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Yousuf Karsh, FRPS (December 23, 1908 – July 13, 2002) was a Canadian-Armenian photographer known for his
portrait A portrait is a painting, photograph, sculpture, or other artistic representation of a person, in which the face and its expressions are predominant. The intent is to display the likeness, personality, and even the mood of the person. For this re ...
s of notable individuals. He has been described as one of the greatest portrait photographers of the 20th century. An
Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily through th ...
survivor, Karsh migrated to Canada as a refugee. By the 1930s he established himself as a significant photographer in Ottawa, where he lived most of his adult life, though he traveled extensively for work. His iconic 1941 photograph of Winston Churchill was a breakthrough point in his 60-year career, through which he took numerous photos of known political leaders, men and women of arts and sciences. Over 20 photos by Karsh appeared on the cover of '' Life'' magazine, until he retired in 1993.


Early life and arrival in Canada

Yousuf Karsh was born to
Armenian Armenian may refer to: * Something of, from, or related to Armenia, a country in the South Caucasus region of Eurasia * Armenians, the national people of Armenia, or people of Armenian descent ** Armenian Diaspora, Armenian communities across the ...
parents Amsih Karsh (1872–1962), a merchant, and Bahia Nakash (1883–1958), on December 23, 1908, in
Mardin Mardin ( ku, Mêrdîn; ar, ماردين; syr, ܡܪܕܝܢ, Merdīn; hy, Մարդին) is a city in southeastern Turkey. The capital of Mardin Province, it is known for the Artuqid architecture of its old city, and for its strategic location o ...
, Diyarbekir Vilayet, Ottoman Empire. His father was
Catholic The Catholic Church, also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.3 billion baptized Catholics worldwide . It is among the world's oldest and largest international institutions, and has played a ...
, while his mother was Protestant. He had two brothers: Jamil and Malak; the latter was also a photographer. His illiterate father travelled extensively to trade furniture, rugs, spices, while his mother was "an educated woman, a rarity in those days, and was extremely well read, particularly in her beloved Bible." The city's Armenian population was largely
Arabic-speaking Arabic (, ' ; , ' or ) is a Semitic language spoken primarily across the Arab world.Semitic languages: an international handbook / edited by Stefan Weninger; in collaboration with Geoffrey Khan, Michael P. Streck, Janet C. E.Watson; Walter ...
. He grew up during the
Armenian genocide The Armenian genocide was the systematic destruction of the Armenian people and identity in the Ottoman Empire during World War I. Spearheaded by the ruling Committee of Union and Progress (CUP), it was implemented primarily through th ...
, during which some of his family were murdered. "My recollections of those days comprise a strange mixture of blood and beauty, of persecution and peace," he later wrote. Karsh and his family escaped to a refugee camp in
Aleppo )), is an adjective which means "white-colored mixed with black". , motto = , image_map = , mapsize = , map_caption = , image_map1 = ...
, Syria in 1922 in a month-long journey with a Kurdish
caravan Caravan or caravans may refer to: Transport and travel *Caravan (travellers), a group of travellers journeying together **Caravanserai, a place where a caravan could stop *Camel train, a convoy using camels as pack animals *Convoy, a group of veh ...
. '' The Economist'' noted in their obituary of Karsh that he "thought of himself as an Armenian" and, according to
Vartan Gregorian Vartan Gregorian; fa, وارتان گرگوریان (April 8, 1934 – April 15, 2021) was an Armenian-American academic, educator, and historian. He served as president of the Carnegie Corporation from 1997 to 2021. An Armenian born in Ira ...
, "Although he was proud to be Canadian, Karsh was equally proud to be Armenian." Karsh was sent to Canada by his family. He arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia on December 31, 1923, by ship from
Beirut Beirut, french: Beyrouth is the capital and largest city of Lebanon. , Greater Beirut has a population of 2.5 million, which makes it the third-largest city in the Levant region. The city is situated on a peninsula at the midpoint of ...
. He immediately moved to
Sherbrooke Sherbrooke ( ; ) is a city in southern Quebec, Canada. It is at the confluence of the Saint-François and Magog rivers in the heart of the Estrie administrative region. Sherbrooke is also the name of a territory equivalent to a regional coun ...
, Quebec to live with his maternal uncle George Nakashian (Nakash), a portrait photographer. He attended Sherbrooke High School for a year and his "formal education was over almost before it began." By the time he reached Canada, he "spoke little French, and less English" and "had no money and little schooling." Karsh worked for, and was taught photography by his uncle. He gave Karsh a Box Brownie camera. From 1928 to 1931, Karsh apprenticed in
Boston Boston (), officially the City of Boston, is the state capital and most populous city of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts, as well as the cultural and financial center of the New England region of the United States. It is the 24th- most p ...
, Massachusetts for John H. Garo, the most prominent Armenian photographer in America at the time who had made a name for himself photographing Boston celebrities.


