Attilio Gatti

Lore & Background

Gatti was a member of the Società Reale Italiana di Geografia ed Antropologia and was among the last great safari expedition men. After the financial disaster of his seventh African expedition, he settled in the United States in 1930. His second spouse, Ellen, accompanied him on his eighth expedition and on subsequent journeys, including the tenth expedition to the Belgian Congo (1938–1940) and the eleventh expedition to the Rwenzori Mountains (1947–1948). These later expeditions used a caravan of motor vehicles that included a nine-ton 'Jungle Yacht' custom-built by International Harvester in Chicago.

Known as 'Bwana Makubwa', Gatti was very familiar to the Pygmy tribe and photographed them as well as the Watussi and Masai. He was an enthusiastic amateur radio operator using the callsign OQ5ZZ. His work produced some 53,000 photographs, along with numerous books and films, including silent films such as 'Siliva Zulu: Storia Negra in 5 Parti' (1927/1928) and later sound films like 'Perils of the Jungle' (1941) and 'Bitter Spears' (1956).

Reader's Guide

Gatti's significance lies in his extensive documentation of African peoples and wildlife during the first half of the 20th century. His thirteen expeditions produced a body of work—books, articles, and roughly 53,000 photographs—that have become invaluable scientific and anthropological resources. His films, including the silent 'Siliva Zulu' and later 'Bitter Spears', captured cultures and landscapes that were then little known to European audiences. As an amateur radio operator with callsign OQ5ZZ, he represents an early intersection of exploration and radio communication. His legacy is preserved through his published works, which include titles such as 'Tom-toms in the Night', 'Great Mother Forest', and 'Africa is Adventure', as well as through the photographic record he created of the Pygmy, Watussi, and Masai peoples.

Did You Know?

• He used the amateur radio callsign OQ5ZZ.
• His 10th and 11th expeditions used a 9-ton 'Jungle Yacht' custom-built by International Harvester.
• He was known as 'Bwana Makubwa' and was very familiar to the Pygmy tribe.