30 vintage images from the Nat Geo archives that will captivate you

Whether or not it’s the holiday season, there’s a real sense of joy and excitement when we come together to commemorate an event.

In curating these images, I looked at moments of exuberance—like the people who flocked to Munich, Germany, for the Oktoberfest celebration captured in George F. Mobley’s image. In Sisse Brimberg’s photo, an icon of Our Lady of Porta Vaga is ceremonially ferried across Manila Bay in the Philippines. In another picture, photographer Alexandra Boulat depicts a woman dancing with her head thrown back at a Berber wedding party in Taarart, Morocco.

And sometimes, the picture itself can be an event. To celebrate the advancement of photography, I chose an image by George Shiras that’s one of the world’s earliest photographs of wildlife at night. It’s amazing to think how far things have come.

Enjoy this month’s curation—and remember to document joy where it arises in your life.