Retired National Geographic photographer shares travels

HAMPDEN – Rarely seen images from across the globe were on display Wednesday night at the Edythe Dyer Library.

Photographs by Thomas Abercrombie, a retired writer-photographer for National Geographic magazine, featured people and places from his extensive travels and highlighted a show that also shared photographs from three generations of the Abercrombie family.

During his 40 years at National Geographic, Abercrombie visited every continent and almost every country in the Middle East. His extensive travels have since lead Abercrombie to teach a course on the geography and culture of the Middle East at George Washington University, near his home in Shadyside, Md.

“From my experience, the belly of America knows little about the Middle East,” Abercrombie said. “What they do know they hear from people who write or are on TV and who are ignorant [about the Middle East] or are downright biased.”

Marilyn Abercrombie, Tom’s wife and a freelance photographer for National Geographic who traveled with him on many assignments, said Americans don’t appreciate the Middle East’s vibrant and colorful culture. “[Americans] don’t respect the region’s traditions. This may be why there is so much friction,” she said.

Tom Abercrombie said the region’s rich history has influenced the modern world in everything from writing and laws to agriculture and mathematics. “Even though we say these are different people and look at them differently, they are our cultural ancestors,” he said. Abercrombie achieved some interesting distinctions before retiring for the magazine in 1993, said Marilyn Abercrombie. He was the first correspondent to reach the geographic South Pole by air, and he was in the first group to make contact with a stone-age tribe in Venezuela.

The family’s display included about 50 prints and a slide show of Tom Abercrombie’s work for National Geographic.