Victory Park
1201 N. Pershing Ave.
Stockton, CA  95203
(209) 940-6300   
info@hagginmuseum.org

Martin and Osa Johnson pose for a professional publicity photograph in 1932. It was used to advertise the Johnsons' upcoming flying safari.

Filmmakers, photographers, explorers, naturalists and authors, Martin and Osa Johnson made adventure travel their occupation between 1917 and 1937 and left as their legacy an unprecedented record of remote world regions. Their Hollywood features, documentary films, photographs, books, lectures and articles were the first introduction many Americans had to the cultures and wildlife of Africa, Borneo and the South Pacific.

Featuring 70 black and white photo reproductions, two panoramic murals and approximately 20 artifacts, this special exhibition recounts Martin and Osa’s daring world travels. It focuses on the elements that embodied their careers and made their expeditions and legacy possible: how Martin and Osa led the field in early cinema and invented the wildlife documentary genre; the artistry and power of the elegant cultural portraits they captured; their innovations as pioneer aviators; the entrepreneurial use of their status as pop culture heroes and film stars to further their work and the role that adventurous Osa played in redefining traditional gender perceptions.

This promotional lobby card was distributed nationwide in 1937 by 20th Century Fox to promote the release of the Johnsons’ film Borneo.

This exhibition offers stunning images of a world that today exists only in the photographic record the couple left behind. The showing here in Stockton is part of a seven city national tour over a three year period. The tour was developed and managed by Smith Kramer Fine Art Services, an exhibition tour development company in Kansas City, Missouri.

RELATED EVENTS:

• Married to Adventure Family Festival
  Saturday, August 11, 1:30-4:00 p.m.
  Travel with us to the countries visited by Martin and Osa Johnson in their original 1930s adventure. Compare the past with the present – what is different and what has stayed the same? Play traditional games, hear folk tales, make musical instruments, create masks and puppets inspired by the peoples of Africa and Malaysia. Learn about early travel technology and wild animal habitat conservation efforts. Everyone is welcome! This event is free with regular museum admission and no reservations are necessary. For more information contact Curator of Education Lisa Cooperman at (209) 940-6315 or education@hagginmuseum.org.
  
  
• JebeBara: The Drum of Unity
  Thursday, August 16, 6:30 p.m.
  During the extended evening hours on August's 3rd Thursday, Master Djembe Drummer Abdoulaye Diakite and a troupe of traditional drummers and dancers will be sharing rhythms from the Bamana Tribes of West Africa, where the JebeBara has been played for nearly 3,000 years. The performance will take place in front of the museum beginning at 6:30 p.m. Complimentary refreshments will be available inside the museum, where the exhibition will be on display until 9:00 p.m. For more information contact Curator of Education Lisa Cooperman at (209) 940-6315 or education@hagginmuseum.org.
  
  

MUSEUM INFORMATION
The Haggin Museum is located in Stockton's Victory Park, 1201 N. Pershing Ave., and is open Wednesday-Sunday, 1:30-5:00 p.m. and 1st & 3rd Thursdays, 1:30-9:00 p.m. Admission is $5 for adults 18 and up; $2.50 for youth ages 10-17, students with a valid I.D., and seniors 65 and over; and free for museum members and children under 10 accompanied by an adult. Free Admission Saturdays will be held on September 8 and October 6.

Free docent-led tours may be booked in advance by contacting Curator of Educator Lisa Cooperman at (209) 940-6332 or education@hagginmuseum.org. For disabled access, call ahead at (209) 940-6311 or 940-6317.

The Museum Store is open Wednesday-Sunday, 1:30-4:30 p.m. and will feature materials from the The Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum, Chanute, Kansas.