Career

Karsh settled in Ottawa, initially working for photographer John Powis. Karsh opened his first studio in 1932. It was located on the second floor of a building at 130
Sparks Street Sparks Street (''French:'' Rue Sparks) is a pedestrian mall in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. It was a main street in Ottawa that was converted into an outdoor pedestrian street in 1967, making it the earliest such street or mall in Canada.
, which was later named the Hardy Arcade. He remained there until 1972, when he moved to the Château Laurier. He was known professionally as "Karsh of Ottawa", which was also his signature. He achieved initial success by capturing the attention of Canadian Prime Minister
Mackenzie King William Lyon Mackenzie King (December 17, 1874 – July 22, 1950) was a Canadian statesman and politician who served as the tenth prime minister of Canada for three non-consecutive terms from 1921 to 1926, 1926 to 1930, and 1935 to 1948. A Li ...
, who helped Karsh arrange photography sessions with visiting dignitaries. Karsh was also introduced into the Rideau Hall social circle, and his portraits of Lord Bessborough, Governor General from 1931 to 1935, and his wife were widely published. Karsh became a member of the Ottawa Camera Club and exhibited works in the International Salon of Photography exhibitions held at the National Gallery of Canada from 1934 onwards. Throughout his life, Karsh photographed "anyone who was anyone." When asked why he almost exclusively captured famous people, he replied, "I am working with the world's most remarkable cross-section of people. I do believe it's the minority who make the world go around, not the majority." He once also jokingly remarked, "I do it for my own immortality." By the time he retired in 1992, more than 20 of his photos had appeared on the cover of '' Life'' magazine. Karsh's photos were known for their use of dramatic
lighting Lighting or illumination is the deliberate use of light to achieve practical or aesthetic effects. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources like lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing dayligh ...
, which became the hallmark of his portrait style. He had studied it with both Garo in Boston and at the
Ottawa Little Theatre The Ottawa Little Theatre, originally called the Ottawa Drama League at its inception in 1913, is the longest continuously running community theatre in Canada, and one of the oldest in North America. Based in Canada's capital city, it owns its ow ...
, of which he was a member. Before a sitting, Karsh researched his subjects and talked to them. His 1941 photo of Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister, brought him international prominence. The photograph was taken on December 30, 1941, in the Speaker's chamber of the
Speaker of the House of Commons Speaker of the House of Commons is a political leadership position found in countries that have a House of Commons, where the membership of the body elects a speaker to lead its proceedings. Systems that have such a position include: *Speaker of ...
in the
Canadian Parliament The Parliament of Canada (french: Parlement du Canada) is the federal legislature of Canada, seated at Parliament Hill in Ottawa, and is composed of three parts: the King, the Senate, and the House of Commons. By constitutional convention, th ...
in Ottawa after Churchill delivered a speech on World War II to the Canadian members of the parliament. It was arranged by Canadian Prime Minister William Lyon Mackenzie King. Churchill is particularly noted for his posture and facial expression, which have been compared to the wartime feelings that prevailed in the UK: persistence in the face of an all-conquering enemy. The photo session was short and, just before exposure, Karsh moved towards Churchill and removed the cigar which was in his mouth. Churchill was miffed and showed his displeasure in the portrait. The photo, which according to '' The Economist'' is the "most reproduced portrait in the history of photography", has been described as one of the "most iconic portraits ever shot".
USC Fisher Museum of Art USC Fisher Museum of Art, formerly USC Fisher Gallery, which is affiliated with the University of Southern California, is the first art museum established in the city of Los Angeles. Founded in 1939 by Elizabeth Holmes Fisher, she donated 29 paint ...
described it as a "defiant and scowling portrait
hich Ij ( fa, ايج, also Romanized as Īj; also known as Hich and Īch) is a village in Golabar Rural District, in the Central District of Ijrud County, Zanjan Province, Iran Iran, officially the Islamic Republic of Iran, and also ...
