My father’s uncle, or Tio Joaquin as everyone called him, was a lawyer, professor, admirer of “The Gettysburg Address,” and collector of National Geographic magazines. He and Tia Clara, who actually grew up in the US and spoke perfect English, lived in Miramar and had a Doberman named Greta. We loved the dog every time we spent a Sunday afternoon visiting them. They stayed in Cuba and died in the 1980s.
I believe that he had a subscription to the magazine and showed us the photos every time that we visited his home. He was very proud of his collection, and I recall one issue featuring photos of old Havana. I can still see the stack of magazines in the corner of his home office.
On this day in 1888, a group of geographers, explorers, teachers, lawyers, cartographers, military officers, and financiers met in Washington DC. They eventually founded The National Geographic Society. Nine months later, the Society started publishing the magazine that we grew up reading.
My uncle is probably cheering up in heaven today. Maybe one of your uncles is doing the same. The magazine was very popular in Cuba.