and told them that I was doing a school paper on their country and would appreciate as much info as possible. All the info was free and they were all very generous to me. Some of the countries I had never heard of, but that didn't stop me.
Boy, were my mother and the mailman thrilled when tons of thick envelopes started arriving on a daily basis
During that time my aunt, at my request, bought me a world globe and an atlas. My most treasured gifts ever.
Today, I can find any country on a map and tell you a little something about it, but get me there, and I can't find my way back to the hotel - I have absolutely no sense of direction!
Another treasured possession is a tiny souvenier (sp) metal carriage lead by a team of horses, that a relative brought back me from London when she was there during Queen Elizabeth's coronation. It still sits on my mantle.
Nina
Thanks to them, at a very early age, maybe 5 or 6, I started dreaming of another kind of life when I grew up.
When I was in the sixth grade, 11 - 12 years old, I was housebound with mono (no cure then), for about six months. No outside visitors etc...
Fortunately in those days, all of the Consulate Generals' tourist offices were here in San Francisco. I went through the phone book and called every single one of them and told them that I was doing a school paper on their country and would appreciate as much info as possible. All the info was free and they were all very generous to me. Some of the countries I had never heard of, but that didn't stop me.
Boy, were my mother and the mailman thrilled when tons of thick envelopes started arriving on a daily basis
During that time my aunt, at my request, bought me a world globe and an atlas. My most treasured gifts ever.
Today, I can find any country on a map and tell you a little something about it, but get me there, and I can't find my way back to the hotel - I have absolutely no sense of direction!
Another treasured possession is a tiny souvenier (sp) metal carriage lead by a team of horses, that a relative brought back me from London when she was there during Queen Elizabeth's coronation. It still sits on my mantle.
Nina
Jul 1st, 2006, 01:08 PM
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I would sit with my Madame Alexander dolls, listen to my mother's Gizelle MacKenzie French records and spin my little world globe so we could have tea in different countries. They were all dressed in the latest Parisian styles so thank goodness they wouldn't be thought of as tourist dolls!
Come to think of it I did have a tourist doll who had her little hat, map and suitcase. The Madame Alexanders and I would send her all over the place while we sipped tea with my teddy bears and stuffed bunnies who stood in as boys in those days.
Come to think of it I did have a tourist doll who had her little hat, map and suitcase. The Madame Alexanders and I would send her all over the place while we sipped tea with my teddy bears and stuffed bunnies who stood in as boys in those days.
Jul 1st, 2006, 01:15 PM
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Omigosh---Richard Halliburton's "Book of Marvels." I was going to mention that one---I read and re-read it as a 9-year-old, dreaming of seeing all those places. That and the "Wonder Book", a sort of encyclopedia, with lots of drawings and photos. And I really, really, wanted to go and live with Heidi.
Jul 1st, 2006, 01:22 PM
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OMG, SeaUrchin, my daughter had those Madame Alexander dolls too!!! I had the "Nancy Ann" dolls. Sweet memmories.
And the "Book of Marvels" well I never had that..never even heard of it! I will have to check it out at the library as I am curious about it. And here I thought I was such a great reader!!
And the "Book of Marvels" well I never had that..never even heard of it! I will have to check it out at the library as I am curious about it. And here I thought I was such a great reader!!
Jul 1st, 2006, 01:27 PM
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I never heard of that book either, or the Nancy Anne's, I feel deprived! Gizelle MacKenzie also had a children's French record, where she sang little French lessons and children's French songs. I didn't take French in school but the words stuck with me to this day.
