Unique Experiences

Item Description

This once-in-a-lifetime experience includes a day at the Riverside Metropolitan Museum with famed author Susan Orlean looking through the private archives of Lee Duncan and the legendary Rin Tin Tin.  Susan’s new book, Rin Tin Tin: The Life and the Legend, which will be published September 27^th, traces the 90-year history of the legendary dog beginning in World War I, when Lee Duncan rescued a cold and starving pup from a bombed-out kennel in France.  Duncan’s private papers and archives are part of a permanent collection at the Riverside Metropolitan Museum in Riverside, California.  This package includes a signed first edition of the book and a private lunch with the author at the Mission Inn in Riverside.

Susan Orlean has been a staff writer for The New Yorker since 1992, and has contributed articles to Vogue, Rolling Stone, Esquire, and Outside. She is the author of seven books, including The Orchid Thief, a profile of Florida orchid grower, breeder, collector, and thief, John Laroche. The book was the basis of Charlie Kaufman's script for the Spike Jonze film Adaptation. Meryl Streep’s performance as Orlean in the film was nominated for an Oscar. Orlean also wrote the Women's Outside article, "Life's Swell" (published 1998). The article, a feature on a group of young surfer girls in Maui, was the basis of the film Blue Crush. 

RIN TIN TIN is Orlean’s first book-length narrative since The Orchid Thief, and it has been praised as “engrossing, dynamic, and affecting” by Booklist, and “stirring . . . a tale of passion and dedication” by Publishers Weekly.  It highlights Rin Tin Tin and his career; it traces how Hollywood have changed over the last century; how America has changed; and how the place of dogs in our culture has changed.  At its heart, it is also the story of the people who have loved Rin Tin Tin, including Duncan; the producer of the television show that brought Rin Tin Tin to a new generation in the Fifties; the individuals who have dedicated themselves to preserving the dog’s story today; and the millions around the world who looked at Rin Tin Tin as a symbol of something heroic, enduring, and true. 

Orlean spent several years combing through the Riverside archives in search of the story of Rin Tin Tin. During this day together, she will share stories of the research and writing of the book as well as guiding you through these very special archives.  It’s a unique opportunity for anyone who loves dogs or literature or history.