Hans Blohm

Hans-Ludwig Blohm (November 12, 1927 – December 4, 2021) was a German-born Canadian photographer and author. Over three decades, he criss-crossed the Arctic regions of Canada and Alaska, capturing images and stories of the Inuit. He drove 16 times from his home in Ottawa to different parts of the North logging from 20,500 to 25,000 km each trip. He also drove the Mackenzie Ice Road to Tuktoyaktuk on the Beaufort Sea at three occasions and explored by sailboat the remote, uninhabited fjords of Labrador.

The early years From 1943 to 1944, Blohm served with the Navy of Nazi Germany as an anti-aircraft gunner (marinehelfer) in Kiel, Germany’s major naval base on the Baltic Sea. In 1945, he was assigned to the special guard unit for Grand Admiral Karl Dönitz, wartime Germany's last head of state. for his commitment to preserving Canada's northern heritage through the lens of his camera. In May 2012, he was awarded the Diamond Jubilee Medal

What has been said about Hans Blohm and his work

Hans Blohm in the Tombstone Valley, Dempster Highway, Yukon (August 2009). The Voices of the Natives... The Canadian North and Alaska by Hans Blohm is a true representation of the Northern People. While working with Nunavut Tunngavik Inc, an Inuit Land Claims Organization [...] Hans has recorded the history of Inuit in Nunavut. Hans has traveled extensively throughout the Arctic regions of Canada and Alaska. He has documented the hopes and visions of our Elders. He documented the youth of Nunavut, drumming for joy, promoting the happiness and joys of our people. Through his camera lens, Hans has helped to protect, preserve and promote Inuit culture. That is good for all people – Northerners and Southerners alike. [...] Hans is a true "Ambassador". He is our voice in southern Canada and the world. He has also become a good friend of us Northerners – we trust him. Peter Irniq, Commissioner of Nunavut, August 1, 2001