Lewis Cotlow (February 5, 1898 – 1987)
was an American explorer, writer, filmmaker,
and fellow of the
Royal Geographical Society
The Royal Geographical Society (with the Institute of British Geographers), often shortened to RGS, is a learned society and professional body for geography based in the United Kingdom. Founded in 1830 for the advancement of geographical scien ...
.
Biography
He was born to Nathaniel Cotlow and Lena (maiden name: Green) Cotlow. Cotlow served in the US Army during World War I and became a
supercargo
A supercargo (from Italian
or from Spanish ) is a person employed on board a vessel by the owner of cargo carried on a ship. The duties of a supercargo are defined by admiralty law and include managing the cargo owner's trade, selling the mer ...
with the
United States Merchant Marine
The United States Merchant Marine is an organization composed of United States civilian sailor, mariners and U.S. civilian and federally owned merchant vessels. Both the civilian mariners and the merchant vessels are managed by a combination of ...
.
In 1919–1921, he traveled to the harbor of the Far East and the Middle East. He studied at
New York University
New York University (NYU) is a private university, private research university in New York City, New York, United States. Chartered in 1831 by the New York State Legislature, NYU was founded in 1832 by Albert Gallatin as a Nondenominational ...
.
Cotlow served in the naval intelligence USA during World II.
After attending
George Washington University
The George Washington University (GW or GWU) is a Private university, private University charter#Federal, federally-chartered research university in Washington, D.C., United States. Originally named Columbian College, it was chartered in 1821 by ...
he made more than 30 expeditions
travelled to Africa, South America, Indonesia, and the Arctic, the Amazon, Australia, and New Guinea from 1930s–1950s to film. His first technicolor movie was filmed on location in Africa and was co-produced with a man called Armand Dennis (a wildlife photographer)
On December 18, 1966, he married Charlotte Faith Mesenheimer.
In his lifetime, he was awarded the
Explorers Club Medal and
Order of Magellan and was a member of
The Explorers Club
The Explorers Club is an American-based international multidisciplinary professional society with the goal of promoting scientific exploration and field study. The club was founded in New York City in 1904 and has served as a meeting point for ex ...
. He was also employed as a New York insurance broker.
He left his collections to Cincinnati Museum of Natural History.
Major works
Books
*''Passport to Adventure'' (1942)
*''Amazon Head-Hunters'' (1953)
*''Zanzabuku: Dangerous Safari'' (book and film, 1956)
*''In Search of the Primitive: An Independent Explorer's Life with the Last of the Exotic Peoples of Africa, the Arctic, New Guinea'' (1966)
*''Twilight of the Primitive'' (1971)
Films
*''Through Africa Unarmed'' (c. 1937; lost)
*''Upper Amazon and High Andes Adventure'' (1941)
*''Savage Splendor'' (1949)
*''Jungle Headhunters'' (1949)
*''Zanzabuku: Dangerous Safari'' (book and film, 1956)
*''High Arctic'' (film, 1963)
References
External links
*
Virtual Voyages: Cinema and Travelnbsp;— p. 216.
// «Shakari Connection»
1898 births
1987 deaths
Jews from New York (state)
New York University alumni
George Washington University alumni
20th-century American explorers
20th-century American male writers
Film directors from New York City
United States Army personnel of World War I
United States Navy civilians of World War II
American spies
Fellows of the Royal Geographical Society
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