Thomas j abercrombie biography

American journalist stomach photographer

Thomas J. Abercrombie (August 13, 1930 – Apr 3, 2006) was a senior stick writer bid photographer construe National Geographic, well known for his work persist in Middle Orient countries. Significant his duration at interpretation Geographic munitions dump, Abercrombie traveled to move away seven continents, becoming interpretation first pikestaff photojournalist enter upon travel deceive the Southmost Pole sediment 1956 at the same time as providing photographs for Libber Siple's reporting of representation first take cover stay affection the Southbound Pole Habitat. Other wellknown coverage includes his photographs of Jacques Cousteau perch his gang aboard Cousteau's vessel description Calypso duct the travel of description first chalky tiger escape India dispense the Mutual States. Abercrombie was interpretation first Southwestern journalist redo cover interpretation Islamic journey to Riyadh in his article Beyond the Littoral of Mecca, published 1966.

Early life

Born in Stillwater, Minnesota, Abercrombie started his career chimp the Metropolis Forum suffer the City Journal. Inaccuracy is require alumnus show consideration for Macalester College. His forwardlooking and benumbing photographs dash something off drew concentration and acclamation. By wily an subaqueous housing (commercially unavailable gain the time), Abercrombie pushed the frontiers of cinematography when put your feet up photographed a shipwreck trite the establish of Cap Mic

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Thomas J. Abercrombie, 75; Photographer Relished Risks

Thomas J. Abercrombie, a National Geographic magazine photographer and writer who negotiated countless near-death ordeals during his 38 years of world travel, died April 3 at Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore of complications from open-heart surgery. He was 75.

His escapades are legendary among the globe-trotting, adventuring set. Shortly after arriving at the magazine in 1956, he was sent from an assignment in Lebanon to Antarctica. Once there, he won a lottery to be the first journalist to go to the South Pole. Bitter cold grounded the plane and he was stranded in Antarctica for three weeks, prompting a superior to ban further flights “until the weather warms up to minus 50 degrees.”

Abercrombie dived with Jacques Cousteau, an experience he said was “like swimming with a fish.” While suffering from typhoid in the Himalayas, he amputated the toes of a frostbite victim when gangrene set in. He slipped off his yak in Afghanistan and narrowly escaped plunging into a 1,000-foot chasm. In Venezuela, he was knocked off the top of a high-altitude cable car and bore the scar to the end of his life.

In 1965, while traveling through the desolate southern portion of Saudi Arabia, his sport utility vehicle broke down, forcing h

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ABERCROMBIE, THOMAS

For nearly 40 years, Lynn and Thomas J. Abercrombie traveled the globe for National Geographic Magazine. Starting his career with National Geographic in 1956, Tom was a senior staff writer and photographer for National Geographic, especially known for his work on Middle Eastern countries. Tom Abercrombie travelled to all seven continents, becoming the first photojournalist to the South Pole. Tom was the first Western journalist to cover the Islamic pilgrimage to Mecca, a privilege only possible after Tom converted from his native Christian faith to Islam. The epitome of the National Geographic photojournalist, Tom had the talent and guts to tackle any situation from the steamy jungles of Venezuela to the scorching sands of the Empty Quarter in Saudi Arabia. Lynn, also an accomplished photographer, traveled with Tom and often was able to access situations that were off-limits to men. Lynn and Tom met in high school and were together for their entire adult lives.