Martin And Osa Johnson
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Martin Elmer Johnson (October 9, 1884 – January 13, 1937) and Osa Helen Johnson (
née The birth name is the name of the person given upon their birth. The term may be applied to the surname, the given name or to the entire name. Where births are required to be officially registered, the entire name entered onto a births registe ...
Leighty, March 14, 1894 – January 7, 1953) were married
American American(s) may refer to: * American, something of, from, or related to the United States of America, commonly known as the "United States" or "America" ** Americans, citizens and nationals of the United States of America ** American ancestry, p ...
adventurers An adventure is an exciting experience or undertaking that is typically bold, sometimes risky. Adventures may be activities with danger such as traveling, exploring, skydiving, mountain climbing, scuba diving, river rafting, or other extreme spo ...
and
documentary A documentary film (often described simply as a documentary) is a nonfiction Film, motion picture intended to "document reality, primarily for instruction, education or maintaining a Recorded history, historical record". The American author and ...
filmmakers. In the first half of the 20th century the couple captured the public's imagination through their films and books of adventure in exotic, faraway lands. Photographers, explorers, marketers, naturalists and authors, Martin and Osa studied the wildlife and peoples of East and Central Africa, the South
Pacific Islands The Pacific islands are a group of islands in the Pacific Ocean. They are further categorized into three major island groups: Melanesia, Micronesia, and Polynesia. Depending on the context, the term ''Pacific Islands'' may refer to one of several ...
and British
North Borneo North Borneo (usually known as British North Borneo, also known as the State of North Borneo) was a British Protectorate, British protectorate in the northern part of the island of Borneo, (present-day Sabah). The territory of North Borneo wa ...
. They explored then-unknown lands and brought back film footage and photographs, offering many Americans their first understanding of these distant lands.


Early Lives

Martin Elmer Johnson was born on October 9, 1884. Osa Leighty was born on March 14, 1894, and raised in
Chanute, Kansas Chanute () is a city in Neosho County, Kansas, Neosho County, Kansas, United States. Founded on January 1, 1873, it was named after railroad engineer and aviation pioneer Octave Chanute. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the po ...
. Although born in
Rockford, Illinois Rockford is a city in Winnebago County, Illinois, Winnebago and Ogle County, Illinois, Ogle counties in the U.S. state of Illinois. Located in far northern Illinois on the banks of the Rock River (Mississippi River tributary), Rock River, Rockfor ...
, Martin Johnson grew up in the Kansas towns of
Lincoln Lincoln most commonly refers to: * Abraham Lincoln (1809–1865), the 16th president of the United States * Lincoln, England, cathedral city and county town of Lincolnshire, England * Lincoln, Nebraska, the capital of Nebraska, U.S. * Lincoln (na ...
and
Independence Independence is a condition of a nation, country, or state, in which residents and population, or some portion thereof, exercise self-government, and usually sovereignty, over its territory. The opposite of independence is the status of ...
. His father worked as a jeweler and would bring home crates labeled with European cities like
Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...
and
Barcelona Barcelona ( ; ; ) is a city on the northeastern coast of Spain. It is the capital and largest city of the autonomous community of Catalonia, as well as the second-most populous municipality of Spain. With a population of 1.6 million within c ...
, inspiring Martin to
stowaway A stowaway or clandestine traveller is a person who secretly boards a vehicle, such as a ship, an aircraft, a train, cargo truck or bus. Sometimes, the purpose is to get from one place to another without paying for transportation. In other c ...
on a ship to Europe as a teenager. On his way back to Kansas, Martin Johnson read of
Jack London John Griffith London (; January 12, 1876 – November 22, 1916), better known as Jack London, was an American novelist, journalist and activist. A pioneer of commercial fiction and American magazines, he was one of the first American authors t ...
’s plans to travel the world in a 45-foot boat, the ''Snark''. Johnson wrote to London begging to be invited and received a telegraph simply asking if he could cook, to which Johnson replied: "Just try me." On the ''Snark'', which sailed around the world from 1907 to 1909, Johnson had a variety of responsibilities. Later, he toured the United States displaying photographs and artifacts collected on the voyage. He met Osa Leighty while showing his travelogues at the theatre in Osa's hometown of Chanute, Kansas, where she was singing. They were married in May 1910 in Independence and spent the next seven years touring with Martin's travelogue in the US and Europe. Martin published his book ''Through the South Seas With Jack London'' in 1913.


