Great Bend Public Library will host “Married to Adventure: Osa and Martin Johnson’s Films,” a presentation and discussion by Mary Ann Thompson at 1 p.m. on July 13 at the Great Bend Public Library on 1409 Williams St. Members of the community are invited to attend the free program. 

Contact the Great Bend Public Library at (620) 792-2409 for more information. The program is made possible by Humanities Kansas.

Pioneers in the early history of documentary filmmaking, Kansans Osa and Martin Johnson traveled the world filming people and wildlife in 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 ground breaking 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.

For more information about “Married to Adventure: Osa and Martin Johnson’s Films” in Great Bend contact the Great Bend Public Library at (620) 792-2409 or visit greatbendpl.info.