Need to Know: exhibit at Mission San Juan Capistrano

Zorro leaves his mark at mission

Zorro, the legendary masked crusader who pulled off Robin Hood-like deeds in Old California with the flick of his sword, has returned to his old haunt. A new exhibit at Mission San Juan Capistrano highlights many famous Zorros — Douglas Fairbanks, Tyrone Power, Guy Williams and, most recently, Antonio Banderas — with costumes and props from films and the vintage TV serial. Also on display is the original “pitch book” that persuaded Walt Disney to produce the TV show based on the Zorro character. Sandra Curtis, author of “Zorro Unmasked: The Official History,” will give a talk at 11 a.m. July 31 at the mission. The show, “Zorro Unmasked,” runs through Aug. 31. Info: (949) 234-1300, https://www.missionsjc.com.

— Mary Forgione

Mother of all atlases

Calling all absurdly wealthy armchair travelers with ham-sized biceps: Your dream read is here. It’s called “Earth” (580 pages, $5,800), and its publishers are calling it the largest atlas ever produced. In its silk-lined case, it weighs 63 pounds, with silver-gilded pages and six gatefolds, each of which extends 6 feet. The man behind this mother of all atlases is Gordon Cheers, managing director of Australian publishing company Millennium House. “It was his life dream to publish the world’s largest atlas, and everyone told him he was crazy,” said Annemarie Kostura, the project’s representative. The book, which measures 18 1/2 by 24 inches, features more than 750 color photographs and 355 maps. Buyers so far have included the British Museum, Harvard University and UC Berkeley. But you won’t find a copy for sale in any Los Angeles bookshop. Sometimes, Kostura said, she can arrange viewing appointments. E-mail: Countessa618@aol.com.

— Christopher Reynolds

Mammoths in Chicago

This summer, visitors can beat Chicago’s heat and chill out while ogling colossal bones at the Field Museum. The “Mammoths and Mastodons: Titans of the Ice Age” exhibit focuses on these ancestors of the elephant that roamed Europe, Asia and North America during the Ice Age. Life-size models, fossil tusks, skulls and video installations highlight the differences between mammoths and their shorter, stockier cousins, the mastodons. The star attraction is an intact baby woolly mammoth that was discovered by a Siberian reindeer herder in 2007. The baby, named Lyuba (pronounced lee-OO-bah), had been preserved in the frozen soil of the Arctic for about 40,000 years. This is the first time her remains have been exhibited, officials say. The show runs through Sept. 6. Info: (312) 922-9410, https://www.fieldmuseum.org.

— Terry Gardner

Lighten the load

Briggs & Riley, maker of business travel bags, now has a new BRX adventure collection. The 19-inch wheeled Explore 19 weighs less than 7 pounds, yet it doesn’t stint on reinforcement in areas prone to abrasion and stress. Plus, you get a big, flat internal packing surface because Briggs & Riley places the telescoping handle system on the outside of the bag. Loads of pockets keep things organized. And you can’t beat the lifetime warranty, which covers even damage caused by airlines or wild animals while on safari. Info: Briggs & Riley BRX collection, Explore 19 Upright, $260, (888) 462-2247, https://www.briggs-riley.com.

— Judi Dash