Rolf Blomberg Biography

Rolf Blomberg was born in Sweden on November 11th, 1912. He was an explorer, writer, photographer and filmmaker.

In 1934 he arrived for the first time to the Galapagos Islands and to Ecuador. This expedition was followed by a whole life of travels and chronicles within a time span of fifty years.

Guayaquil 1934

Indonesia 1939

During Second World War Blomberg stayed in Indonesia as a neutral War Correspondent. He participated in resistance organizations and helped people trapped in Japanese concentration camps.

After the war he returned to Ecuador and made efforts for a pacific contact with the Huaoranis Indians from the Ecuadorian jungle. He also made six dangerous expeditions looking for the Inca treasure hidden by Rumiñahui, presumably located at the LLanganates area. He discovered the world's largest toad, called Bufo blombergi. He produced 33 documentary films for the Swedish Television and was the leader of several expeditions to produce long films in Ecuador, Indonesia, Australia, Colombia, Brazil and Peru.

Blomberg with Cofan, Colombia 1952

Rolf Blomberg was member of the Explorers Club of New York since 1955, having been elected Emeritus Member. He was also member of the Travelers Club of Stockholm, Gothenburg and Malmo in Sweden.

Blomberg in Anaconda Swamp, Colombia 1952

Baby Crocodiles, Colombia 1952

Blomberg's literary production includes 20 books and hundreds of articles published in important magazines such as Life, Sea Frontiers and National Geographic, among others. Many of his books were translated to Spanish, English, Danish, Norwegian, Russian, Czech and Polish. Three fourths of his production has Ecuador as main topic, its culture, nature and history.

Colombia 1952

As a photographer he was a member of the Full Hand Swedish group of photographers. With his very special Hasselblad camera, that was provided by Victor Hasselblad himself, he took more than 35.000 images from the whole globe, focusing in Nature and a large diversity of Ethnic groups.

The continuous lectures held by Blomberg in Sweden contributed so that the Scandinavian got in touch with remote places like Ecuador in a time lacking Television and other technological improvements of our time.

His work has always been published abroad and has been an important influence for social scientists around the world. His reports on human rights violations of ethnic groups inspired the creation of organizations such as Cultural Survival (London) and Iwgia (Oslo). These organizations have contributed in assuming the importance of cultural identity amongst Ecuadorians and participated in the flourishing of social and cultural studies in Ecuador. His bond with Ecuador was strengthened through marriage with two Ecuadorian women. The first one, Emma Robinson, deceased in 1952. With his second wife, Araceli Gilbert, he settled in Ecuador in 1968, till his death on December 8th, 1996.

Rolf Blomberg and Araceli Gilbert, Stockholm 1968

Rolf Blomberg Bibliography

Underliga människor och underliga djur
Strange People and Strange animals
Gebers, Stockholm, 1936.

Högkvarter hos huvudjägare
Headquarters with Headhunters
Gebers, Stockholm, 1938; Tidens Forlag, Stockholm, 1951.

Tropisk Urskog
Tropical jungle
Gebers, Stockholm, 1940; Folket i Bild, Stockholm, 1952.

Sydvart
Southbound
Gebers, Stockholm, 1947.

Nya Smålands upptäckt
New Smålands Discovery
Gebers, Stockholm, 1948.

Vildar
The naked Aucas
Gebers, Stockholm, 1949 / 1954; Tidens Bokklubb, Stockholm, 1956; Allen and Unwid, London; Bokforlaget Bra Bocker, Germany, 1969; Abya Yala, Quito - Ecuador, 1996.

Såna djur finns
These Animals Exist
Gebers, Stockholm, 1951; Tidens Bokklubb, Stockholm, 1956; Tiden Norsk Forlag, Oslo, 1959; Tidens Bokklubb, Stockholm, 1970.

Ecuador, Andean Mosaic
Ecuador, mozaico andino
Gebers, Stockholm, 1952.

Guld att hämta
Buried Gold and Anacondas
Gebers, Stockholm, 1956; Carit Andersens Forlag, Copenhague, 1956; Eberhard Brockhaus Wiesbaden, Germany, 1957; Demzuz, Moscú, 1958; Allen and Unwin, London, 1959; Folket i bild, Stockholm, 1959; Editorial Juventud, Barcelona, 1964; Tidens Bokklubb, Stockholm, 1965; Iskry, Warszawa, 1966; Obzor Bratislava, 1968; Casa de la Cultura Ecuatoriana, Quito, 2002.

Xavante
Chavante
Gebers, Stockholm, 1958; Tidens Bokklubb, Stockholm, 1960; Allen and Unwin, London, 1960.

Jätteormar och skräcködlor
Scary Iguanas and Gigant Snakes
Gebers, Stockholm, 1959.

Latitud 0°
Latitude 0°
Gebers, Stockholm, 1960; Tiddens Bokklubb, Stockholm, 1963.

Äventyr i djungeln
Jungle Adventures
Folket i bild, Stockholm, 1962.

Människor i djungeln
Jungle People
Gebers, Stockholm, 1964; Tidens Bokklubb, Stockholm, 1966.

Mina Tropiska öar
My Tropical Islands
Gebers, Stockholm, 1965.

Rio Amazonas
Amazonas River
Gebers, Stockholm, 1966.

Imbabura
Gebers, Stockholm, 1967.

Trad
Trees
(By and photographs by Rolf Blomberg)
Bokforlaget Bra Bocker, Germany, 1973.

Bufo blombergi
Iskry, Warszawa, 1973.

Tropisk utsikt
Tropical View
Awe/Gebers, Oslo, 1976.

