Hugo van Lawick
Encyclopedia
Hugo Arndt Rodolf, Baron van Lawick (10 April 1937–2 June 2002), known as Hugo van Lawick, was a Dutch
wildlife
filmmaker and photographer.
Through his still photographs and films, van Lawick helped popularize the study of chimpanzees during his then-wife Jane Goodall
's studies at Gombe Stream National Park during the 1960s and 1970s. His films drew the attention of the viewing public to the dramatic life cycles of several wild animals of the Serengeti
, such as wild dogs
, elephants, and lions.
, Indonesia
, the son of Baron Hugo Anne Victor Raoul van Lawick (11 August 1909–17 June 1941) and the former Isabella Sophia van Ittersum (11 February 1913–30 December 1977). His father was a pilot
with the Dutch fleet, and upon his death while in service the Baroness moved Hugo and his brother first to Australia
, then to England
, where they lived successively, in London
, Hull
, and Devon
. In the latter, Hugo was enrolled in boarding school, where he remained after his mother and brother moved to The Netherlands shortly after the end of World War II. In 1947, he joined them in Amersfoort
.
to pursue his passion of photographing and taking footage of wild animals, finding employment as a cameraman for a filmmaking couple. After a film he produced as the background to a lecture given by Louis Leakey
was seen by a staff member at National Geographic, he was given a retainer for future work for the magazine.
Upon the recommendation of Leakey, Hugo began photographing and filming chimpanzees of the Kasakela chimpanzee community
at Gombe Stream National Park in August 1962. It was at Gombe that he met Jane Goodall
, Leakey's protégé, who had since July 1960 been stationed in the park researching chimpanzees. As it happened, he teamed up with her not only to make films about the chimps, but in marriage as well. The two were wed on 28 March 1964 in Chelsea Old Church
, London. They lived in Tanzania
for many years, both at Gombe and elsewhere on other research projects, and were joined in 1967 by their son, Hugo Eric Louis, affectionately known as "Grub". Hugo and Jane were divorced in 1974, although they maintained the friendship on which their relationship had originally been founded. On 23 March 1978, in Banjul
, Gambia, Hugo married Theresa Rice. They were divorced 19 January 1984.
Through Hugo's film People of the Forest the world came to know members of Gombe's "F" family, namely Flo, Fifi, and Flint, in addition to a number of their other immediate relations. By the time he stopped filming at Gombe, he had created a visual record spanning over twenty years and documenting the lives of three generations of chimpanzees. Hugo made a number of wildlife documentaries for television, but also made several films for theatrical release on 35 mm film
, such as The Leopard Son and Serengeti Symphony, both produced by Nature Conservation Films WW. Besides making films himself, Hugo was an important influence and mentor to a younger generation of wildlife filmmakers. His tented camp, Ndutu, in the Serengeti
, became through his guidance a breeding ground for new wildlife filmmakers.
and enjoyed complete access. Van Lawick can be seen as the writer of East Africa’s natural history, who recorded on film the diversity of natural resources that may never be seen again, through the eyes of an artist and with the accumulated knowledge, patience and precision of a scientist. In his films the animals tell their own story. The grace and perception of his extraordinary films have given him no less than eight Emmy Award
s and numerous other prizes. Van Lawick was exceptionally dedicated to his work as a cameraman. Filming was his life. He expected the same attitude of all his crew members. He always worked according to the same principle: strongly emphasize the individual character of each animal, rather than just show a representative of a particular species.
. He left Ndutu to live with his son, "Grub" in Dar es Salaam
, Tanzania
, where he died at the age of 65. On 7 June, during a ceremony attended by family, friends, staff and government officials, Hugo was buried at the place his tent had stood for over 30 years in his camp in the Serengeti
.
Hugo van Lawick won eight Emmy awards for his films, and was appointed Officer in the Order of the Golden Ark
in 1992 by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, the founder of the WWF
.
Netherlands
The Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
wildlife
Wildlife
Wildlife includes all non-domesticated plants, animals and other organisms. Domesticating wild plant and animal species for human benefit has occurred many times all over the planet, and has a major impact on the environment, both positive and negative....
filmmaker and photographer.
Through his still photographs and films, van Lawick helped popularize the study of chimpanzees during his then-wife Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall
Dame Jane Morris Goodall, DBE , is a British primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace. Considered to be the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best known for her 45-year study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National...