became an instant icon of Britain's stand against fascism." It appeared on the cover of the May 21, 1945, issue of ''Life'', which bought it for $100. One of the first prints of the original currently hangs on the wall in the Speaker's chamber of the Speaker of the House of Commons of Canada, where the iconic image was photographed. It is considered Churchill's most famous picture and appears on the
Bank of England £5 note The Bank of England £5 note, also known as a fiver, is a sterling banknote . It is the smallest denomination of banknote currently issued by the Bank of England. In September 2016, a new polymer note was introduced, featuring the image of Quee ...
. On August 19, 2022, it was discovered that a Karsh-signed portrait residing in the reading room of the Château Laurier, Ottawa, had been stolen and replaced with a fake. A staff member noticed that the frame on the portrait did not match the other five portraits donated by Karsh in 1998. Jerry Fielder, the director of Karsh's estate, immediately recognized that the Karsh signature on the portrait was a forgery. Ottawa Police are investigating the theft. During World War II, Karsh photographed political and military leaders and began capturing photos of writers, actors, artists, musicians, scientists, and celebrities in the post-war period. His 1957 portrait of the American novelist Ernest Hemingway, taken at Hemingway's Cuban home Finca Vigía, is another well-known photo by Karsh. According to
Amanda Hopkinson Amanda Hopkinson (born 1948) is a British scholar and literary translator. Biography She was born in London to the British journalist and magazine editor Sir Tom Hopkinson and photographer Gerti Deutsch. She gained a BA from the University of Wa ...
it made Hemingway look like the hero of his 1952 novel ''
The Old Man and the Sea ''The Old Man and the Sea'' is a novella written by the American author Ernest Hemingway in 1951 in Cayo Blanco (Cuba), and published in 1952. It was the last major work of fiction written by Hemingway that was published during his lifetime. O ...
''. His other notable portraits include
George Bernard Shaw George Bernard Shaw (26 July 1856 – 2 November 1950), known at his insistence simply as Bernard Shaw, was an Irish playwright, critic, polemicist and political activist. His influence on Western theatre, culture and politics extended from ...
at an old age (1943),
Dwight D. Eisenhower Dwight David "Ike" Eisenhower (born David Dwight Eisenhower; ; October 14, 1890 – March 28, 1969) was an American military officer and statesman who served as the 34th president of the United States from 1953 to 1961. During World War II, ...
as a five-star general and Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force (1946), American artist
Georgia O'Keeffe Georgia Totto O'Keeffe (November 15, 1887 – March 6, 1986) was an American modernist artist. She was known for her paintings of enlarged flowers, New York skyscrapers, and New Mexico landscapes. O'Keeffe has been called the "Mother of Amer ...
in her New Mexico studio (1956), and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev swathed in fur (1963). Besides portraits of the famous, Karsh photographed assembly line workers in Windsor, Ontario, commissioned by the Ford Motor Company of Canada. He also photographed landscapes of Rome and the Holy Land to be included in books in collaboration with Bishop
Fulton J. Sheen Fulton John Sheen (born Peter John Sheen, May 8, 1895 – December 9, 1979) was an American bishop of the Catholic Church known for his preaching and especially his work on television and radio. Ordained a priest of the Diocese of Peoria in ...
, an annual poster for the
Muscular Dystrophy Association The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) is an American 501(c)(3) umbrella organization that works to support people with neuromuscular diseases. Founded in 1950 by Paul Cohen, who lived with muscular dystrophy, it works to combat neuromuscular d ...
, and other works. Karsh closed his studio at Château Laurier in June 1992. His penultimate sittings in May 1993 were with President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary. He was a visiting professor at Ohio University and at
Emerson College Emerson College is a private college with its main campus in Boston, Massachusetts. It also maintains campuses in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California and Well, Limburg, Netherlands ( Kasteel Well). Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as ...
in Boston.