Safaris

In 1917, Martin and Osa departed on a nine-month trip through the
New Hebrides New Hebrides, officially the New Hebrides Condominium () and named after the Hebrides in Scotland, was the colonial name for the island group in the South Pacific Ocean that is now Vanuatu. Native people had inhabited the islands for three th ...
(now
Vanuatu Vanuatu ( or ; ), officially the Republic of Vanuatu (; ), is an island country in Melanesia located in the South Pacific Ocean. The archipelago, which is of volcanic origin, is east of northern Australia, northeast of New Caledonia, east o ...
) and the
Solomon Islands Solomon Islands, also known simply as the Solomons,John Prados, ''Islands of Destiny'', Dutton Caliber, 2012, p,20 and passim is an island country consisting of six major islands and over 1000 smaller islands in Melanesia, part of Oceania, t ...
. The highlight of the trip was a brief, but harrowing, encounter with a tribe called the
Big Nambas Big Nambas (endonym, native name ''V'ənen Taut'') is an Oceanic languages, Oceanic language spoken by about people () in northwest Malekula, Vanuatu. Approximately nineteen villages in the Big Nambas region of the Malekula Interior use the langu ...
of northern
Malekula Malakula, also spelled Malekula, is the second-largest island in the nation of Vanuatu, formerly the New Hebrides, in Melanesia, a region of the Pacific Ocean. Location Malakula is separated from the islands of Espiritu Santo and Malo by the B ...
. Once there, the chief was not going to let them leave. The intervention of a British gunboat helped them escape. The footage they got there inspired the feature film '' Among the Cannibal Isles of the South Seas'' (1918). The Johnsons returned to Malekula in 1919 to film the Big Nambas once again, this time with an armed escort. The escort proved unnecessary as the Big Nambas were disarmed by watching themselves in ''Among the Cannibal Isles of the South Seas''. Martin and Osa finished their trip in 1920 with visits to
British North Borneo North Borneo (usually known as British North Borneo, also known as the State of North Borneo) was a British protectorate in the northern part of the island of Borneo, (present-day Sabah). The territory of North Borneo was originally establish ...
(now
Sabah Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah has land borders with the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and Indonesia's North Kalima ...
) and a sailing expedition up the coast of East Africa. After returning home, they released the features ''
Jungle Adventures jungle is land covered with dense forest and tangled vegetation, usually in tropical climates. Application of the term has varied greatly during the past century. Etymology The word ''jungle'' originates from the Sanskrit word ''jaṅgala'' ...
'' (1921) and '' Headhunters of the South Seas'' (1922). The Johnsons' first African expedition, from 1921 to 1922, resulted in their feature film ''
Trailing Wild African Animals Trailing can mean, among others: * Facing and trailing, in railroads * The act of using a Trailer (promotion) * Trailing wheel * Trailing arm * Trailing edge * Hound trailing * Trailing twelve months Trailing twelve months (TTM) is a measurement ...
'' (1923). During the second and longest trip, from 1924 to 1927, the Johnsons spent much of their time in northern
Kenya Kenya, officially the Republic of Kenya, is a country located in East Africa. With an estimated population of more than 52.4 million as of mid-2024, Kenya is the 27th-most-populous country in the world and the 7th most populous in Africa. ...
by a lake they dubbed Paradise, at
Mount Marsabit Marsabit is a 6300 km basaltic shield volcano in Kenya, located 170 km east of the center of the East African Rift, in Marsabit County near the town of Marsabit. This was primarily built during the Miocene, but some lava flows and exp ...
. The movies ''
Martin's Safari Martin's may refer to: Places * Martin's Additions, Maryland, USA * Martin's Battery, Gibraltar * Martin's Beach, California, USA * Martin's Brandon Church, Virginia, USA * Martin's Brook, Nova Scotia, Canada * Martin's Cave, Gibraltar * Martin ...
'' (1928), '' Osa's Four Years in Paradise'' (1941), and the film '' Simba: King of the Beasts'' (1928) were made with footage of these trips. In 1925, Osa and Martin met the Duke and Duchess of York, later
King George VI George VI (Albert Frederick Arthur George; 14 December 1895 – 6 February 1952) was King of the United Kingdom and the Dominions of the British Commonwealth from 11 December 1936 until his death in 1952. He was also the last Emperor of In ...
and
