William and Lucile Mann - Diary, Cruise to South America, 1939

How did some wild animals, from habitats across the globe, get to the National Zoological Park in Washington D.C.? In 1939, it was thanks to the efforts of the intrepid married duo, zoologist William M. Mann and his wife, Lucile. During Mann's time as Director of the National Zoo, he and his wife often traveled abroad to visit other zoos and collect new animals from the wild--with Lucile, a gifted writer, documenting their journeys along the way. Lucille's diary from the couple's 1939 cruise to South America starts off with their departure from New York ("At noon [William] dashed in, grabbed a raincoat, and we were off for the Argentine.") and follows their collecting trip through Sao Paulo, Buenos Aires, Cordoba, and San Carlos de Bariloche. Join other digital volunteers in transcribing Mann?s vivid account of the couple?s time abroad! You can also help transcribe Mann's incredible diary from 1940, too.