Page 13 - Black Range Naturalist - Oct 2021

From the 1930s to 1960s, two of the most famous were Dana and Ginger Lamb. They traveled extensively, but that was not the hook. It was the nature of the travel which drew the crowds. For example, shortly after marrying in 1933 they set off from Southern California to New York City via the Panama Canal (not via Cape Horn as indicated to the right) - in a homebuilt 16-foot canoe. This trip was the basis for Enchanted Vagabonds (1938) which established them as major authors and actors on the lecture circuit. Many more adventures followed.
Those adventures were the subject of books, lecture tours, and movies. Their business model was completely integrated. For instance, their book Quest for the Lost City was the basis of a movie distributed by RKO in 1954. They sometimes hosted the presentation of the movie (see notice below). They took many notes and photographs and shot thousands of feet of 16mm film during their adventures, all fodder for their presentations, books, and films. The collection of their materials is maintained by the Sherman Library in Corona del Mar, California.
The Lambs were on speaking terms with both President and Mrs. Franklin D. Roosevelt as well as FBI Director J. Edgar Hoover. During the Second World War they collected intelligence on Axis activities in Mexico for the FBI.
The connection goes well beyond the fact that they were travel presenters on the travel circuit at the same time that Finley was. In 1962, the Lambs moved to Hillsboro, on the east slope of the Black Range. (At least one of those 16mm film spools in the Sherman collection is of Lake Valley on the southeast edge of the Black Range, from 1963.)
Although they lived in Hillsboro until their deaths (Ginger in 1967 and Dana in 1979) they still continued their travels and continued to report on their exploits.
On June 11, 1979, Dana fell off the high curb shown above right, across the street from his home in Hillsboro. He hit his head and died.
The connections are myriad. Getting back to the Finley saga, Arthur Pack,
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