Richard and Cherry Kearton facts for kids
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Richard Kearton (born January 2, 1862 – died February 8, 1928) and Cherry Kearton (born July 8, 1871 – died September 27, 1940) were brothers from England. They were among the very first people in the world to take pictures of wild animals in their natural homes. They came up with new ways to photograph animals without disturbing them.
In 1895, they published the first nature book that was completely filled with photos of wild animals. Richard became a member of important groups like the Zoological Society of London and the Royal Photographic Society. Cherry later became famous for making films about wildlife and news. He was even friends with Theodore Roosevelt, a former US President. There's an award named after Cherry Kearton by the Royal Geographical Society to honor his work.
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About the Kearton Brothers
Richard and Cherry were born in a small village called Thwaite in Yorkshire, England. Their father was a farmer. Richard worked as a farmer too until 1882. Later, he managed a department at a publishing company called Cassell & Co.
Cherry Kearton married Mary Burwood Coates and had two children. Later, he married Ada Forrest, a singer from South Africa. He passed away in 1940.
Pioneering Wildlife Photography
Cherry Kearton was especially good at taking pictures of animals. In 1892, he took the very first photo of a bird's nest with eggs inside. This was a big deal!
In the summer of 1896, Cherry and Richard traveled to remote islands, including St Kilda. They explored many wild places to find animals to photograph. In 1898, they released their famous book, With Nature and a Camera. It had 160 amazing photographs.
Cherry Kearton's photos were used in 17 of Richard's books. Cherry also wrote and illustrated 17 of his own books. He made the first sound recording of birds singing in the wild in 1900. He also took the first film of London from the air in 1908. In 1914, he filmed the first war footage during World War I.
The Kearton brothers are well-known for inventing special ways to hide while taking pictures. They made hollow fake animals, like a hollow ox in 1900 and a stuffed sheep in 1901. These hides helped them get very close to wild animals without scaring them away.
Making Wildlife Films
Between 1905 and 1908, Cherry and Richard Kearton filmed many short videos of birds and animals. From 1909, Cherry started making longer wildlife documentaries. He traveled to places like Africa, India, Borneo, and Australia to film animals.
He directed more than 30 films for his companies. Some of his films include:
- A Primitive Man's Career to Civilization (1911)
- Roosevelt in Africa (1910)
- Lassoing Wild Animals in Africa (1910)
- Wild Life Across the World (1923)
- With Cherry Kearton in the Jungle (1927)
At first, Cherry used a large, heavy camera called a Kinemascope. But around 1911, he switched to a lighter camera called an Aeroscope. This new camera was easier to hold and use with one hand. It helped him get much better shots of moving wildlife.
Books by the Keartons
The Kearton brothers wrote many books about nature and wildlife photography. Their books often included their own amazing photographs. These books helped people learn more about animals and how to observe them in the wild. Some of their notable works include With Nature and a Camera, Wild Life at Home, and The Fairyland of Living Things. Cherry Kearton also wrote books about his adventures and animal friends, such as My friend Toto and In the land of the lion.
