Archives West Finding Aid
Table of Contents
Martin and Osa Johnson papers, 1931-1996
Overview of the Collection
- Creator
- Johnson, Martin (1884-1937)
- Title
- Martin and Osa Johnson papers
- Dates
- 1931-1996 (inclusive)Date of CollectionDate of Collection
- Quantity
- 5.90 cubic ft. (8 boxes)
- Collection Number
- 02939
- Summary
- Martin Johnson was a famous explorer photographer who traveled with his wife, Osa Johnson, to Africa where they interacted with and he photographed the native people and wildlife in the various regions that they visited. Collection contains photograph albums, correspondence, issues of Wait-a-Bit news, and books written by Osa Johnson.
- Repository
-
American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming
American Heritage Center
University of Wyoming
1000 E. University Ave.
Dept. 3924
Laramie, WY
82071
Telephone: 3077663756
ahcref@uwyo.edu - Access Restrictions
-
There are no access restrictions on the materials for research purposes, and the collection is open to the public.
- Languages
- English
Historical NoteReturn to Top
Martin Johnson was a famous explorer photographer who traveled with his wife, Osa Johnson, to Africa where he photographed the native people and wildlife in the various regions that they visited which included the Congo, Borneo, and Nairobi. Martin Johnson was also a close associate of George Eastman, founder of Eastman Kodak Company and known for standardizing the use of roll film.
Martin Johnson met Osa Leighty when she was 16 years old in Chanute, Kansas. They were reportedly married in a shotgun wedding and lived a quiet married life for a few years. The couple became bored with this life, however, and decided to join the Orpheum vaudeville circuit in New York City. They traveled the United States and Canada for two years with the group while saving enough money to embark on their next adventure.
After leaving the vaudeville circuit with their earnings, Martin and Osa Johnson set off for New Hebrides and the Solomon Islands where Martin began his career as an explorer photographer. They then traveled to Africa where explored desert and jungle landscapes and interacted with populations native to the continent. Osa herself was invested in the life of an explorer. At one point in time, she was the only woman in Africa to hold a big game hunting license with permission to lead safaris. Martin and Osa Johnson’s adventuring marriage was cut short in 1937 when the couple was caught in an airplane crash from Salt Lake City to Los Angeles. The crash proved fatal to Martin, and Osa sustained a serious injury to her legs which placed in a wheelchair for a time afterwards.
After the death of her husband, Osa Johnson continued to build Martin’s legacy by giving various lectures. In 1939, Osa remarried to Clark H. Getts who served as Martin and Osa Johnson’s managing agent. The nine-year marriage ended in 1948 when Osa filed for annulment on the accusation that Getts had embezzled thousands from her.
Osa authored four books in the 1940s about her adventures with Martin: I Married Adventure, Four Years in Paradise, Bride in the Solomons, and Tarnish. She died in her sleep at the age of 58 in 1953 of a heart condition. A greater portion of her and Martin’s collections reside at the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum in Chanute, Kansas.
Content DescriptionReturn to Top
Collection contains correspondence from Osa Johnson to her parents about the places she is in and her experiences there; a newspaper clipping titled “Osa’s Life In Her Work” about an interview with Osa’s mother, Belle Leighty; 2 short stories written by Osa Johnson, one titled “A Little Baby Zebra”; 3 photo albums containing numerous photographs taken by Martin Johnson recording he and Osa’s time spent in Africa, their safaris, and their interactions with the native people; 6 issues of the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum Wait-a-Bit News; a fundraising letter from director of the Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum, Conrad J. Froehlich, about film preservation in the couple’s collection; and copies of Osa Johnson’s books: one of Four Years in Paradise (1941), 25 of I Married Adventure (1940), 22 of Bride in the Solomons (1944), and 22 of Tarnish: The True Story of a Lion Cub (1944).
Use of the CollectionReturn to Top
Restrictions on Use
Copyright InformationThe researcher assumes full responsibility for observing all copyright, property, and libel laws as they apply.
Restrictions on Use
Statement on Potentially Harmful Language and Images Found in CollectionsThe American Heritage Center aspires to approach all areas of our work in ways that are respectful to those who create, use, and are represented in our collections. For a variety of reasons, however, users may encounter offensive or harmful language or images in some of our finding aids, catalogs, and collection materials.
Note that the AHC does not censor or alter contents of the collections as they provide context and evidence of a time, people, place, or event. Therefore, we encourage users to bring questions and concerns about descriptions in our finding aids to our attention via email or anonymous web-form. For more information, read our full statement.
Preferred Citation
Item Description, Box Number, Folder Number, Collection Name, Collection Number, American Heritage Center, University of Wyoming.
Administrative InformationReturn to Top
Acquisition Information
This material was received from Belle Leighty in January 1969.
Processing Note
Related Materials
Martin and Osa Johnson papers, 1933-1934, MS 395, Kansas State Historical Society.
Photograph albums of Martin and Osa Johnson, 1917-1953, PHA 36, Phillips Library, Peabody Essex Museum.
Detailed Description of the CollectionReturn to Top
InventoriesReturn to Top
The American Heritage Center is in the process of converting its older container lists to a more accessible format. This link is to an older version of a container list for 8 boxes.
| Container(s) | Description |
|---|---|
| Box | |
| 1-8 |
Names and SubjectsReturn to Top
Subject Terms
- Adventure and adventurers.
- Books.
- Hunting.
- Photograph albums.
- Photographers.
- Photography.
- Safaris.
- Travel photography.
- Travel.
- Travelers.
- Voyages and travel.
- Wildlife photographers.
Personal Names
- Johnson, Osa, -- 1894-1953.
Geographical Names
- Africa.
- Borneo.
- Congo (Brazzaville).
- Congo (Democratic Republic).
- Lonorore.
- Nairobi Area (Kenya).
- Solomon Islands.
Form or Genre Terms
- Documentary photographs.
- Photographs.
