Adamson Joy: books, biography, cause of death

Adamson Joy is known as the author of books about wild animals. She was a strong and stubborn woman, ready to put into practice what she believed. The books published by Joy Adamson influenced people in dozens of countries. A significant contribution to the conservation of wildlife continues to bear fruit to this day. A talented girl, a fond girl, a purposeful woman - Joy knew the people around him. Although it was known and under a different name - Frederick Victoria Gessner.

Bright childhood

Little Frederick Victoria was born on a cold January day in the Austrian city of Troppau in the family of a prosperous manufacturer. The birth of the girl was a disappointment for his father, who was waiting for his son. To sweeten a bitter pill, the former soldier raised his daughter as if he were raising a son. Severe demands tempered the girl. Throughout her life until the eighth decade, she retained her sports figure.

The writer remembers with warmth of her childhood. The family of Gessner was famous for its hospitality, and for the holidays the estate was full of relatives and friends, among whom there were many children. The favorite entertainment of Frederick Victoria was a game of hunting lions. And the little mistress invariably acted as a predator. She ran fast and hid well, and thick blond hair suited the role of mane.

In his autobiographical book, Adamson Joy recalls an interesting episode from childhood. After the First World War, unprecedented inflation occurred. Money depreciated, but the paper from which the banknotes were made could still be used. Joy's family owned paper factories. Together with friends, the girl broke through the tunnels in the piles of banknotes piled in piles in the factory yard, and played billions and trillions. Even then, she saw with her own eyes how ghostly is material wealth.

Searches of youth

From the age of twelve, Frederick Victoria was trained in a closed experimental school. There were only six such institutions in the country. The girl studied diligently and easily coped with the disciplines taught. But this was not enough for her. At the age of fifteen, Frederick leaves school to seriously engage in music. She learned the music certificate very early and now decided to become a professional pianist.

Two years later, Frederick received a certificate of completion of studies with the right to teach. But this time her zeal played a cruel joke on her. The girl peretrudila hands and knew that the field of concert career for her closed. And she did not want to become an ordinary teacher.

Then Frederick entered the sewing and sewing courses, which she also successfully completed. In the evenings, she studied drawing, studying the subtleties of painting restoration, practiced in stenography and typewriting, tried her hand at decorating book covers and posters, and also took singing lessons. Still the girl minted silver plates and was engaged in sculptural cutting on a tree. At the same time Frederic worked as a model.

Beginning of independent life

Time passed, but the girl still could not find her calling. She lived in Vienna with her grandmother on the maternal line, to which she moved after the divorce of her parents. The relationship between them was very warm and trusting. The grandmother, whom Frederick kindly called Oma, supported her granddaughter in all ways and taught her to make her own decisions. All the burden of financial worries also lay on her shoulders. Only years later Adamson Joy realized how patient and selfless her dear Oma was. In his youth, comprehensive care was taken for granted.

On one of the ski walks, Frederika met the eccentric young man Victor von Clarville. He was a very successful businessman who could afford to spend time doing what his heart desires. His love for the wild and a very definite intention to get rid of the burdens and worries of city life was very appealing to Frederick. For three weeks, young people saw each other daily, and after that, quite unexpectedly for the girl, a proposal was immediately marry.

At that time, Frederick was already in the preparatory courses for admission to the medical faculty for several years. Victor urged the bride to quit classes, as he guaranteed that she would not have to work a day in her life. He sincerely wanted to turn his beloved life into a fairy tale. The wedding took place in the spring of 1935.

Preparing for the move

Happy new husband struggled to make life Frederick easy and carefree. They traveled a lot during the warm season, and in winter they spent time at ski resorts. But Victor did not understand that for an active mind Frederick such pastime was unacceptable. She, for her part, also tried to love something that was dear and pleasant to her husband. But the secular life frankly burdened her. And the strength to endure endless empty gatherings, drew from the realization that soon all this will end, and she and her husband will go to some cozy place closer to the pristine nature.