Queen Elizabeth Queen Elizabeth, Queen Elisabeth or Elizabeth the Queen may refer to: Queens regnant * Elizabeth I (1533–1603; ), Queen of England and Ireland * Elizabeth II (1926–2022; ), Queen of the United Kingdom and other Commonwealth realms * Queen B ...
, while on safari in Kenya. The third African safari from 1927 to 1928 was a tour of the
Nile The Nile (also known as the Nile River or River Nile) is a major north-flowing river in northeastern Africa. It flows into the Mediterranean Sea. The Nile is the longest river in Africa. It has historically been considered the List of river sy ...
with friend and supporter
George Eastman George Eastman (July 12, 1854March 14, 1932) was an American entrepreneur who founded the Kodak, Eastman Kodak Company and helped to bring the photographic use of roll film into the mainstream. After a decade of experiments in photography, he ...
, founder of
Eastman Kodak The Eastman Kodak Company, referred to simply as Kodak (), is an American public company that produces various products related to its historic basis in film photography. The company is headquartered in Rochester, New York, and is incorporated i ...
. Film of this trip, along with previous footage, was made into one of the first talkies for the Johnsons, '' Across the World with Mr. and Mrs. Johnson'' (1930), a cinema serial which included Martin's narrative. In 1928, three Eagle Scouts were selected in national competition to go on safari with the Johnsons in East Africa: Robert Dick Douglas, Jr., of North Carolina, David R. Martin, Jr., of Minnesota, and Douglas L. Oliver of Georgia. The three scouts co-authored the 1928 book ''Three Boy Scouts in Africa: on Safari with Martin Johnson''. In later life, Douglas (1912-2015) was an attorney, Martin (1913-2004) became an executive in the
Boy Scouts of America Scouting America is the largest scouting organization and one of the largest List of youth organizations, youth organizations in the United States, with over 1 million youth, including nearly 200,000 female participants. Founded as the Boy Sco ...
, and Oliver (1913-2009) was an Emeritus Professor of Anthropology at both Harvard University and the University of Hawaii. From 1929 to 1931, the Johnsons spent a fourth tour in Africa in the
Belgian Congo The Belgian Congo (, ; ) was a Belgian colonial empire, Belgian colony in Central Africa from 1908 until independence in 1960 and became the Republic of the Congo (Léopoldville). The former colony adopted its present name, the Democratic Repu ...
. There they filmed the
Mbuti The Mbuti people, or Bambuti, are one of several indigenous pygmy groups in the Congo region of Africa. Their languages are Central Sudanic languages and Bantu languages. Subgroups Bambuti are pygmy hunter-gatherers, and are one of the oldest ...
people of the
Ituri Forest The Ituri Rainforest (French language, French: ''Forêt tropicale de l’Ituri'') is a rainforest located in the Ituri Province of northeastern Democratic Republic of the Congo. The forest's name derives from the nearby Ituri River which flows ...
and the
gorilla Gorillas are primarily herbivorous, terrestrial great apes that inhabit the tropical forests of equatorial Africa. The genus ''Gorilla'' is divided into two species: the eastern gorilla and the western gorilla, and either four or five su ...
s in the Alumbongo Hills. The 1932 feature movie ''
Congorilla Congorilla (originally in human: William "Congo Bill" Glenmorgan) is a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and Vertigo Comics. Originally co-created by writer Whitney Ellsworth and artist George Papp, he was later transform ...
'' was in part a product of this trip, and was the first movie with sound authentically recorded in Africa. In 1932, the Johnsons learned to fly at the Chanute Municipal Airport (now named the
Chanute Martin Johnson Airport Chanute Martin Johnson Airport is a city-owned airport located two miles southwest of Chanute, in Neosho County, Kansas. It is named for Martin Johnson, of the husband-and-wife explorers Martin and Osa Johnson, although it was Osa and not ...
) in Osa's hometown of Chanute. Once they had their pilot's licenses, they purchased two
Sikorsky Sikorsky or Sikorski may refer to: * Sikorsky (comics), a Marvel Comics character * Sikorsky (crater), a lunar crater * Sikorsky Aircraft, an American aircraft manufacturer People with the surname * Brian Sikorski (born 1974), Major League Basebal ...
amphibious planes, a S-39-CS ''Spirit of Africa'' and S-38-BS ''Osa's Ark''. On their fifth African trip, from 1933 to 1934, the Johnsons flew the length of Africa, getting now classic aerial scenes of large herds of elephants, giraffes, and other animals moving across the plains of Africa. They were the first pilots to fly over
