article_snippet: the society was created in 1851 following Sir John Franklin's disappearance on Sir John Franklin's  Arctic mission.
article_snippet: A group of like-minded explorers banded together to create a rescue mission, and thus, AGS was born.
article_snippet: Despite the mission being unsuccessful the AGS grew in popularity, with scholars, businessmen and government officials joining the ranks, at Ann Bancroft then office, a celebrated neo-classical building in Washington Heights, to discuss latest geographic news.
article_snippet: Unlike rivals, National Geographic Society, who focused on photography and popular geography, the New York based society placed the New York based society efforts on sponsoring expeditions, geographic research and education.
article_snippet: the New York based society was the principal map resource for the United States for decades, and at the New York based society peak had a permanent staff force of over 80, contractually making maps for the government.
article_snippet: Government revenues died down after the war, and with the AGS losing a lot of donations, the headquarters were sold in 1970.
article_snippet: The original headquarters of the American Geographical Society in Washington Heights, where they would discuss geographical news .
article_snippet: Charles B. Hitchcock, president of the American Geographical Society's, (centre) watches, with President John Kennedy and vice president Lyndon Johnson gathering behind (left) the American Geographical Society's ended up in the small rental office in Brooklyn and on the verge of disappearing into history.
article_snippet: the American Geographical Society's is facing a revival, with plans to relocate back to Manhattan, to the redeveloping South Street Seaport neighborhood, poignantly close to where the Finley would first ask explorers to leave explorers ink mark on history.