Skip to main content

Search

My Visit
Donate
Home Smithsonian Institution

Site Navigation

  • Visit
    • Museums and Zoo
    • Entry and Guidelines
    • Maps and Brochures
    • Dine and Shop
    • Accessibility
    • Visiting with Kids
    • Group Visits
      • Group Sales
  • What's On
    • Exhibitions
      • Current
      • Upcoming
      • Past
    • Online Events
    • All Events
    • IMAX & Planetarium
  • Explore
    • - Art & Design
    • - History & Culture
    • - Science & Nature
    • - Innovation & Tech
    • Collections
      • Open Access
      • Snapshot
    • Research Resources
      • Libraries
      • Archives
        • Smithsonian Institution Archives
        • Air and Space Museum
        • Anacostia Community Museum
        • American Art Museum
        • Archives of American Art
        • Archives of American Gardens
        • American History Museum
        • American Indian Museum
        • Asian Art Museum Archives
        • Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives, African Art
        • Hirshhorn Archive
        • National Anthropological Archives
        • National Portrait Gallery
        • Ralph Rinzler Archives, Folklife
        • Libraries' Special Collections
    • Podcasts
    • Stories
  • Learn
    • For Caregivers
    • For Educators
      • Art & Design Resources
      • Science & Nature Resources
      • Social Studies & Civics Resources
      • STEAM Learning Resources
      • Professional Development
      • Events for Educators
      • Field Trips
    • For Students
    • For Academics
    • For Lifelong Learners
  • Support Us
    • Become a Member
    • Renew Membership
    • Make a Gift
    • Volunteer
      • Smithsonian Call Center
      • Ambassador Program
      • Museum Information Desk
      • Docent Programs
      • Behind-the-Scenes
      • Digital Volunteers
      • Participatory Science
  • About
    • Our Organization
      • Board of Regents
        • Members
        • Committees
        • Reading Room
        • Bylaws, Policies and Procedures
        • Schedules and Agendas
        • Meeting Minutes
        • Actions
        • Webcasts
        • Contact
      • Museums and Zoo
      • Research Centers
      • Cultural Centers
      • Education Centers
      • General Counsel
        • Legal History
        • Internships
        • Records Requests
          • Reading Room
        • Tort Claim
        • Subpoenas & Testimonies
        • Events
      • Office of Human Resources
        • Employee Benefits
        • How to Apply
        • Job Opportunities
        • Job Seekers with Disabilities
        • Frequently Asked Questions
        • SI Civil Program
        • Contact Us
      • Office of Equal Opportunity
        • EEO Complaint Process
        • Individuals with Disabilities
        • Small Business Program
          • Doing Business with Us
          • Contracting Opportunities
          • Additional Resources
        • Special Emphasis Programs
      • Sponsored Projects
        • Policies
          • Combating Trafficking in Persons
          • Animal Care and Use
          • Human Research
        • Reports
        • Internships
    • Our Leadership
    • Reports and Plans
      • Annual Reports
      • Metrics Dashboard
        • Dashboard Home
        • Virtual Smithsonian
        • Public Engagement
        • National Collections
        • Research
        • People & Operations
      • Strategic Plan
    • Newsdesk
      • News Releases
      • Media Contacts
      • Photos and Video
      • Media Kits
      • Fact Sheets
      • Visitor Stats
      • Secretary and Admin Bios
      • Filming Requests

Savage Splendor

National Museum of Natural History

Object Details

Local Number
HSFA 1985.11.1
Collection Creator
Cotlow, Lewis, 1898-1987
See more items in
Lewis Cotlow films
Sponsor
Cataloging supported by Smithsonian Institution Women's Committee.
Extent
Film reels (63 minutes, color sound; 2750 feet, 16mm)
Date
1946-1947
Archival Repository
Human Studies Film Archives
Type
Archival materials
Film reels
Collection Rights
Contact the repository for terms of use.
Scope and Contents
Edited film was made in the course of the Armand Denis-Lewis Cotlow African expedition in 1946 and purports to be the first color footage shot in Africa. Following the adventures of a big game safari while on a photographic and animal catching mission through the Belgian Congo (Zaire) and Kenya, the film creates a panorama of the people, wildlife, and landscapes of central Africa. Indigenous peoples depicted include the Basongo-Meno, Mbuti Pygmies of the Ituri forest, Enya (Wagenia), Fulani, Dan, Baule, Kuba, Mangbetu, Tutsi, and Masai. Encounters between the hunting party and various groups of people along the route are filmic reenactments and fabrications, replete with indigenous "celebrations," dances, rituals, and hunting scenes. The filmmakers join up with big game hunter Carr Hartley at his animal stockade in Rumuruti, Kenya to film the capture of a variety of animals destined for zoos around the world. Animals depicted in the film include elephants, lions, buffalo, hippopotami, giraffe, oryx, ostrich, antelope, aardvark, grebe zebra, rhinoceros, pelicans, and vultures. Legacy Keywords: Language and culture ; Expeditions ; Safaris ; Big game hunting ; Landscapes ; Zoology ; Denis, Armand ; RKO Pictures
Collection Restrictions
The collection is open for research. Please contact the archives for information on availability of access copies of audiovisual recordings. Original audiovisual material in the Human Studies Film Archives may not be played.
Related link
Record ID
ebl-1633111215902-1633111215914-0
Metadata Usage
CC0
GUID
https://n2t.net/ark:/65665/pc996b30304-d7ee-45b4-bbfd-052cb2fecdb5

Related Content

  • Online Finding AidLewis Cotlow films

Footer logo

Link to homepage

Footer navigation

  • Contact Us
  • Job Opportunities
  • Get Involved
  • Inspector General
  • Records Requests
  • Accessibility
  • EEO & Small Business
  • Shop Online
  • Host Your Event
  • Press Room
  • Privacy
  • Terms of Use

Social media links

  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • YouTube
  • LinkedIn

Get the latest news from the Smithsonian

Sign up for Smithsonian e-news

Get the latest news from the Smithsonian

Email powered by BlackBaud (Privacy Policy, Terms of Use)
CAPTCHA
This question is for testing whether or not you are a human visitor and to prevent automated spam submissions.
Back to Top