09/24/2026
Martin & Osa Johnson: Hunters, Explorers & Adventurers đŚđ
Long before modern safari documentaries, Martin and Osa Johnson were traveling through some of the most remote regions of Africa, combining exploration, filmmaking, photographyâand big-game hunting.
During the early decades of the 20th century, hunting was an important part of the safari culture surrounding many expeditions. The Johnsons encountered and hunted African big game while documenting elephants, lions, rhinoceroses, buffalo, and other wildlife with cameras that brought these animals to audiences thousands of miles away.
Osa became particularly famous for challenging the expectations placed on women of her era. Photographs frequently show her in safari clothing and carrying a r***e alongside Martinâa striking image during the 1920s and 1930s.
Over time, their expeditions increasingly emphasized filming and photographing wildlife, leaving behind an enormous visual record of Africa from a very different era of safari and conservation.
From r***es and safari camps to motion-picture cameras and airplanes, Martin and Osa Johnson became enduring figures in the history of big-game hunting and outdoor exploration.
Could you have handled an African safari in the 1920s?