Gallery

File:DuncanCampbellScott23.jpg,
Duncan Campbell Scott Duncan Campbell Scott (August 2, 1862 – December 19, 1947) was a Canadian civil servant and poet and prose writer. With Charles G.D. Roberts, Bliss Carman, and Archibald Lampman, he is classed as one of Canada's Confederation Poets. A caree ...
File:Jan Smuts 1947.jpg, Jan Smuts File:Lord Beaverbrook 1947.jpg, Lord Beaverbrook


Personal life

Karsh's first marriage was to Solange Gauthier (1902−1961) in 1939. He met her at the
Ottawa Little Theatre The Ottawa Little Theatre, originally called the Ottawa Drama League at its inception in 1913, is the longest continuously running community theatre in Canada, and one of the oldest in North America. Based in Canada's capital city, it owns its ow ...
in 1933, where she was a star. Gauthier was born in
Tours Tours ( , ) is one of the largest cities in the region of Centre-Val de Loire, France. It is the prefecture of the department of Indre-et-Loire. The commune of Tours had 136,463 inhabitants as of 2018 while the population of the whole metrop ...
, France and migrated to Canada as a young girl. They initially moved into her apartment and in 1940, into an
Art Deco Art Deco, short for the French ''Arts Décoratifs'', and sometimes just called Deco, is a style of visual arts, architecture, and product design, that first appeared in France in the 1910s (just before World War I), and flourished in the Unite ...
home called Little Wings on the
Rideau River The Rideau River (french: Rivière Rideau) is a river in Eastern Ontario, Canada. The river flows north from Upper Rideau Lake and empties into the Ottawa River at the Rideau Falls in Ottawa, Ontario. Its length is . As explained in a writi ...
just outside Ottawa. She died in January 1961 of cancer. His second marriage was to Estrellita Maria Nachbar, a medical writer 21 years his junior, in August 1962. Their wedding was officiated by
Fulton J. Sheen Fulton John Sheen (born Peter John Sheen, May 8, 1895 – December 9, 1979) was an American bishop of the Catholic Church known for his preaching and especially his work on television and radio. Ordained a priest of the Diocese of Peoria in ...
, Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of New York. From 1972 to 1992 they lived in a third-floor suite at Château Laurier, Ottawa and maintained Little Wings and an apartment and studio in Manhattan. They had no children.


Retirement and death

Karsh moved to Boston in 1997. He died on July 13, 2002, at
Brigham and Women's Hospital Brigham and Women's Hospital (BWH) is the second largest teaching hospital of Harvard Medical School and the largest hospital in the Longwood Medical Area in Boston, Massachusetts. Along with Massachusetts General Hospital, it is one of the two fo ...
in Boston after complications following surgery. A private funeral was held in Ottawa. He was interred in Notre-Dame Cemetery in Ottawa.