Rolf Blomberg Filmography - SF / SVT (Swedish Television)

Vikingar på sköldpaddoarna
Vikings in the Turtle Islands
Director: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 35mm
Duration: 10´ 25´´
Year: 1936
Location: Galápagos, Ecuador

I kanot till huvudjägarnas land
In Canoe to the Land of the Head Hunters
Direction: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 35mm
Duration: 12´ 5´´
Year: 1936
Location: Amazon, Ecuador

Ormar och orangutanger på Java
Snakes and Orangutans in Java
Direction: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 35mm
Duration: 8´ 4´´
Year: 1939
Location: Indonesia

Den stora urskogsön
The Great Jungle Island
Direction: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 35mm
Duration: 8´ 48´´
Year: 1939
Location: Indonesia

Erik Lundquist, en svensk skogskarl på Borneo
Erik Lundquist, a Swedish game-warden
Direction: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 35mm
Duration: 09´ 45´´
Año 1939
Location: Indonesia

Strandhugg pa Sundaöarna
Strolling the Sunda Islands
Direction: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 35mm
Duration: 13´ 57´´
Año 1946
Location: Indonesia

Svenskt i Australien
Swedish in Australia
Direction: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 35mm
Duration: 5´ 53´´
Year: 1946
Location: Australia

Quito, en stad med kontraster
Quito, A City of Contrast
Direction: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 35mm
Duration: 13´ 10´´
Year: 1949
Location: Ecuador

Galápagos
Direction: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 35mm
Duration: 11´ 17´´
Year: 1949-50
Location: Ecuador

Imbabura
Direction: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 35mm
Duration: 8´ 58´´
Year: 1949-50
Location: Ecuador

Panamahattar, som inte görs i Panama
The Panama hat, which is not made in Panama
Direction: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 35mm
Year: 1949-50
Location: Ecuador

Olja i urskogen
Oil in the Jungle
Direction: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 35mm
Duration: 12´ 33´´
Year: 1949-50
Location: Amazo, Ecuador

Jaramijó, en ecuadorianskt fiskeby
Jaramijó, an Ecuadorian Fishermen Village
Direction: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 35mm
Duration: 9´ 7´´
Year: 1951-52
Location: Ecuador

Anaconda
Direction: Torgny Anderberg
Expedición: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 35mm
Year: 1954
Location: Amazon, Colombia

Jangada
(Series of 3 films on Manaos Opera House, Indians of the Amazon and a fishermen village)
Direction: Rolf Blomberg & Torgny Anderberg
Format: 16mm
Year: 1958
Location: Brazil

Äventyr bland huvudjägare
Adventures amongst the head reducers
Direction: Torgny Anderberg
Expedición: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 35mm
Year: 1958
Location: Amazon, Ecuador

Blommor i Ecuador
Flowers in Ecuador
Direction: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 16mm
Duration: 7´ 34´´
Year: 1961
Location: Ecuador

Galápagos, ett reportage av Rolf Blomberg
Galapagos, reportage by Rolf Blomberg
Direction: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 16mm
Duration: 18´
Año 1961
Location: Ecuador

Inkaättlingarnas land
The Land of the Inca Descendants
Direction: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 16mm
Duration: 21´ 55´´
Year: 1962
Location: Perú

Urskogsindianernas vite vän
The White Friend of the Jungle Indians
(Series of 2 films on Albert Schweitzer Amazon Hospital)
Direction: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 16mm
Year: 1962
Location: Perú

Jibaros, ett djungelfolk
Jibaros, a Jungle Tribe
Direction: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 16mm
Duration: 30´ 3´´
Year: 1963
Location: Amazon, Ecuador

Balsa
Direction: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 16mm
Duration: 26´ 46´´
Year: 1965
Location: Ecuador

Indianer på svärdfiskfångst
Indians in Swordfish Catch
Direction: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 16mm
Duration: 18´ 12´´
Year: 1965
Location: Ecuador

Pedro, en indianpojke
Pedro, an Indian Boy
Direction: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 16mm
Duration: 20´ 15´´
Year: 1965
Location: Ecuador

Djungeltripp: besök i Coloradoindianernas urskogsdomaner i Ecuador
Jungle Trip: A Visit to the Colorado Indians Jungle Domains
Relator: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 16mm
Duration: 27´ 38´´
Year: 1967
Location: Ecuador

Alfredo från Guayaquil
Alfredo from Guayaquil
Direction: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 16mm
Duration: 21´ 37´´
Year: 1968
Location: Ecuador

Indianer är de människor?
Are Indians people? (Series of 5 films on Indian issues)
Direction: Rolf Blomberg & Torgny Anderberg
Format: 16mm
Year: 1969
Location: Latin America

Jakt på Inkaguld
In Search for the Inca Gold (Series of 2 films on the Inca treasure)
Direction: Rolf Blomberg & Torgny Anderberg
Format: 16mm
Year: 1969
Location: Ecuador

Att vara indian
Being an Indian (Series of 2 films on Indian issues)
Direction: Rolf Blomberg & Torgny Anderberg
Format: 16mm
Year: 1969
Location: Latin America

Inka, solfolket
Incas, the Sun People (Series of 3 films on the Incas)
Direction: Rolf Blomberg & Torgny Anderberg
Format: 16mm
Year: 1970
Location: Perú

Svenska expeditioner, på indianstigar i Chaco
Swedish Expeditions, Through the Indian ways of Chaco (Series of 2 films)
Direction: Rolf Blomberg
Format: 16mm
Year: 1971
Location: Bolivia

Indianer i Amazonas
Indians of the Amazon (Series of 3 films on the Campas and Yaminahuas Indians)
Direction: Rolf Blomberg & Torgny Anderberg
Format: 16mm
Year: 1974
Location: Perú

ROLF BLOMBERG:  Biography  Gallery          ARACELI GILBERT:  Biography  Gallery

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