with him. In a few years they accumulated enough money to travel to the South Seas
and and film their first movie, Among the Cannibals of the South Pacific, which
premiered in 1918.
The movie was a success and the Johnsons made more trips to the South Seas, Asia
and Africa. They were very successful with movies, speaking tours, books, a clothing
line, and other marketing. They even did early product placement in their movies. The
Johnsons made some of the first motion pictures with sound. Martin would film while
Osa stood beside him with a rifle, waiting until the last second before dispatching
attacking animals.
If you have a picture you'd like us to feature a picture in a future quiz, please email it to us at CFitzp@aol.com. If we use it, you will receive a free analysis of your picture. You will also receive a free Forensic Genealogy CD or a 10% discount towards the purchase of the Forensic Genealogy book.
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Osa and Martin Johnson
Martin Johnson took part as a crew member and cook in Jack London's 1907–1909 voyage across the Pacific aboard the Snark.
Their third African safari from 1927 to 1928 was a tour of the Nile with friend and supporter George Eastman (of Eastman Kodak fame).
Baboona was a film written, directed, and produced by the Johnsons.
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Answer to Quiz #180 - October 19, 2008
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What do they have in common?
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If you enjoy our quizzes, don't forget to order our books! Click here.
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The idea for this quiz was submitted by Marilyn Hamill.
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Congratulations to Our Winners!
Jim Kiser Leslie Shapard Brian Kemp Diane Burkett Beth Long Leslie Shapard Gary Sterne Rex Cornelius Tamura Jones Robert E. McKenna Gary Sterne Stan Read Karen Kay Bunting Mike Dalton Audrey Speelman Deborah Campisano Mary South Kelly Fetherlin Carolyn Cornelius Dave Doucette Dennis Brann Sandy Thomspon Wayne Douglas Gina Hudson Alan Cullinan Fred Stuart Bob McKenna Lois Carr Judy Pfaff
If your name has been omitted from our list of winners, please let me know. It was unintentional.
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George Eastman stated that Mrs. Johnson was an
exceptional cook, experienced and resourceful. They
enjoyed sharing recipes and cooking together.
George Eastman and Osa Johnson's recipe for Mrs.
Kelly's Lemon Meringue Pie:
6 Eggs (separate yolks from whites)
2 Cups Sugar
5 Heaping teaspoons Flour
2 Cups Hot Water
Grated rind and juice of 1 1/2 Lemons
Salt to taste
Beat egg yolks well. Add sugar. Mix flour with
enough cold water to make a paste. Then add to it the
mixed egg and sugar and beat until creamy. Stir into
the boiling water and when partly cooled, add grated
lemon and juice and stir until perfectly smooth. For the
meringue: Beat whites of eggs until perfectly stiff, then
fold in 1/2 cup of powdered sugar.
Quiz Number 180, 19 October 2008 BEWARE OF THE BOOJUM
Martin Johnson, of animal wild life fame, Took the picture of the baboon. With his father's Kodak Company franchise, He was thus equipped with cameras quite soon.
Author Jack London, who wrote "White Fang," Sailed in the South Seas in his ship, the "Snark." The ship named after Lewis Carroll's epic poem of that name, With Martin Johnson, as a crew member and cook, on a lark.
Camera, Johnson and London, in common, came together, So the hat of the Quiz Master can sport another feather!
Robert Edward McKenna Quiz Poet Laureate
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Comments from Our Readers
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I have been to the Martin & Osa Johnson Safari Museum in Chanute, Kansas, and it
is a quite a little gem. It's a small place but full of fascinating information
about a remarkable couple. Lois Carr
*****
Had a hard time writing a coherent answer for this one, but really enjoyed the research.
I'm ashamed to say the The Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum is just 100 miles
away from me, and while I've been to Chanute more than once, I've never taken the
time to stop there. That could change. Rex Cornelius
*****
In 1971,a movie version of the Call of the Wild was produced. The cast included
Charleton Heston and George Eastman. This George Eastman was born August 19,
1942 in Genoa, Italy as Luigi Moritefiori. He adapted said stage name for his roles in a
number of sphagetti westerns. In Call of the Wild he was the villian Black Burton,
opposite the good guy Charleton Heston. Mike Dalton
Note: Don't anyone believe this......