Mount Kilimanjaro Mount Kilimanjaro () is a dormant volcano in Tanzania. It is the highest mountain in Africa and the highest free-standing mountain above sea level in the world, at above sea level and above its plateau base. It is also the highest volcano i ...
and
Mount Kenya Mount Kenya (Meru people, Meru: ''Kĩrĩmaara,'' Kikuyu people, Kikuyu: ''Kĩrĩnyaga'', Kamba language, Kamba: ''Ki nyaa'', Embu language, Embu: ''Kĩ nyaga'') is an extinct volcano in Kenya and the Highest mountain peaks of Africa, second-highe ...
in Africa and film them from the air. The 1935 feature film '' Baboona'' was made from this footage. On January 3, 1935, ''Baboona'' was shown on an Eastern Air Lines plane, becoming the first sound movie shown during flight. The movie premiered on January 22, 1935, at the Rialto Theatre in New York City. In 1935, the Johnsons were featured on
Wheaties Wheaties is an American brand of breakfast cereal that is made by General Mills. It is well known for featuring list of athletes on Wheaties boxes, prominent athletes on its packages and has become a cultural icon in the United States. Originall ...
cereal boxes as "Champions of Sports." Osa Johnson was the second female to appear on the box and she and Martin were the first married couple selected for this honor. The Johnsons' final trip together took them to
British North Borneo North Borneo (usually known as British North Borneo, also known as the State of North Borneo) was a British protectorate in the northern part of the island of Borneo, (present-day Sabah). The territory of North Borneo was originally establish ...
again, from 1935 to 1936. They used their smaller amphibious plane, now renamed ''The Spirit of Africa and Borneo'', and produced footage for the feature ''
Borneo Borneo () is the List of islands by area, third-largest island in the world, with an area of , and population of 23,053,723 (2020 national censuses). Situated at the geographic centre of Maritime Southeast Asia, it is one of the Greater Sunda ...
'' (1937). Martin Johnson was a member of the Adventurers' Club of New York. He described the Borneo expedition before the club on November 19, 1936, the event being called "Martin Johnson Night." He previewed his "Borneo Pictures" before the group on December 17, 1936. In January 1937, Martin and Osa began a nationwide lecture and radio tour at the
Mormon Tabernacle The Salt Lake Tabernacle, formerly known as the Mormon Tabernacle, is located on Temple Square in Salt Lake City, in the U.S. state of Utah. The Tabernacle was built from 1863 to 1875 to house meetings for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-da ...
in
Salt Lake City Salt Lake City, often shortened to Salt Lake or SLC, is the capital and most populous city of the U.S. state of Utah. It is the county seat of Salt Lake County, the most populous county in the state. The city is the core of the Salt Lake Ci ...
. On the morning of January 12, they boarded a flight bound for
Las Vegas Las Vegas, colloquially referred to as Vegas, is the most populous city in the U.S. state of Nevada and the county seat of Clark County. The Las Vegas Valley metropolitan area is the largest within the greater Mojave Desert, and second-l ...
and
Burbank Burbank may refer to: Places Australia * Burbank, Queensland, a suburb in Brisbane United States * Burbank, California, a city in Los Angeles County * Burbank, Santa Clara County, California, a census-designated place * Burbank, Illinois, ...
. The plane crashed in bad weather near the Los Pinetos peak in California. Martin died the following day. Osa was severely injured but recovered and gave hundreds of lectures from a wheelchair. By October 1937, the ''
New York Times ''The New York Times'' (''NYT'') is an American daily newspaper based in New York City. ''The New York Times'' covers domestic, national, and international news, and publishes opinion pieces, investigative reports, and reviews. As one of ...
'' was publishing dispatches of Osa's latest trip to Africa, in which she described lifestyles and practices of the
Maasai Maasai may refer to: *Maasai people *Maasai language *Maasai mythology * MAASAI (band) See also * Masai (disambiguation) Masai may refer to: *Masai, Johor, a town in Malaysia * Masai Plateau, a plateau in Kolhapur, Maharashtra, India *Maasai peopl ...
and other tribes. She died in New York City of a heart attack in 1953. Osa Johnson's autobiography ''I Married Adventure'' was the best-selling non-fiction book of 1940.


