Rock Hounds and River Rats at the Arizona Museum of Natural History in Mesa on May 12th
Erik Berg is an award-winning historian and writer with a special interest in the early twentieth century Southwest and the impact of science and technology. In addition to contributing to several books, his work has appeared in the Journal of Arizona History, Arizona Highways, and Sedona Magazine. A past president of the Grand Canyon Historical Society, Berg currently lives in Phoenix.
Rock Hounds and River Rats: The 1937 Carnegie-CalTech Grand Canyon ExpeditionÂ
In 1937, CalTech geologists teamed up with a tough and rowdy crew of boatmen and set out in small wooden boats on an expedition through the Grand Canyon to study the ancient rocks of the Inner Gorge. At the time, fewer than a dozen parties had successfully run the canyon, often with a loss of boats or crew.  Leveraging excerpts from trip journals, as well as original photographs and film footage , this presentation discusses the adventures, hardships, conflicts, and triumphs of this important, yet little-known, early science expedition and sets it in the context of earlier Grand Canyon river trips and geologic studies.
Experience Rock Hounds and River Rats!
Monday, May 12, 2014 – 4:00p.m.
Arizona Museum of Natural History
53 N. Macdonald – Mesa, AZ 85201
480-644-2230
Invite Erik to speak at your organization! He offers 5 presentations below to choose from:
•   The Eagle and the Archaeologists: The Lindberghs’ 1929 Southwest Aerial Survey Â
•   Coast-to-Coast in 48 Hours: A Pioneering Transcontinental Air Route Through the Southwest
•   Ghost Towns of the Second World War: Arizona’s Historic Military Sites
•   Rock Hounds and River Rats: The 1937 Carnegie-CalTech Grand Canyon Expedition
•   “The Roads Are for the Timid”: The Arizona Adventures and Romance of Mai Richie Reed
Visit our website for more information on Erik’s and other Speakers Bureau programs.