*****
In my place, it's my husband's collection of Lego and model trains. We need more
space for his stuff! It was an interesting twist on the usual quiz: having to find
connections between photos. That was fun! Audrey Speelman
*****
I loved White Fang as a kid and might just read it again to see if it is still as thrilling as
an adult. Jim Kiser
*****
:) I am just so thrilled to always learn something new and interesting from the quizzes
every week - even if they are not and area where I would normally have an interest,
they are still fun and entertaining - thanks again for all you do, and for the weekly
quizzes. :) Beth Long
*****
I'll add your museum to all the places I need to visit in California because of these
quizzes. I have always been a fan of Jack London and have read most of his stuff but I
didn't know much about Charmian. So I read a lot about her and her writings. Also
did not know much about the Johnsons. Rex lives near the Safari Museum so he and I
will have to plan a trip next time I get to Kansas.
My friend Lynden Cline found this short piece on cannabis in which Martin Johnson
expresses his disappointment that he missed his turn to try the hashish.
http://canorml.org/history/London-CannabisPioneer.pdf
That might be good for your write-up on the relationship between Johnson and the
Londons. Very interesting subject. Carolyn Cornelius
*****
No, this week's quiz wasn't very hard, but funny thing was that when I searched for a
relationship between Jack London and George Eastman, nothing came up. I found the
IMBD listing for the 1935 film Baboona, but figured the name Martin Johnson would
produce too many hits, so I tried that combination with Osa Johnson and it made the
reference list much more managable. Diane Burkett
Producer:
1930s
Borneo (1937) (co-producer) (as Mr. Martin Johnson)
Baboona (1935) (producer)
Wings Over Africa (1934) (producer)
Congorilla (1932) (producer)
... aka Adventures Among the Big Apes and Little People of Central Africa
Wonders of the Congo (1931) (producer)
Across the World with Mr. and Mrs. Johnson (1930) (producer)
1920s
South Sea Preparedness (1923) (producer)
China Comes to Borneo (1923) (producer)
People We Have Met (1923) (producer)
A Wild and Wooly Hunt (1923) (producer)
The Visit to Sandakan and Singapore (1923) (producer)
At Colombo and Port Said (1923) (producer)
Traveling East of Suez (1923) (producer)
Through the Valley of Rubber (1923) (producer)
Into the Setting Sun (1923) (producer)
South Sea Kids (1923) (producer)
The Dance of Joy (1923) (producer)
Bessie, the Adventuress (1923) (producer)
The Lost Tribe (1923) (producer)
Jungle Adventures (1921) (producer)
Cinematographer:
1930s
Borneo (1937) (as Martin Johnson)
Baboona (1935) (as Martin Johnson)
1920s
Simba: The King of the Beasts (1928)
... aka Simba (USA: poster title)
1910s
Among the Cannibal Isles of the South Pacific (1918)
Jack London's Adventures in the South Sea Islands (1913) (as Martin Johnson)
... aka Jack London's South Sea Island Adventures
Director:
1910s - 1930s
Baboona (1935) (as Martin Johnson)
Jungle Adventures (1921)
Among the Cannibal Isles of the South Pacific (1918)
Cannibals of the South Seas (1912)
Writer:
Baboona (1935) (narrative) (as Martin Johnson)
Simba: The King of the Beasts (1928) (story)
... aka Simba (USA: poster title)
Among the Cannibal Isles of the South Pacific (1918) (writer)
Camera and Electrical Department:
I Married Adventure (1940) (cinematographer: archive footage)
Self:
Borneo (1937) .... Himself
Baboona (1935) (as Martin Johnson) .... Himself
Wings Over Africa (1934) .... Himself
Congorilla (1932)
... aka Adventures Among the Big Apes and Little People of Central Africa
Wonders of the Congo (1931)
Across the World with Mr. and Mrs. Johnson (1930)
Among the Cannibal Isles of the South Pacific (1918) .... Himself
Archive Footage:
I Married Adventure (1940) .... Martin Johnson
Martin Johnson was an Independence,
Kansas boy who managed to join Jack
London on the voyage of the Snark in
1907. Martin returned in 1909 with
enough artifacts and stories to start
traveling the vaudeville circuit making
presentations.
While touring the following year, Martin
stopped in Chanute, where he fell in love
with (and soon married) the 16 year old
Osa Leighty. Osa was pretty, tiny, had a
lot of personality, and started traveling
Unique and beautifully printed
scare Certificate from the Martin
Johnson African Expedition
Corporation issued no later than
1926. This historic document has
an ornate border around it with
an imprint of the corporate seal
and a back print of the word
Preferred to represent the class
of stock that was issued. This
item is hand signed by the
company's president, Daniel E.