''Osa Johnson's The Big Game Hunt''

Television's first wildlife series, ''Osa Johnson's The Big Game Hunt'' a.k.a. ''The Big Game Hunt'', premiered in 1952. The 26 half-hour episodes were released by Explorers Pictures and primarily used Johnson film. Episodes introduced by Osa Johnson were "African Army," "Boy Scouts in Africa," "Climbing Fish, The Floating Terror, Giant Elephants, Goring Brutes, Headhunters of Borneo, Jungle Panic, Jungle Power," "Jungle Warriors," "Rhinoceros," "Simba's Trail," "Slinking Fury" and "Weird Tribes." Episodes introduced by
Ivan T. Sanderson Ivan Terence Sanderson (January 30, 1911 – February 19, 1973) was a British biologist and writer born in Edinburgh, Scotland, who became a naturalized citizen of the United States. Sanderson wrote on nature and travel, and was a frequent gue ...
were "Armed Menace," "Cameras in the Wilderness," "Herds of Destruction," "Jaws of Death," "Kill to Live," "Man-Eaters of the Masai," "Monkey Safari," "Orang-utan," "Pygmy Hunters," "Return to Adventure," "Terror of the Plains" and "Trek Through the Wild Lands."


Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum

The Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum is located in Osa's hometown of
Chanute, Kansas Chanute () is a city in Neosho County, Kansas, Neosho County, Kansas, United States. Founded on January 1, 1873, it was named after railroad engineer and aviation pioneer Octave Chanute. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the po ...
. Formed in 1961 to preserve the Johnsons' achievements and to encourage further research into their fields of study, the Safari Museum (as it was originally named) has grown and flourished. The museum started with a core collection of the Johnsons' films, photographs, manuscripts, articles, books, and personal belongings donated by Osa's mother. The museum shares the beautiful old railroad depot with the Chanute Public Library. In 1998, the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum was named by the History Channel Traveler website as one of the "Top-Ten Historic Sites for Valentine's Day" that "capture romance, American-style." In 2001,
The Pitch (newspaper) ''The Pitch'' is a free alternative newspaper distributed in the Kansas City Metropolitan Area, including Lawrence and Topeka, Kansas. While known for its investigative stories of the local government, it also covers local sports stories, re ...
named Chanute, Kansas, and the museum as "Best Romantic Day Trip." The museum is governed by a twelve-member volunteer Board of Trustees. Additionally, there are honorary trustees who help support and represent the museum. Honorary trustees include: Jack Badal,
Robert Ballard Robert Duane Ballard (born June 30, 1942) is an American retired Navy officer and a professor of oceanography at the University of Rhode Island who is noted for his work in underwater archaeology (maritime archaeology and archaeology of ...
,
Kevin Brownlow Kevin Brownlow (born Robert Kevin Brownlow; 2 June 1938) is a British film historian, television documentary-maker, filmmaker, author, and film editor. He is best known for his work documenting the history of the silent era, having become inter ...
, M. Miller Davis & Ayden Mayeri, Nancy Durbin,
Jack Hanna Jack Bushnell Hanna (born January 2, 1947) is an American retired zookeeper and director emeritus of the Columbus Zoo and Aquarium. Commonly nicknamed "Jungle Jack", he was director of the zoo from 1978 to 1992, and is viewed as largely respons ...
, Ed Elbert (producer of, among others, '' The Mighty Quinn''), Kelly Enright, Joyce Harrell, Dick Houston (president of Elefence International), Yvonne Houston (Osa's niece), Eleanor & Pascal Imperato, Schuyler Jones, Nancy Landon Kassebaum Baker, Lamont Lindstrom, Kenneth Love, Kate & T.J. Miller, Margaret Moore, Kay &
George Schaller George Beals Schaller (born 26 May 1933) is an American mammalogist, biologist, conservationist and author. Schaller is recognized by many as the world's preeminent field biologist, studying wildlife throughout Africa, Asia and South America. ...
, Igor Sikorsky, Jr. (son of
Igor Sikorsky Igor Ivanovich Sikorsky, (25 May 1889 – 26 October 1972) was a Russian-American aviation pioneer in both helicopters and fixed-wing aircraft. His first success came with the Sikorsky S-2, the second aircraft of his design and construc ...
), Jan & Romi Svatoš,
Roy Thomas Roy William Thomas Jr."Roy Thomas Checklist" ''Alter Ego'' vol. 3, #50 (July 2005) p. 16 (born November 22, 1940) is an American comic book writer and editor. He was Stan Lee's first successor as editor-in-chief of Marvel Comics and possibly bes ...
, Stan Walsh (Travel Adventure Cinema Society), Keith Wauchope (
United States Ambassador to Gabon This is a list of ambassadors of the United States to Gabon. Gabon had been an overseas territory of France since 1910. At that time it became part of French Equatorial Africa, which included Middle Congo (now Republic of the Congo), Chad, and ...
, retired), Holly Wofford (Lake Paradise Entertainment producer) and Ray Woods. Honorary trustees in memoriam include: Marianna Beach, Vern Carstens (the Johnsons’ pilot), Gary K. Clarke (director emeritus of the Topeka Zoo and president of Cowabunga Safaris),
Clive Cussler Clive Eric Cussler (July 15, 1931 – February 24, 2020) was an American adventure novelist and underwater explorer. His thriller novels, many featuring the character Dirk Pitt, have been listed on ''The New York Times'' fiction best-sell ...
, Dick Douglas, Clarke Getts (Osa's second husband), Byron Harrell, Belle Leighty (Osa's mother), David Martin, Douglas Oliver,
Mike Resnick Michael Diamond Resnick (; March 5, 1942 – January 9, 2020) was an American science fiction writer and editor. He won five Hugo awards and a Nebula award, and was the guest of honor at Chicon 7. He was the executive editor of the defunct mag ...
, C. Jackson Selsor, Kenhelm Stott, Jr. (general curator emeritus of the
San Diego Zoo The San Diego Zoo is a zoo in San Diego, California, United States, located in Balboa Park (San Diego), Balboa Park. It began with a collection of animals left over from the 1915 Panama–California Exposition that were brought together by its ...
and trustee of the
National Underwater and Marine Agency The National Underwater and Marine Agency (NUMA) is a private non-profit organization in the United States founded in 1979. Originally it was a fictional US government organization in the novels of author Clive Cussler. Cussler later created and, ...
),
Lowell Thomas Lowell Jackson Thomas (April 6, 1892 – August 29, 1981) was an American writer, Television presenter, broadcaster, and documentary filmmaker. He authored more than fifty non-fiction books, mostly travel narratives and popular biographies of ex ...
, Joseph Tilton (Johnsons’ cameraman), Mahlon Wallace III and Helen (Joyce) & George Wauchope (Helen was the Johnsons’ secretary who previously worked for Lowell Thomas).