's studies at Gombe Stream National Park during the 1960s and 1970s. His films drew the attention of the viewing public to the dramatic life cycles of several wild animals of the Serengeti
Serengeti
The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa. It is located in north Tanzania and extends to south-western Kenya between latitudes 1 and 3 S and longitudes 34 and 36 E. It spans some ....
, such as wild dogs
African Wild Dog
Lycaon pictus is a large canid found only in Africa, especially in savannas and lightly wooded areas. It is variously called the African wild dog, African hunting dog, Cape hunting dog, painted dog, painted wolf, painted hunting dog, spotted dog, or ornate wolf...
, elephants, and lions.
Early life
He was born in SurabayaSurabaya
Surabaya is Indonesia's second-largest city with a population of over 2.7 million , and the capital of the province of East Java...
, Indonesia
Indonesia
Indonesia , officially the Republic of Indonesia , is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania. Indonesia is an archipelago comprising approximately 13,000 islands. It has 33 provinces with over 238 million people, and is the world's fourth most populous country. Indonesia is a republic, with an...
, the son of Baron Hugo Anne Victor Raoul van Lawick (11 August 1909–17 June 1941) and the former Isabella Sophia van Ittersum (11 February 1913–30 December 1977). His father was a pilot
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
with the Dutch fleet, and upon his death while in service the Baroness moved Hugo and his brother first to Australia
Australia
Australia , officially the Commonwealth of Australia, is a country in the Southern Hemisphere comprising the mainland of the Australian continent, the island of Tasmania, and numerous smaller islands in the Indian and Pacific Oceans. It is the world's sixth-largest country by total area...
, then to England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, where they lived successively, in London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
, Hull
Kingston upon Hull
Kingston upon Hull , usually referred to as Hull, is a city and unitary authority area in the ceremonial county of the East Riding of Yorkshire, England. It stands on the River Hull at its junction with the Humber estuary, 25 miles inland from the North Sea. Hull has a resident population of...
, and Devon
Devon
Devon is a large county in southwestern England. The county is sometimes referred to as Devonshire, although the term is rarely used inside the county itself as the county has never been officially "shired", it often indicates a traditional or historical context.The county shares borders with...
. In the latter, Hugo was enrolled in boarding school, where he remained after his mother and brother moved to The Netherlands shortly after the end of World War II. In 1947, he joined them in Amersfoort
Amersfoort
Amersfoort is a municipality and the second largest city of the province of Utrecht in central Netherlands. The city is growing quickly but has a well-preserved and protected medieval centre. Amersfoort is one of the largest railway junctions in the country, because of its location on two of the...
.
Photographer
In November 1959, Hugo went to AfricaAfrica
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
to pursue his passion of photographing and taking footage of wild animals, finding employment as a cameraman for a filmmaking couple. After a film he produced as the background to a lecture given by Louis Leakey
Louis Leakey
Louis Seymour Bazett Leakey was a British archaeologist and naturalist whose work was important in establishing human evolutionary development in Africa. He also played a major role in creating organizations for future research in Africa and for protecting wildlife there...
was seen by a staff member at National Geographic, he was given a retainer for future work for the magazine.
Upon the recommendation of Leakey, Hugo began photographing and filming chimpanzees of the Kasakela chimpanzee community
Kasakela chimpanzee community
The Kasakela chimpanzee community is an inhabited community of wild Eastern chimpanzees that livesin Gombe National Park near Lake Tanganyika in Tanzania. The community was the subject of Dr. Jane Goodall's pioneering study that began in 1960, and studies have continued ever since...
at Gombe Stream National Park in August 1962. It was at Gombe that he met Jane Goodall
Jane Goodall
Dame Jane Morris Goodall, DBE , is a British primatologist, ethologist, anthropologist, and UN Messenger of Peace. Considered to be the world's foremost expert on chimpanzees, Goodall is best known for her 45-year study of social and family interactions of wild chimpanzees in Gombe Stream National...
, Leakey's protégé, who had since July 1960 been stationed in the park researching chimpanzees. As it happened, he teamed up with her not only to make films about the chimps, but in marriage as well. The two were wed on 28 March 1964 in Chelsea Old Church
Chelsea Old Church
Chelsea Old Church is on the north bank of the River Thames near Albert Bridge in Chelsea, London, England. It is the church for a parish in the Diocese of London, part of the Church of England. It is located on the corner of Old Church Street and Cheyne Walk. Inside, there is seating for 400...
