English

Trader Horn; Being the Life & Works of Alfred Aloysius Horn

Trader Horn is a memoir detailing the life and adventures of Alfred Aloysius "Trader" Horn (1861–1931), a British ivory trader and adventurer in 19th-century central and equatorial Africa. The book, originally published in 1927, is a quasi-autobiographical account compiled and edited by novelist Ethelreda Lewis, who met Horn in Johannesburg while he was living in poverty as a "doss house" resident (a homeless shelter of the time). The narrative recounts Horn’s early exploits, including journeying through jungles teeming with elephants, gorillas, and man-eating leopards; freeing slaves; meeting Cecil Rhodes, founder of Rhodesia; and liberating a princess from sacred captivity. The book was a bestseller in 1927 and was later adapted into a major 1931 MGM film, the first non-documentary movie shot in Africa, which was nominated for an Academy Award. The work remains a vivid portrayal of late-Victorian colonial Africa. While some of Horn’s stories are likely embellished, researchers have verified many of the locations and events described.

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