Sister museums – Musée de Manega and Sabah Museum

The Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum has two international sister museums: Musée de Manega in Burkina Faso and
Sabah Museum The Sabah Museum (Malay language, Malay: ''Muzium Sabah'') is the state museum of Sabah, Malaysia. It is sited on of land at Bukit Istana Lama in Kota Kinabalu, the state capital. History The original Sabah Museum location was established on ...
in
Sabah Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah has land borders with the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and Indonesia's North Kalima ...
, Malaysia. These partnerships resulted from curatorial exchanges in 2000 and 2004 through the International Partnerships Among Museums program. On February 22, 2011, the Sabah Museum opened its "Safari in Sandakan" exhibit at the Sandakan Heritage Museum in
Sabah Sabah () is a States and federal territories of Malaysia, state of Malaysia located in northern Borneo, in the region of East Malaysia. Sabah has land borders with the Malaysian state of Sarawak to the southwest and Indonesia's North Kalima ...
, Malaysia. This exhibit covers the Johnsons' 1920 and 1935-1936 Borneo expeditions and was designed by Sabah Museum Curator Stella Moo. The SUARA Community Filmmaking, in partnership with the Sabah Museum and the Sabah Society, has agreed on premiering the last film of Osa and Martin Johnson's last adventure in North Borneo. It was premiered on 30 September 2012 at the Borneo Eco Film Festival as it was the first time shown in Borneo.


Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge

The Walt Disney Company The Walt Disney Company, commonly referred to as simply Disney, is an American multinational mass media and entertainment conglomerate headquartered at the Walt Disney Studios complex in Burbank, California. Disney was founded on October 16 ...
was the first organization to license Johnson film from the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum for the 1976 program ''Filming Nature's Mysteries''. Disney again licensed Johnson film as part of the "Rafiki's Planet Watch" at
Disney's Animal Kingdom Disney's Animal Kingdom Theme Park is a zoological theme park at Walt Disney World in Bay Lake, Florida, near Orlando. Owned and operated by the Walt Disney Company through its Experiences division, it is the largest theme park in the worl ...
when it opened April 22, 1998. The architects and Disney team developing a new "
safari lodge {{Unreferenced, date=May 2019, bot=noref (GreenC bot) A safari lodge (also known as a game lodge) is a type of tourist accommodation in southern and eastern Africa. Lodges are mainly used by tourists on wildlife safaris, and are typically locat ...
" borrowed Johnson films from the museum in 1997 and 1998 for research and inspiration.
Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge Disney's Animal Kingdom Lodge is an African-themed deluxe resort at the Walt Disney World, Walt Disney World Resort in Bay Lake, Florida. It opened on April 16, 2001. The resort is owned and operated by Disney Experiences. Disney's Animal ...
opened April 16, 2001. Included is an ongoing exhibit of 36 Johnson photographs along with an original copy of Osa Johnson's 1940 autobiography ''I Married Adventure'' in the lodge's Sunset Lounge.


