Film Pays Tribute To Louis Leakey
'For time beyond mea
sure the vast land we call
Africa has concealed the
answers to mankind's etern
ally tantalizing question:
Where did I come from?' "
With this narration by E.
G. Marshall, the Public
Broadcasting Service on
Monday evening, Jan. 9,
opens a sensitive, filmed
tribute to one man who
spent a lifetime of arduous
research attempting to
unlock that riddle.
"The Legacy of L.S.B.
Leakey," a one-hour televi
sion special, relates the
career of the African-born
scientist whose work in
Tanzania's Olduvai Gorgfe
proved that early man had
been on earth far longer
than previously believed.
A 'Kikuyu Tribesman'
The film, produced by the
National Geographic So
ciety and PBS station
WQED-Pittsburgh with a
grant from Gulf Oil Corp
oration, uses historic foot
age, still photos, and
interviews with colleagues
of the late Dr. Leakey to tell
his story from his boyhood
among Kikuyu tribesmen to
his death in 1972 at the age of
69.
Louis Leakey, the son of
missionaries, was born in a
mud-walled hut in what is
now Kenya. From his
Kikuyu playmates he learn
ed to throw a spear through
a rolling hoop, and skills
that proved more import
ant: infinite patience and
the ability to spot the
slightest disturbance of the
ground, a blade of grass, or
a bush.
At 13, Leakey was
initiated into the tribe as
Wakaruigi, "Son of the
Sparrow Hawk." He always
thought of himself as an
East African rather than an
Englishman, and the Kiku
yu chief, Koinange, called
him "the black man with a
white face."
Dr. Leakey later compiled
a three-volume history of
the people he referred to as
"my tribe." An anthropolog
ist, paleontologist, ornitho
logist, zoologist, author,
translator, historian and
handwriting expert who
once worked as a detective
and another time served as
a British intelligence agent,
he has been called the
counterpart of the Renais
sance's "Universal man."
But his fame rests on his
achievements in paleonto
logy, the science in which
life in prehistoric times is
studied through the evi
dence of fossilized remains.
Findings Changed
Textbooks
Fossils unearthed at
Olduvai by Dr. Leakey and
his wife, Mary, showed that
early man had lived at least
two million years ago,
instead of the half a million
formerly believed.
This, and his discovery
that there was no single
"missing link," but that two
or more species of primitive
man or man-like creatures
lived at the same period,
forced anthropology texts to
be rewritten.
The idea that Africa might
be the cradle of mankind
had been proposed by
Darwin late in the 19th
century, but was ignored.
When Dr. Leakey was
completing his studies at
Cambridge in 1926 and
planned to return to Africa
to search for early man, his
professors assured him he
would be. wasting his time.
He persisted, however,
and in time was proven
right. As a former colleague
observes in the film: "Louis
made fantastic contribu
tions....He made sense
where there was none
before."
On the Trail of Primitive Man
\KBI( \-B()BN |>«il«.'€>iiti)l<>ui>t Louts S. B. Leakey spent a
lifetime searching lor clues to the dev elopment of carlv mkiii.
From objects such as the millinn-v ear-old elephant tooth cra
dled in his hat and the broken molar ot an extinct tusked mam
mal in his other hand. Dr. Leakev reconstructed the cnviron
men t in which prim it i \ e man li \ ed. Skulls ami other liissils lic
ind hts wife Xtliry unearthed at Olduvai Gorge in Tanzania
proved that earls man had been on earth at least lour times
longer than previously believed. The Leakeys' discoveries
show ed there w ere not one. but two or more kinds ot iiian-like
creatures that coexisted two million years ajjo. When Masai
herds disturbed the archeological site at Olduvai. Dr. Leakey
met w ith the tribal elders and persuaded them to move their
cattle elsew here. "The Legacv ot'L.S.B. Leakev.' a one-hour
tribute to the late scientist, will be televised bv the Public
Broadcasting Service Moiidav. Jan. 9. The program was pro
duced bv the National Geographic Societv and PBS station
WyF.D/Pittxburgh. with a grant from Cull Oil Corporation.
