While part of the research project ‘Projecting knowledge’ focuses on academic staff providing extramural, illustrated public lectures and courses, it will also deal with a few individuals who worked largely outside the academy, yet shared their scientific insights with the public at large. One of these case studies, published elsewhere, was devoted to dr. Paul Julien (1901- 2001). In the 1930s, Julien worked for a few years at Utrecht University, taking regular leaves of absence to do physical anthropological research—and its recording on film and photo—in west and central Africa. At the end of the decade he took a job as a chemistry teacher, which allowed him more freedom to pursue these annual research trips For over thirty years he presented his experiences in public illustrated lectures. His popular radio causeries and a number of bestselling books made his a household name.[1] A similar, even longer career was that of A.F.J. (Frits) Portielje (1886-1965), who delivered public ilustrated lectures between the early 1910s and early 1950s. He became inspector of livestock in the Amsterdam zoo ‘Artis’ at a young age, in 1911; shortly after World War II he was appointed as head of the zoo’s information service.

Portielje’s lectures were largely the result of his own research on animal behavior and psychology, outside but mostly inside the zoo. His fieldwork was inspirational for an up-and- coming generation of Dutch biologists, a generation that was influential in the development of the discipline of ethology. Besides his illustrated lectures, Portielje shared his knowledge through his radio causeries, films, books, articles, and object lessons during his guided tours. But just as easily he found a platform for his insights and experiments in academic-level journals. In 1946 this autodidact was awarded an honorary degree by the then Gemeentelijke Universiteit Amsterdam. As Artis was springboard to his national renown, the following text traces his career, after a brief historical sketch of the zoo, from the time he became its employee and evaluates his activities, views, and significance.