Gertrude Blom facts for kids
Gertrude "Trudi" Duby Blom (born Gertrude Elisabeth Lörtscher; July 7, 1901 – December 23, 1993) was a Swiss journalist and photographer. She spent over 50 years studying the Mayan cultures in Chiapas, Mexico. She was especially interested in the Lacandon Maya. Later in her life, she also became an environmental activist.
Blom's former home, Casa Na Bolom, is now a special center. It helps protect the Lacandon Maya people. It also works to save the Selva Lacandona rain forest.
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Early Life in Europe (1901-1940)
Gertrude Blom was born in the Swiss Alps. She grew up in a village called Wimmis, in Switzerland. Her father was a minister. As a child, she loved stories about the wild west.
After finishing a gardening degree in 1918, Blom went to a social work school. There, she joined the Socialist Party. She became very interested in journalism and politics. She traveled across Europe, speaking for the Socialist Party.
In 1939, Blom was sent back to Switzerland. She then decided to move to Mexico. Mexico's President Lázaro Cárdenas welcomed many people. These included pacifists, artists, and Jewish people.
Adventures in Mexico (1940-1969)
In Mexico City, Blom worked as a social worker. She studied the working lives of Mexican women. She bought her first camera to take pictures for her work. She used it to document women who fought in the revolution.
In 1943, Blom joined an expedition to Chiapas. They were looking for the famous Lacandon Maya people. She had never ridden a horse before, but she quickly learned. She became an expert horsewoman.
Blom photographed the Lacandon people. She also wrote a book about her trip. She found her life's purpose with the Lacandon people. Later that year, she met Frans Blom. He was a Danish archaeologist. They explored the jungle together. Their trips helped them write a two-volume study called La Selva Lacandona.
In 1951, Gertrude and Frans Blom got married. They moved to San Cristóbal de las Casas, Chiapas. They bought an old building there. They fixed it up and named it Casa Na Bolom. This means "House of the Jaguar."
Casa Na Bolom became a special inn. Many visitors came from all over the world. These included archaeologists and famous guests. The Bloms shared a love for exploring Mayan ruins. Gertrude kept taking pictures of the Mayan people. She saw her camera as a tool. It helped her record a changing world.
Protecting the Jungle (1970-1993)
In the early 1970s, Blom's life changed again. She became very worried about the deforestation of the Lacandon jungle. Loggers, settlers, and oil companies were destroying it. Blom decided she had to speak out. She became one of the first environmental activists.
She traveled to Mexico, the U.S., Germany, and Switzerland. She gave talks with her photos. She wanted people to know about the damage to the jungle. She wrote many articles in three languages. She protested Mexican policies.
In 1975, she started El Vivero at Na Bolom. This was a tree nursery. It has given away thousands of free trees for reforestation. Blom once wrote, "If mankind keeps hurting the planet, the future effects will be much worse than any atomic bomb."
In 1983, her first photo collection was published. It was called Gertrude Blom - Bearing Witness. A film about her life, Reina de la Selva, was made in 1989. Blom appeared in the film.
Gertrude Blom died when she was 92. She was buried next to Frans Blom. In 2011, their remains were moved. They were laid to rest in the jungle village of Naha, Chiapas. This was near the grave of Chan K'in Viejo. He was a Lacandon spiritual leader and Blom's best friend.
See also
In Spanish: Gertrude Duby Blom para niños