Martin + Osa

Martin and Osa Johnson were the namesake, inspiration and background story for the 2006-2010
Martin + Osa Martin may refer to: Places Antarctica * Martin Peninsula, Marie Byrd Land * Port Martin, Adelie Land * Point Martin, South Orkney Islands Europe * Martin, Croatia, a village * Martin, Slovakia, a city * Martín del Río, Aragón, Spain * Mart ...
clothing line and national chain of 28 Martin + Osa stores launched by
American Eagle Outfitters American Eagle Outfitters, Inc. is an American clothing and accessories retailer headquartered at SouthSide Works in Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania. It was founded in 1977 by brothers Jerry and Mark Silverman as a subsidiary of Retail Ventures, Inc ...
. Martin + Osa used references to the Johnsons on their clothing and accessories. Examples included "1910" (the year Martin and Osa married), "S-38" (refers to the Sikorsky S-38 amphibian airplane flown by the Johnsons) and "NC-52V" (the aircraft registration number of their Sikorsky S-39). In 2016 the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum acquired the Martin + Osa trademarks.


Other references

*Osa Johnson (also known as The Woman in the Safari Outfit) is a main character in the 1962 play ''
Chamber Music Chamber music is a form of classical music that is composed for a small group of Musical instrument, instruments—traditionally a group that could fit in a Great chamber, palace chamber or a large room. Most broadly, it includes any art music ...
'' by
Arthur Kopit Arthur Lee Kopit (; May 10, 1937 – April 2, 2021) was an American playwright. He was a two-time Pulitzer Prize finalist for ''Indians (play), Indians'' and ''Wings (play), Wings''. He was also nominated for three Tony Awards: Best Play for ...
. *It has been noted the animated film '' Up'' (2009) contains story elements similar to the Johnsons’ real-life story. This ranges from a childless couple to a “scout” on the trip. Muntz's airship, named ''Spirit of Adventure'', sounds like a cross between the Johnsons’ ''Spirit of Africa'' plane and Osa's popular ''I Married Adventure'' autobiography. A fictional poster promotes the launch of the “Spirit of Adventure” on April 25, 1934, from New York City. Coincidentally this was the starting point and the time frame of the Johnsons’ 1933-1934 “Flying Safari”. Also, the Fredricksens’ dream of a home overlooking “Paradise Falls” is reminiscent of the home the Johnsons built overlooking “Lake Paradise” or “Paradise Lake”. *In 2005, the Cairo Club Orchestra of
Melbourne Melbourne ( , ; Boonwurrung language, Boonwurrung/ or ) is the List of Australian capital cities, capital and List of cities in Australia by population, most populous city of the States and territories of Australia, Australian state of Victori ...
, Australia, revived the 1932 Congorilla Fox-Trot (inspired by the Johnsons' 1932 movie ''Congorilla''). *Martin and Osa Johnson photographs appear in the movies ''
Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events ''Lemony Snicket's A Series of Unfortunate Events'' (also simply known as ''A Series of Unfortunate Events'') is a 2004 American black comedy adventure film directed by Brad Silberling from a screenplay by Robert Gordon, based on the first th ...
'' (2004) and ''
Night at the Museum ''Night at the Museum'' is a 2006 fantasy comedy film directed by Shawn Levy and written by Robert Ben Garant and Thomas Lennon. It is based on the 1993 children's book of the same name by Croatian illustrator Milan Trenc. The film had an en ...
'' (2006) as well as the short film ''The Lost Explorer'' (2010) by
Tim Walker Timothy Walker HonFRPS (born 1970) is a British fashion photographer who regularly works for '' Vogue'', '' W'' and ''Love'' magazines. He is based in London. Life and career Walker was born in England in 1970. His interest in photography beg ...
. Johnson film segments were used in
Su Friedrich Su Friedrich (born December 12, 1954) is an American avant-garde film director, producer, writer, and cinematographer. She has been a leading figure in avant-garde filmmaking and a pivotal force in the establishment of Queer Cinema. Early lif ...
's film ''Hide and Seek'' (1996). *In 2010, Martin and Osa Johnson were voted one of the 8 Wonders of Kansas! People ( Kansas Sampler Foundation). *Poet
Elizabeth Bishop Elizabeth Bishop (February 8, 1911 – October 6, 1979) was an American poet and short-story writer. She was Consultant in Poetry to the Library of Congress from 1949 to 1950, the Pulitzer Prize winner for Poetry in 1956, the National Book Awar ...
's poem "In the Waiting Room" references a picture of Martin and Osa Johnson in a February, 1918 ''
National Geographic ''National Geographic'' (formerly ''The National Geographic Magazine'', sometimes branded as ''Nat Geo'') is an American monthly magazine published by National Geographic Partners. The magazine was founded in 1888 as a scholarly journal, nine ...
'' she read as a child. * Martin Johnson is sarcastically referenced in "The Baby in the Icebox," a short story by James M. Cain that was first published in the ''American Mercury'' magazine in 1932. *In 1934, Martin and Osa Johnson became the first married couple, and Osa only the second woman, featured on a box of
Wheaties Wheaties is an American brand of breakfast cereal that is made by General Mills. It is well known for featuring list of athletes on Wheaties boxes, prominent athletes on its packages and has become a cultural icon in the United States. Originall ...
breakfast cereal. Beginning that year Wheaties put pictures of well-known people on cereal boxes to match the slogan ”The Breakfast of Champions.” Martin and Osa are pictured atop their Sikorsky S-39 amphibious plane. (See
List of athletes on Wheaties boxes In 1934, the breakfast cereal Wheaties began the practice of including pictures of sportsperson, athletes on its packaging to coincide with its slogan, "The Breakfast of Champions." In its original form, athletes were depicted on the sides or b ...
.)


