Martin and Osa Johnson got their start filming wildlife documentaries in 1909 with “Fishing with dynamite in the Solomon Islands.” Through the years they produced 25 films, some for the big screen like Congorilla and Borneo,while others were for the lecture halls of academia. The footage shot for these films was obtained from their various expeditions. Their 1st expedition was in 1917 to the South Seas, while their last took them to Borneo in what they described by FOX as a flying safari.
(Osa in their S-39-CS “Spirit of Africa”)
(Martin and Osa sitting on the nose of the “Sprint of Africa”)
(Osa riding a zebra)
On January 12, 1937, the couple was involved in an airplane crash which took Martin’s life. After Osa recovered, she continued their work on the lecture circuit from a wheel chair.
If you ever find yourself in Chanute, Kansas (Osa’s hometown) consider stopping by The Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum, its a truly unique experience filled with various pictures and artifacts from their expeditions.