Archeologist Gertrude Bell (1868-1926)

Gertrude Bell defied the expectations of a woman in Victorian England, becoming a world traveler, mountaineer, and archaeologist. Well versed in the lands and cultures of Mesopotamia, she worked for the British gov't during WWI. After the war, she was instrumental in the creation of the country we now know as Iraq.

Presented by Karen Vuranch

Karen Vuranch teaches Theatre at Concord University in West Virginia. She has been a professional actor and Chautauqua scholar for over 30 years. Her Chautauqua characters include Grace O’Malley, Julia Child, Laura Ingles Wilder, Edith Wharton, and Gertrude Bell, archaeologist and Middle East expert.

Karen has received numerous honors for her work, including the Lifetime Achievement Award for the Arts from Tamarack, the premier state-sponsored cultural center in Beckley, West Virginia.