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Martin and Osa Johnson Safari Museum Martin & Osa Johnson Safari Museum Review

Discussion in 'United States' started by Sarus Crane, 5 May 2019.

  1. Sarus Crane

    Sarus Crane Well-Known Member 5+ year member

    Joined:
    23 Apr 2017
    Posts:
    1,081
    Location:
    USA
    I visited the Martin & Osa Johnson Safari Museum at the beginning of March and it was a great experience! Although I had only 2 hrs to visit (long distance road trip) I could've easily stayed the whole day. I first learned about the Johnsons in 2010 and discovered that they had a museum devoted to them in their hometown of Chanute, Kansas. I've watched several of their films and they're still as good as when they were filmed over 70 years ago. I was finally able to visit the museum on March 1st and there's so many great exhibits showcasing the Johnson's exciting life traveling the globe. The museum is in the old railway depot which it shares with the Chanute Public Library. There were multiple mounts of African wildlife but the only ones that belonged to the Johnson's were the Grevy's zebra head in the Johnson Gallery, the lion skin rug and the elephant foot in the main entrance hallway. All other mounts were donations to the museum.

    The museum has a mini theater which plays 2 documentaries about the Johnsons. I didn't watch them because I was too busy taking photos and 360's. I wanted to make a video but decided to just stick with the 360's so I could see all the exhibits and objects later due to the shorter time I was allotted to visit the museum. There are a multitude of masks and artifacts in the Imperato Gallery including a diorama of the Tyi Wara people dancing. The museum also has an extensive research library on the second floor of the museum that researchers can use by appointment. For those wondering how the museum was founded, Osa's mother Isabelle "Belle" Leighty conceived of the museum after Osa's death in 1953 to showcase the achievements of both her daughter and son-in-law. Although its a small museum there's still plenty to see including Osa's zebra heels, wedding dress and the costume she wore while Martin lectured on the vaudeville circuit. You can also see cameras and equipment Martin used while filming their films.

    The museum highlights their life in Africa at Lake Paradise and their filming career in the bush. It even showcases the items they used on safari such as cameras, supplies, etc.... Osa even had her own vegetable garden and had a pet Gibbon. I was able to talk to the museum's curator who was really nice and had so much information on the Johnsons. She even told me where they are buried so I could visit it. If any ZooChatter is in southeast Kansas I HIGHLY recommend a visit to the Martin & Osa Johnson Safari Museum. It's a museum you'll never forget!

    Website
    http://www.safarimuseum.com/

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  2. DavidBrown

    DavidBrown Well-Known Member 15+ year member

    Joined:
    12 Aug 2008
    Posts:
    4,867
    Location:
    California, USA
    It sounds like an interesting place. Thanks for the review.
     
    Sarus Crane and StoppableSan like this.