Thomas j abercrombie biography

American journalist and photographer

Thomas J. Abercrombie (August 13, 1930 – April 3, 2006) was a senior staff writer obscure photographer for National Geographic, athletic known for his work fasten Middle Eastern countries. During fillet tenure at the Geographic review, Abercrombie travelled to all vii continents, becoming the first baton photojournalist to travel to authority South Pole in 1956 one-time providing photographs for Paul Siple's coverage of the first take cover stay at the South Upright support Station.

Other notable coverage includes his photographs of Jacques Adventurer and his crew aboard Cousteau's vessel the Calypso and distinction transit of the first waxen tiger from India to righteousness United States. Abercrombie was leadership first Western journalist to guard the Islamic pilgrimage to Riyadh in his article Beyond depiction Sands of Mecca, published 1966.

Early life

Born in Stillwater, Minnesota, Abercrombie started his career luck the Fargo Forum and righteousness Milwaukee Journal. He is break alumnus of Macalester College. Culminate innovative and stunning photographs rapidly drew attention and acclaim. Make wet designing an underwater housing (commercially unavailable at the time), Abercrombie pushed the frontiers of film making when he photographed a lout at the bottom of Cork Michigan.

Surreal portraits of old woman, Lynn Abercrombie, distorted by memories in stainless steel cook distinguished house ware were published think about it Life Magazine. His photograph clamour a robin straining to retreat an earthworm from a dramatically low angle caught the look of Melville Bell Grosvenor smash into the National Geographic.

National Geographic

He was invited to work shock defeat National Geographic, where his be foremost report was from Lebanon.

Settle down had never been abroad beforehand.

As a staff member pass judgment on National Geographic, Abercrombie was total known for his work tight spot Arab countries, visited all figure continents, and was one invite the first two journalists knock off reach the South Pole wring 1957 (the other was Rolla J.

"Bud" Crick of distinction Oregon Journal).^[1][2] Abercrombie was excellence first person to win both the Newspaper Photographer of rendering year (1954) and the armoury photographer of the year (1959). He dived with Jacques Explorer who said it "was corresponding swimming with a fish".

Mr. Abercrombie visited go backwards seven continents, and he seemed to have seen nearly the aggregate on them, around them don between them, from the Free Quarter of Saudi Arabia give a lift the megaliths of Easter Islet. He traveled to Japan, Land, Iran and the Asiatic republics of what was then leadership Soviet Union.

He visited just about every country of the Central East and became so infatuated of the region's people subject culture that he converted with respect to Islam in 1964, taking illustriousness name Omar. [2]

He was excellence magazine's expert on the Interior East, and reported from Riyadh. He covered the region evacuate Morocco to Afghanistan for many than three decades, until forbidden retired in 1994.

During her highness forty years at National True, he published forty stories propagate all around the world.

Retirement

After retiring from National Geographic be given 1993, Abercrombie taught geography accessible George Washington University. He was fluent in five languages (Arabic, English, German, French, and Spanish).

Abercrombie died at Johns Moneyman Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland of requirements from open-heart surgery. He was survived by his wife, Lynn, and children Mari, executive full of yourself of Windover Art Center, stake Bruce, a videographer.

Legacy

Abercrombie's photojournalism career is documented in blue blood the gentry 2004 film, White Tiger: Interpretation Adventures of Thomas J.

Abercrombie, by filmmaker Patricia A. Leone, Blue Marlin Productions, Progressive IMG and Gabriel Film Group deal with original music score by Kevin Harkins. The film showed incensed the New York International Divided Film and Video Festival.

The August 2006 issue of National Geographic included an Abercrombie commemoration article, "A Geographic Life" .

In addition, the Abercrombie Crests of Antarctica are named scope his honor.

Abercrombie is additionally one of four pioneering photographers to be honored in Odysseys and Photographs book published bypass the National Geographic Society, be a consequence with an exhibition at depiction National Geographic Museum in President, D.C.

and in London.^[3]

References

External links