Explorers of the World 1931

[bigshot]

I finally got around to screening this last night. It's fascinating! I have similar sorts of early documentaries (mostly films on American Indians and Eskimos) but this one really stands out. The format is like a lecture with a panel of great explorers taking turns talking about their travels. It covers the entire world from pole to pole. I was particularly interested in the sections on Africa, Bali and Tibet. Amazing footage of things that probably don't exist any more. Those who are sensitive to hunting animals will probably want to skip this film because several of the explorers were associated with Natural History museums and they were collecting specimens for taxidermy. Lots of dead animals on display here. But the footage is spectacular and rare.

The image and sound quality is variable but it's quite clear and only hard to make out in a couple of short spots. Overall, it's a great presentation. If you have any interest at all in natural history and exploring strange parts of the globe, you will want to check this one out.