Description
A fascinating, firsthand 1949 Africa travel narrative preserved as a 38-page run of typed “travel letters” dated July 7, 1949 to August 29, 1949, kept in a vintage Larco Line loose-leaf binder stamped “Human Events.” This reads like an adventurous private circular letter-smart, funny, and historically rich-covering travel through colonial-era Central/East Africa and onward to South Africa, with sharp observations and memorable episodes.
Highlights and notable content:
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Complete 38-page, no-duplicate sequence of typed entries/letters (7/7/49-8/29/49)
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Belgian Congo-era route and place references including Stanleyville, Lake Kivu, and the Ituri “pygmy country”
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Direct mention of Putnam’s Camp (a classic Ituri/forest traveler waypoint) and plans for the “pygmy country”
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Mentions a guide named Jim Cairns for part of the journey
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International travel details including Pan American Flight No. 101 and the anticipation of seeing the New York skyline
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References to an “old Princeton friend,” Levi P. Smith Jr., connected to U.S. consular help in the Congo
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Includes colorful, period humor and commentary (including Winston Churchill and witty running jokes such as “The Sultan of 79th Street”)
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A standout line invents “Schaefer’s Soapy Holy Water…”-a strong internal clue to the writers’ surname or in-joke identity
Condition / format:
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Typed pages, compiled in a vintage loose-leaf binder
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Normal age/handling wear may be present to the binder and pages consistent with mid-century paper archives
This is the kind of one-off primary-source travel archive that appeals to collectors of Africana, Congo/Uganda colonial-era history, Pan Am/aviation ephemera, and mid-century American travel writing. Please be sure to view all photos.
