The Brownie, made by Eastman Kodak, popularized low-cost photography and
was a very basic cardboard box camera with a simple meniscus lens that took
2¼-inch square pictures on 117 roll film. With its simple controls and initial price
of $1, it was intended to be a camera that anyone could afford and use, hence
the slogan, "You push the button, we do the rest." The camera was named after
the popular cartoons created by Palmer Cox.
The National Geographic Society (NGS), headquartered in Washington,
D.C., is one of the largest non-profit scientific and educational institutions
in the world. Its features include geography, archaeology and natural
science, the promotion of environmental and historical conservation,
and the study of world culture and history.
The Society began as a club for an elite group of scholars and wealthy
patrons interested in travel. On January 13, 1888, 33 explorers and
scientists gathered at the Cosmos Club, a private club in Washington,
D.C., to organize "a society for the increase and diffusion of geographical
knowledge." After preparing a constitution and a plan of organization, the
National Geographic Society was incorporated on January 27.
September, 1906
October, 2013
The Elk statue at SW Main in Portland, 1900
The statue today
The Elk fountain was given to the city by David P. Thompson. He arrived in Portland driving sheep over the Oregon Trail. He served as Portland’s mayor from 1879-1882
and was founder and director of the Oregon Humane Society.
David Preston Thompson (1834–1901)
