Africa's Big Five and Other Wildlife Filmmakers: A Centenary of Wildlife Filming in Kenya

Appendix

118 Africa’s Big Five and other Wildlife Filmmakers Appendix Chronology of Wildlife Filmmaking in East Africa This list is by no means complete, but I include it for interest and so that there is a basis upon which other people can expand. While I have tried to stick to films made in Kenya, I have also included films made in East Africa generally because they were made by people mentioned in the text. All of my ‘big five’ worked in areas other than Kenya, and Viewfinders also handled projects in neighbouring countries in the early years. The old films such as Africa Speaks and Trader Horn covered Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, and what was then the Congo, when the borders were not where they are today, if there were any at all. I have included a number of feature films, because they included animals – many of them tame, and provided by my uncle-in-law, Tom Carr Hartley. Compiling this list has not been easy. The Kenya National Archives do not have a list of films in their possession, nor any comprehensive records of films that have been made. The Ministry of Information’s Film Department can only give me inaccurate records from the year 2003 – previous records appear to have been destroyed. I have therefore had to rely on the memories of friends, family, local historians, stills photographers, professional hunters and safari guides, conservationists, journalists, vets, animal trainers, my own film archive, and of course the filmmakers themselves. Kearton, the Johnsons, Hoefler, the Denises and others wrote books about their experiences, and there are a number of biographies on some of the key people – these are all listed in the bibliography. I have been in email contact Africa’s Big Five and other Wildlife Filmmakers 119 with people all over the globe and am very grateful to them for sharing their memories and their knowledge. Any misinterpretations or inaccuracies are my own. Date Date Date Date Date Details Details Details Details Details 1863 First photo of an African animal (dead), on a dry glass plate, by Prof. Fritsch 1871 Cherry Kearton born 1888 Monsieur Coillard had filming equipment when hunting with F. Selous 1890 Edward North Buxton started to photograph as alternative to hunting 1896 Unnamed photographer with 3rd Baron Delamere’s expedition to East Africa 1900 Harry Johnston considered photography to be the sportsmanship of the future: ‘If I had my way I would present a telephoto camera instead of a rifle to the US President.’ 1900 Pop Binks arrived in Kenya 1903 First professional photographic safari, C.G. Schillings (Flashlights in the Jungle book) 1904 Newland & Tarlton formed 1905 William Young set up photo studio in Nairobi 905 HK (Pop) Binks set up photo studio in Nairobi ((business burned in 1945/6) 1906 Charles J. Jones: Lion Hunt 1907 Dr Ad David from Switzerland. Safari along the Dinder river in Ethiopia – claimed to be first moving pictures shot in Africa. 1907 Mary Hall became the first woman to repeat Ewart Grogan’s trek from Cape to Cairo 1907 Winston Churchill at Soysambu with Delamere (pig sticking) 1909 Cherry Kearton’s first African safari to Kenya, with James L. Clark of the American Museum of Natural History. In August, filmed Theodore Roosevelt in Nyeri TR in Africa 1909 Colliers’ Weekly magazine expedition? 1909 W.D. Boyce ‘balloonograph’ expedition with cameraman George Lawrence. Not a success. 1909 Native Lion Hunt, Cherry Kearton 1910 C.G. Schillings book Camera Adventures in the African Wilds with Dugmore and Clark 1910 Dr David filmed elephant hunts by the Shilluk, Dinka and Bari people along the White Nile 1910 Kearton also films Carl Hagenbeck collecting safari (Boma Trading Co) 1910 Carl Akeley hires some Nandi to stage a lion spearing ritual. Over 3 weeks, 14 lions and 5 leopards killed for him to get the footage. But his Urban bioscope camera inadequate, and footage never publicly screened. He started designing the Akeley camera. 120 Africa’s Big Five and other Wildlife Filmmakers 1910 Kearton’s film Roosevelt in Africa opens in New York 1910 Lassooing Wild Animals in Africa aka The last of the Plainsmen. Assist. Camera William David Gobbett 1911 Cherry Kearton returns to Kenya and meets Buffalo Jones 1911 Cherry Kearton A Primitive Man’s Career to Civilisation 1911 Paul Rainey filmed in Laisamis with Pop Binks, John Hemment and Carl Akeley + ? Lydford. The Waterhole, first major film. 1911...