National Geographic May 1959

The Friendly Train Called Skunk
Named for its fume- spewing original engine that smelled up the countryside, an unusual train brings milk cartons, mail, and visitors to folks living in the California wilderness.
First Color Portraits of the Heavens
Supersensitive film reveals the radiant colors of celestial gases invisible to the naked eye.
Normandy Blossoms Anew
Surviving air raids and invasion, a verdant region relies on agricultural bounty to rebuild after wartime devastation.
Giant Insects of the Amazon
Brandishing mandibles of horror- film proportions, the world’s largest ants share the Brazilian rain forest with gargantuan beetles and wasps.
History and Beauty Blend in a Concord Iris Garden
On a riverbank where his ancestors settled in 1635 and helped ignite revolution in 1775, a Massachusetts banker creates a floral wonderland.
Lost World of the Galapagos
These islands along the Equator take their name from the giant tortoises that lumber heavily across the volcanic terrain.