“How did you ever get into the safari business?” is a question I’m frequently asked. It all started with a visit to the Seneca Park Zoo in Rochester, NY, in 1950. At the age of four, I became fascinated by the animals in the zoo – especially the lion and the African elephant. Even today, when I hear a male lion’s call while on safari, I recall the thrill of that powerful voice I first heard as a child.
My interest in African animals was reinforced by Zoo Parade, a television show hosted by Marlin Perkins, who was then director of the Franklin Park Zoo in Chicago. Later, Perkins went on to create Mutual of Omaha’s Wild Kingdom, the forerunner of today’s amazing animal programs on TV.
Another strong influence was the “True Life Adventure” series of movies, produced by Walt Disney. I’m pretty sure I saw them all at the Saturday afternoon movies but, of course, the one that stands out in my memory is “The African Lion,” which was released in 1955.
However, it was studying British East Africa in fifth grade geography class that solidified my dreams of Africa. (If you remember geography class, you just might be a baby boomer! – with apologies to Jeff Foxworthy)
Shortly after the East African geography lessons, an illness confined me to bed for a month. I asked my mother to bring me books about Africa from the public library. I read Theodore Roosevelt’s African Game Trails, along with books by Carl Akeley, Martin & Osa Johnson, J.A. Hunter and many others. After envisioning the wilds of Africa through these first-person accounts, my passion for Africa was firmly planted.
I also became fascinated by the photographs of African wildlife I saw, especially in the books written by Martin and Osa Johnson. Of course, National Geographic is the source I remember most vividly, with full color photos of colorfully dressed women in markets and men outfitted in red cloth and adorned with ostrich feathers. And Life Magazine often featured articles about Africa, as well.
To me, they were all treasured images and photos from the magazines adorned the wall of my room. Looking back, I find I have developed an appreciation for the skill and determination of those early photographers. In today’s world of digital photography, we don’t have to deal with keeping film protected from the elements and lugging canisters of film and gallons of developing chemicals into the African bush.
Because of a project we are working on, I’m again reading the Johnson’s African books. While they come from another time, I find them still fascinating and timely, especially in their concerns about the future of Africa’s wildlife.
In Part 2, we will explore my journey from being a childhood collector of African wildlife books and images to finally stepping foot on “The Dark Continent.”