, London. They lived in Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
for many years, both at Gombe and elsewhere on other research projects, and were joined in 1967 by their son, Hugo Eric Louis, affectionately known as "Grub". Hugo and Jane were divorced in 1974, although they maintained the friendship on which their relationship had originally been founded. On 23 March 1978, in Banjul
Banjul
-Transport:Ferries sail from Banjul to Barra. The city is served by the Banjul International Airport. Banjul is on the Trans–West African Coastal Highway connecting it to Dakar and Bissau, and will eventually provide a paved highway link to 11 other nations of ECOWAS.Banjul International Airport...
, Gambia, Hugo married Theresa Rice. They were divorced 19 January 1984.
Through Hugo's film People of the Forest the world came to know members of Gombe's "F" family, namely Flo, Fifi, and Flint, in addition to a number of their other immediate relations. By the time he stopped filming at Gombe, he had created a visual record spanning over twenty years and documenting the lives of three generations of chimpanzees. Hugo made a number of wildlife documentaries for television, but also made several films for theatrical release on 35 mm film
35 mm film
35 mm film is the film gauge most commonly used for chemical still photography and motion pictures. The name of the gauge refers to the width of the photographic film, which consists of strips 35 millimeters in width...
, such as The Leopard Son and Serengeti Symphony, both produced by Nature Conservation Films WW. Besides making films himself, Hugo was an important influence and mentor to a younger generation of wildlife filmmakers. His tented camp, Ndutu, in the Serengeti
Serengeti
The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa. It is located in north Tanzania and extends to south-western Kenya between latitudes 1 and 3 S and longitudes 34 and 36 E. It spans some ....
, became through his guidance a breeding ground for new wildlife filmmakers.
Conservationist
Hugo van Lawick was the founder of Nature Conservation Films WW. For more than 30 years he lived and worked close to the grass of the African plains. He was part of the conservation structure of TanzaniaTanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
and enjoyed complete access. Van Lawick can be seen as the writer of East Africa’s natural history, who recorded on film the diversity of natural resources that may never be seen again, through the eyes of an artist and with the accumulated knowledge, patience and precision of a scientist. In his films the animals tell their own story. The grace and perception of his extraordinary films have given him no less than eight Emmy Award
Emmy Award
An Emmy Award, often referred to simply as the Emmy, is a television production award, similar in nature to the Peabody Awards but more focused on entertainment, and is considered the television equivalent to the Academy Awards and the Grammy Awards .A majority of Emmys are presented in various...
s and numerous other prizes. Van Lawick was exceptionally dedicated to his work as a cameraman. Filming was his life. He expected the same attitude of all his crew members. He always worked according to the same principle: strongly emphasize the individual character of each animal, rather than just show a representative of a particular species.
Death and honors
In 1998, Hugo was forced to retire due to emphysemaEmphysema
Emphysema is a long-term, progressive disease of the lungs that primarily causes shortness of breath. In people with emphysema, the tissues necessary to support the physical shape and function of the lungs are destroyed. It is included in a group of diseases called chronic obstructive pulmonary...
. He left Ndutu to live with his son, "Grub" in Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam
Dar es Salaam , formerly Mzizima, is the largest city in Tanzania. It is also the country's richest city and a regionally important economic centre. Dar es Salaam is actually an administrative province within Tanzania, and consists of three local government areas or administrative districts: ...
, Tanzania
Tanzania
The United Republic of Tanzania is a country in East Africa bordered by Kenya and Uganda to the north, Rwanda, Burundi, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo to the west, and Zambia, Malawi, and Mozambique to the south. The country's eastern borders lie on the Indian Ocean.Tanzania is a state...
, where he died at the age of 65. On 7 June, during a ceremony attended by family, friends, staff and government officials, Hugo was buried at the place his tent had stood for over 30 years in his camp in the Serengeti
Serengeti
The Serengeti ecosystem is a geographical region in Africa. It is located in north Tanzania and extends to south-western Kenya between latitudes 1 and 3 S and longitudes 34 and 36 E. It spans some ....
.
Hugo van Lawick won eight Emmy awards for his films, and was appointed Officer in the Order of the Golden Ark
Order of the Golden Ark
The Most Excellent Order of the Golden Ark was established by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands in 1971 as an order of merit. Although not awarded by, it is recognized by the government of the Netherlands as a legal order. It is awarded to people for major contributions to nature conservation...
in 1992 by Prince Bernhard of the Netherlands, the founder of the WWF
World Wide Fund for Nature
The World Wide Fund for Nature is an international non-governmental organization working on issues regarding the conservation, research and restoration of the environment, formerly named the World Wildlife Fund, which remains its official name in Canada and the United States...
.