Selected filmography

*''Cannibals of the South Seas'' (1912) *''Jack London's Adventures of the South Seas'' (1913) *''Among the Cannibal Isles of the South Seas'' (1918) *''Jungle Adventures'' (1921) (filmed in
British North Borneo North Borneo (usually known as British North Borneo, also known as the State of North Borneo) was a British protectorate in the northern part of the island of Borneo, (present-day Sabah). The territory of North Borneo was originally establish ...
) *''Headhunters of the South Seas'' (1922) *''Trailing Wild African Animals'' (1923) *''Martin's Safari'' (1928) *'' Simba: King of the Beasts'' (1928) *''Across the World with Mr. and Mrs. Johnson'' (1930) *''Wonders of the Congo'' (1931) *''
Congorilla Congorilla (originally in human: William "Congo Bill" Glenmorgan) is a superhero appearing in comic books published by DC Comics and Vertigo Comics. Originally co-created by writer Whitney Ellsworth and artist George Papp, he was later transform ...
'' (1932) *''Wings Over Africa'' (1934) *'' Baboona'' (1935) *''Children of Africa'' (1937) *''Jungle Depths of Borneo'' (1937) *''Borneo'' (1937) (filmed in
British North Borneo North Borneo (usually known as British North Borneo, also known as the State of North Borneo) was a British protectorate in the northern part of the island of Borneo, (present-day Sabah). The territory of North Borneo was originally establish ...
) *''Jungles Calling'' (1937) *''I Married Adventure'' (1940) *''African Paradise'' (1941) *''Tulagi and the Solomons'' (1943) *''Big Game Hunt'' (1950s), on TV


Bibliography

* * Johnson, Osa, "A Wife in Africa," ''
Photoplay ''Photoplay'' was one of the first American film fan magazines, its title another word for screenplay. It was founded in Chicago in 1911. Under early editors Julian Johnson and James R. Quirk, in style and reach it became a pacesetter for fan m ...
'', June 1923, p. 32. Bylined Mrs. Martin Johnson.


References


External links

* * *
''Cannibal-land: Adventures with a Camera in the New Hebrides''
(1922)

(1924) *
Google Books Google Books (previously known as Google Book Search, Google Print, and by its code-name Project Ocean) is a service from Google that searches the full text of books and magazines that Google has scanned, converted to text using optical charac ...
previews: ** ** ** ** * *
Osa Johnson
at Women Film Pioneers Project
Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum website
- ''safarimuseum.com''

- ''kansastravel.org'' * Agnes Newton Keith (1939, Reprint 2004)
The Land Below the Wind
' ** {{authority control, additional=auto American documentary filmmakers 20th-century American explorers American hunters American women aviators American women documentary filmmakers Aviators from Kansas Headhunting accounts and studies Married couples Women film pioneers