The search continued. Each other fell away Tahiti, Tasmania and even California. Next on the list was Kenya. Naturalist writers have long admired this region. According to the plan of the spouses, Frederick was to go first to this country. If she liked it, Victor would follow her, having preliminarily settled all matters in Vienna. On May 12, 1937, Frederick sailed on a ship from Genoa to the African continent. It is there that she will become the world famous Joy Adamson. The biography of the writer on the right begins from this moment.

Second marriage

On the ship Frederick met Peter Bailey. His job was to collect samples of plants for the museum. This involved long and fascinating trips to wild places. Between Frederick and Peter mutual sympathy grew. They made a weak attempt to stifle their feelings, but then decided that they could not live without each other, and Frederic asked for a divorce from her husband. Victor did not particularly resist, and a year later the woman remarried. Peter gave his wife not only his last name, but also a new name - Joy. Together they spent five years.

Contribution to naturalism

The couple traveled through Africa, and at this time Adamson Joy painted animals, plants and indigenous people in traditional dresses. These drawings were not a simple hobby, but serious scientific works, many of which are still kept in museums. They deserve a reward from the Royal Society of Plant Growing. Joy received the highest distinction - a gold medal.

Meeting with George Adamson

George Joy met at a party with her friends. He immediately caught her attention. Yes, and could not help attracting - even then George was a local legend. His job as a hunting inspector was to shoot the man-eating lions, protecting people, and to resist poachers, protecting animals. George Adamson, who successfully confronted the wild beasts and cruel people, gave up the cheerful Joy without a fight. She quickly received another divorce, and two months later they were married.

The appearance of a lion cub in the family

Once George was instructed to track down and kill the lioness who attacked the inhabitants of several villages. After completing the assignment, he found that the lioness had three small lions. George took them home with him. Two were sent to the zoo, but one girl, Joy decidedly refused to give. Seeing nothing wrong with satisfying his wife's whim, George allowed the lion cub to leave. The baby got the name Elsa.

In order to have in the African estate of a lion, cheetah or other predator, there was nothing unusual. But Joy did not want to keep her pet in the cage. She decided to make Elsa a family member. And even more so - to grow it in such a way that for it in the future it becomes possible to have a full life among wild animals. This idea was received with great skepticism. It was believed that an animal that grew up next to a person can never return to nature, as it will not be adapted to life in the wild.

The first book by Joy Adamson - "Born free"

Joy decided to break the established stereotypes and selflessly set to work on a new project. She took care of Elsa, spent a lot of time with her and brought her up. Everything happening was accurately recorded in a diary and shot on camera. In 1960 Joy Adamson published his first book, "Born Free", which describes the result of his work. And although the style of writing was rather dry (let's not forget that the author is a naturalist, not a writer), the book quickly became a bestseller and was translated into 28 languages. In the following years, D. Adamson wrote two more books about animals, which are a continuation of the history of the lioness Elsa - "Free forever" and "Living free."

Raising a cheetah

In 1964, Joey was asked to take a female cheetah to her. By that time, books about animals written by Adamson had already gained popularity, and former masters who left Africa were confident that the woman would take care of their pet in the best possible way. Naturally, this proposal was accepted with great enthusiasm. The writer was flattered by her trust and decided to do everything possible so that this cheetah also returned to the wild. The results and fruits of their amazing friendship can be found in Joy Adamson's "Spotted Sphinx."

The ridiculous death

On January 3, 1980, the writer was found dead on the grounds of the Shaba reserve in Kenya. First it was stated that Joy Adamson was attacked by a lion. However, it was not possible to hush up the story, because by that time the writer was already not only famous, but also loved by literally thousands of people. History raised a strong resonance, and local police were forced to disclose data on the investigation. Death came as a result of numerous machete strokes. In a couple of weeks, a woman would turn 70 years old ....

The eighteen-year-old worker Nakvare Esai was found guilty, and the motive is either robbery or revenge for dismissal. The boy received a life sentence. He himself never guessed his guilt. To find out whether he was guilty really or not is no longer possible. Since that time, no documents and evidence have survived. Undoubtedly, only one thing - Joy Adams, who dedicated her life to protecting wild animals and admitting that she prefers their society to the society of many people, was treacherously killed by a man. Her four-legged friends never betrayed her.