These Autochromes – the first commercially available color photographic process – were taken by National Geographic Society photographers. The Society eventually moved on to other slightly more advanced photographic processes and finally to Kodachrome by 1938, but not before amassing a collection of more than 12,000 Autochromes.
c. 1929 New Orleans, Louisiana – Children gather by a vendor selling “snowball” treats. Image: Edwin L. Wisherd/National Geographic Creative/Corbis1927 Montana – Three men stand in front of a plane on the Crow Reservation. Image: Edwin L. Wisherd/National Geographic Creative/Corbis1927 Montana – A Native American family relaxes inside their tipi. Image: Edwin L. Wisherd/National Geographic Creative/Corbis1927 Montana – A chief on the Crow Indian Reservation. Image: Edwin L. Wisherd/National Geographic Creative/Corbis1927 Stowe, Vermont – Two women look west from the village of Stowe at Mount Mansfield. Image: Clifton R. Adams/National Geographic Creative/Corbisc. 1929 New Orleans, Louisiana – A boy sits on a barrel outside a brewery in the French Quarter. Image: Edwin L. Wisherd/National Geographic Creative/Corbisc. 1929 A woman sits outside the doorway of the Absinthe House in New Orleans. Image: Edwin L. Wisherd/National Geographic Creative/Corbisc. 1929 Pine Ridge Indian Reservation, South Dakota – Boys pose outside a sod roof house. Image: Richard Hewitt Stewart/National Geographic Creative/Corbis1929 Ohio – People walk through stands at a Loundonville fair. Image: Jacob J. Gayer/National Geographic Creative/Corbis1929 Ohio – Four women stand beside an apple stand at a fair in Loundonville. Image: Jacob J. Gayer/National Geographic Creative/Corbis1928 San Antonio, Texas – Cowboys and riders sit along a fence at the Rodeo. Image: Clifton R. Adams/National Geographic Creative/Corbisc. 1929 Fort Worth, Texas – A cowgirl shows her sister how to handle the ropes. Image: Clifton R. Adams/National Geographic Creative/Corbis1927 People enjoy the falls of a brook during a warm summer day. Image: Clifton R. Adams/National Geographic Creative/Corbis1929 Columbus, Ohio – A view of the high street in Columbus’ business district. Image: Jacob J. Gayer/National Geographic Creative/Corbis1928 Galveston, Texas – Men load storage bins with sulfur on the docks. Image: Clifton R. Adams/National Geographic Creative/Corbis1928 Galveston, Texas – A man shovels sulfur in storage bins on the docks. Image: Clifton R. Adams/National Geographic Creative/Corbis1927 Crow Indian Reservation, Montana – Men stand at the site of the monument to the Seventh Cavalry. Image: Edwin L. Wisherd/National Geographic Creative/Corbis1927 Washington, D.C. – A scenic fall view of the capitol. Image: Charles Martin/National Geographic Creative/Corbis1929 Atlantic City, New Jersey – A panoramic view of the beaches, piers and hotels along the boardwalk. Image: Clifton R. Adams/National Geographic Creative/Corbis1929 Hopi Indian Reservation – Two men stand by a car in a field looking at the nearby canyons. Image: Clifton R. Adams/National Geographic Creative/Corbis1929 Arizona – Dude ranch guests pretend to be cowboys. Image: Clifton R. Adams/National Geographic Creative/Corbis