I 1
Shoes Important
If economy is important,
economize with other cloth
ing items. Or, select a
quality pair of shoes rather
than two pairs of lower
quality, says Ms. Cutright.
When your child has two
pairs of shoes at a time,
sneakers are a fine choice
for the second pair. How
ever. because rubber soles
are not porous, wear clean
absorbent socks with them.
Wash sneakers frequently to
eliminate bacterial growth.
When temperatures are
warm enough and there is
no danger of injuring the
foot, going barefoot is fine,
says Ms. Cutright. Normal
growth of bones, muscles
and the arch will still occur.
Santa Remembers Southpaws
Many designers are cre
ating accessories and tools
for left handed people. In
creasingly aware of the
problems southpaws en
counter daily in a right
handed world, they've come
up with some special, new
items. Keep these in mind
for gifts ... your left hand
ed friends will love you!
Books are available for
"lefties" who want to learn
to knit, play the guitar or
become adept at calligra
phy. There's even a book
just about southpaws!
You'll find special scissors,
left handed Jar and can
openers, pocket knives, ad
dress books and brushes
for pet grooming, too!
Top left: Decorated wooden sled pencil-box; 1910-1920. Bottom left: "Daisy" in her
musical horse drawn sleigh; American, about 1880-1910. Right: Cast iron Santa Claus
bank; American 1880-1920. From the collection of Mr. and Mrs. Irv Balirt.
A very personal collection
of treasured Christmas toys
All year round Norma
and Irv Bahrt enjoy their
Christmas things, toys and
decorations reminiscent of
holidays past, all gathered
patiently and lovingly.
Mrs. Bahrt, an enor
mously talented painter,
began collecting Christ
mas mementos as a girl.
Mr. Bahrt joined her in
her never ending search
when they were married.
In their large assort
ment of Yule treasures is
a tiny sled, originally used
as a pencil box. A Christ
mas scene is painted on it,
the soft colors muted with
age. Another find Is a little
girl called Daisy who
speeds along in a horse
drawn sleigh, the sleigh
making music as it moves;
bells ring gaily every time
the wheels turn.
A cast Iron Santa Claus
bank, six inches high, still
works Put a penny Into
Santa's hand, push a lever
and Santa drops the pen
ny Into the chimney for
safe keeping. One of the
Bahrt's special ornaments
is a figure about 14 Inches
high that is probably
Father Frost or Father
Christmas. He has a touch
of red on his peaked hat,
a full, white beard, high
black boots, arms folded
and hands tucked into the
sleeves of his tunic Jacket.
On Christmas day he will
grace the Bahrt's dinner
table, as he has for many
years.
Mrs. Bahrt enjoys col
lecting her Christmas
things because of their
old style and flavor. She
says "I love the faded
colors, quaint scenes and
fashions because they tell
how people lived long ago."
Mr. Bahrt tells about
having thrown out a set
of old quintuplet dolls that
Mrs. Bahrt owned when
they were first married,
some twenty-five years
ago. About three years ago
he finally was able to lo
cate another set of quin
tuplets for which he had
to pay $600 . . . consider
ably more than the origi
nal dolls cost!
The Bahrts never have
too much of Christmas
and they keep their lovely
things where they can see
and enjoy them every day,
winter and summer.
A unique gift
for your home
Make a shadow box pic
ture for your house from
those extra special Christ
mas cards that you hate to
throw away and left-over
ties, stickers and labels.
Combine them with snap
shots of the family and glue
onto cardboard. Pick up a
shadow box frame at an art
supply or frame shop, put
your picture in. and it's
ready to hang! A real con
versation piece!
Legend of the Sand Dollar
These strange and beau
tiful shells tell the story of
Christ's suffering and His
glory. The Easter Lily shape
at the center of the sand
dollar represents the Star
of Bethlehem which guided
the shepherds from afar.
The five holes represent the
five wounds of Christ. On
the back the Christmas
Polnsettia, in outline, re
minds us all of His birthday.
Five Doves of Peace and
Good Will appear when the
shell is broken apart. This
fascinating creature from
the sea is referred to as The
Holy Ghost Shell because of
the legend attached to it.