Pomeroy and is over 84 years old.
http://us.st12.yimg.com/us.st.yimg.com/I/scripophily_2023_426466
Jack London Slide Show
Martin Johnson, crewmember on deck of SNARK, sailed the entire cruise from California to Australia, manning the ship alone from Guadalcanal to Sydney.
http://www.jacklondonsnark.com/,,,
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Great account of Jack London's adventures with his folding Kodak (confiscated as a "weapon" by the Japanese), covering the Russo- Japanese war. It doesn't apply, but it's great anyway. See www.jacklondons.net/Journalism/jackLondonsWar.html
Rex Cornelius
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I think I just did a search on the words "Jack London Baboona" (as I knew he had written the book and saw this his name was blanked out, so I knew it was a clue), and Osa and Martin Johnson came up right away.
Yet another interesting factoid courtesy of forenesicgenealogy.info that I had not heard about, so I then spent time reading up on the museum website (in Kansas, where they are from of all places!) :) I think for the camera I just put in "camera 388850" which took me to a website that discussed Eastman's patent, and I had read about his involvement with the Johnsons from the various websites discussing their adventures.
Beth Long
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How Beth Solved the Puzzle
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Charlie Chaplin gave them moustaches to take to the cannibals - and one reel of "pie-throwing" comedy. The cannibals liked both.
http://books.google.com/books...
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In 1917, Martin and Osa departed on a
nine-month trip through the New Hebrides
(Vanuatu) and Solomon Islands. The
highlight of the trip was a brief, but
harrowing, encounter with a tribe called
the Big Nambas of northern Malekula.
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 (now Sabah) and a sailing expedition up the
coast of East Africa. After returning home, they released the features Jungle
Adventures (1921) and Headhunters of the South Seas (1922).
The Johnson's first Africa expedition, from 1921 to 1922, resulted in their feature film
Trailing Wild African Animals (1923). During the second and longest trip, from 1924 to
1927, the Johnsons spent much of their time in northern Kenya by a lake they dubbed
Paradise, at Mount Marsabit. The movies Martin's Safari (1928), Osa's Four Years in
Paradise (1941), and the film Simba: King of the Beasts (1928) were made with footage
of these trips.


The third African safari from 1927
to 1928 was a tour of the Nile with
friend and supporter George
Eastman (of Eastman Kodak fame).
This trip, along with previous
footage was one of the first talkies
for
the Johnsons, Across the World
with Mr. and Mrs. Johnson (1930)
which included Martin's narrative.
From 1929 to 1931, the Johnsons
spent a fourth tour in Africa in the
Belgian Congo. There they filmed
the Mbuti people of the Ituri Forest and the gorillas in the Alumbongo Hills. The 1932
feature movie Congorilla 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 airfield in Osa's hometown of Chanute. Once
they had their pilot's licenses, they purchased two Sikorsky 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 Mt. Kilimanjaro and Mt. Kenya in Africa
and film them from the air.
The 1935 feature film Baboona was made from this footage. Baboona was underwritten

by Fox Film. The Johnsons claimed to
have exposed nearly 1 million feet of film.
Since they did all scripting, filming, editing
and production themselves it's no surprise
that Mr. Johnson opened his own
Eastman-Kodak franchise and that they
were close friends with George Eastman.
The Johnsons' final trip together took
them to British North Borneo 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 (1937).
Martin died in a commercial plane crash in 1937, and Osa died in New York City, 16
years later. The Safari Museum opened in Chanute in 1962 and more recently moved
into the beautiful restored depot which it shares with Chanute's Library. The Safari
Museum has photos, films and several galleries of spectacular artifacts from Osa and
Martin's travels.
A number of large U.S. institutions maintain significant Johnson archives Library of
Congress, the American Museum of Natural History, the Museum of Art, the
International Museum of Photography (George Eastman House), Heritage Center
The Martin and Osa
Johnson Safari Museum is
a private, nonprofit
Public Trust funded by
memberships, contributions,
admissions and museum
shop sales. Information
about memberships can be
requested by email, by
calling us at (620)
431-2730, or by writing to:
111 N. Lincoln Avenue,
Chanute, KS, 66720
(University of Wyoming), and the UCLA
School of Film and Television. However,
the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari
Museum, in Osa's hometown of Chanute,
Kansas, is the only museum primarily
dedicated to the lives and work of the
couple. Within the museum's collection
are about 10,000 Johnson photographs.
In addition to the world's largest Johnson
archive, the museum also houses the
African Gallery, the Selsor Art Gallery,
Henshall Archives, and Stott Explorers SSS which includes 10,000 volumes of natural
history and exploration subjects. For more information, contact the Martin and Osa
Johnson Safari Museum at 111 N. Lincoln Avenue, Chanute, Kansas 66720, or call
316.431.2730.