Married to Adventure: Osa and Martin Johnson's Films

WPL will host "Married to Adventure: Osa and Martin Johnson's Films," a presentation and discussion by Humanities Kansas speaker Mary Ann Thompson on Sunday, July 21 at 2:00pm at the Winfield Public Library.

Pioneers in the early history of documentary filmmaking, Kansans Osa and Martin Johnson traveled the world filming people and wildlife in the early 20th century. Their prolific career took them from the South Seas to Africa, and they shared their adventures across the nation in films, books, and presentations. While considered groundbreaking in their day, nowadays their work can be viewed as exploitative. This presentation will delve into their successes in early filmmaking and revisit their vision for their work against today's differing standards.

Mary Ann Thompson is the retired Kansas Room librarian at the Hays Public Library and an instructor at Fort Hays State University.

"Married to Adventure:  Osa and Martin Johnson's Films" is part of Humanities Kansas's Speakers Bureau, featuring humanities-based presentations designed to share stories that inspire, spark conversations that inform, and generate insights that strengthen civic engagement.

This program is part of WPL's adult "Adventure begins at your library" summer programming. By signing in at the event, adults will be entered into a prize drawing for a chance to win a prize at the end of the summer. For details about summer programming, visit wpl.org.