Recognition

Karsh has been recognized as Canada's leading portrait photographer. In general, he is recognized as one of the best-known and great portrait photographers of the 20th century. '' The Economist'' wrote upon his death that Karsh was "for half a century perhaps the greatest portrait photographer in the monumental manner." The website of the Governor General of Canada describes him as the "pre-eminent portrait photographer of the twentieth century." The Metropolitan Museum of Art described him as "one of the greatest portrait photographers of the twentieth century hoachieved a distinct style in his theatrical lighting." '' The Canadian Encyclopedia'' noted that his portraits "have come to represent the public images of major international figures of politics, science, and culture in the twentieth century." By the time of his death, his work was included in numerous museum collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art,
Museum of Modern Art The Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) is an art museum located in Midtown Manhattan, New York City, on 53rd Street between Fifth and Sixth Avenues. It plays a major role in developing and collecting modern art, and is often identified as one of th ...
(both in New York), National Gallery of Canada, National Portrait Gallery in London, National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo,
Art Institute of Chicago The Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago's Grant Park, founded in 1879, is one of the oldest and largest art museums in the world. Recognized for its curatorial efforts and popularity among visitors, the museum hosts approximately 1.5 mil ...
,
Saint Louis Art Museum The Saint Louis Art Museum (SLAM) is one of the principal U.S. art museums, with paintings, sculptures, cultural objects, and ancient masterpieces from all corners of the world. Its three-story building stands in Forest Park in St. Louis, M ...
,
Muscarelle Museum of Art The Muscarelle Museum of Art is a university museum affiliated with the College of William & Mary in Williamsburg, Virginia. While the Museum only dates to 1983, the university art collection has been in existence since its first gift – a por ...
,
George Eastman Museum The George Eastman Museum, also referred to as ''George Eastman House, International Museum of Photography and Film'', the world's oldest museum dedicated to photography and one of the world's oldest film archives, opened to the public in 1949 in ...
, and elsewhere. In 1987 the
National Archives of Canada Library and Archives Canada (LAC; french: Bibliothèque et Archives Canada) is the federal institution, tasked with acquiring, preserving, and providing accessibility to the documentary heritage of Canada. The national archive and library is t ...
acquired the complete collection of Karsh items, including the negatives, prints and transparencies produced and retained by Karsh since 1933. The current Library and Archives Canada collection has 355,000 items in its Karsh collection, including all of his 150,000 negatives, kept at a facility in Gatineau, Quebec. Karsh's widow Estrellita gifted more than 100 photographic prints to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C. He was a member of the
Royal Canadian Academy of Arts The Royal Canadian Academy of Arts (RCA) is a Canadian arts-related organization that was founded in 1880. History 1880 to 1890 The title of Royal Canadian Academy of Arts was received from Queen Victoria on 16 July 1880. The Governor Gener ...
and an honorary fellow of the Royal Photographic Society (UK). On June 9, 2017, a bust of Karsh by Canadian-Armenian sculptor Megerditch Tarakdjian was unveiled before Château Laurier, Ottawa. It depicts Karsh with his famous camera and is a gift to Canada from the people of Armenia on the occasion of the 25th anniversary of the establishment of diplomatic relations between the two countries and the
150th anniversary of Canada The 150th anniversary of Canada, also known as the 150th anniversary of Confederation and promoted by the Canadian government as Canada 150, occurred in 2017 as Canada marked the sesquicentennial of Canadian Confederation. Planning Major p ...
. Among attendees were
George Furey George J. Furey (born May 12, 1948) is a Canadian politician who has served as the speaker of the Senate of Canada since December 3, 2015. Furey was appointed as a senator from Newfoundland and Labrador in 1999 and is the longest-serving member ...
, the Speaker of the Senate, and Arif Virani, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage. The Karsh Award, dedicated to Yousuf and his brother Malak Karsh, is awarded by the City of Ottawa every two years to an established professional artist for outstanding artistic work in a photo-based medium.


Awards

*Golden Plate Award of the
American Academy of Achievement The American Academy of Achievement, colloquially known as the Academy of Achievement, is a non-profit educational organization that recognizes some of the highest achieving individuals in diverse fields and gives them the opportunity to meet o ...
(1961) * Order of Canada: Officer (1967), Companion (1990) *
Canada Council The Canada Council for the Arts (french: Conseil des arts du Canada), commonly called the Canada Council, is a Crown corporation established in 1957 as an arts council of the Government of Canada. It acts as the federal government's principal in ...
Medal (1965) *Achievement and Life Award, '' Encyclopædia Britannica'' (1980) *Gold Medal of Merit,
National Society of Arts and Letters The National Society of Arts and Letters (known by its abbreviation NSAL) is an American non-profit group founded in 1944 as a women's organization to assist promising young artists through arts competitions, scholarships and other career opportun ...
(1991) Karsh was awarded honorary degrees from Dartmouth College (1961), Ohio University (1968), Tufts University ( D.F.A., 1981), Syracuse University (D.F.A., 1986), Ohio State University (Doctor of Humane Letters, 1996), University of Hartford (1980),
University of Massachusetts at Amherst The University of Massachusetts Amherst (UMass Amherst, UMass) is a public research university in Amherst, Massachusetts and the sole public land-grant university in Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Founded in 1863 as an agricultural college, it ...
(1979),
Bishop's University Bishop's University (french: Université Bishop's) is a small English-language liberal arts university in Lennoxville, a borough of Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. The founder of the institution was the Anglican Bishop of Quebec, George Mountain ...
(1969),
Emerson College Emerson College is a private college with its main campus in Boston, Massachusetts. It also maintains campuses in Hollywood, Los Angeles, California and Well, Limburg, Netherlands ( Kasteel Well). Founded in 1880 by Charles Wesley Emerson as ...
, Queen's University,
Carleton University Carleton University is an English-language public research university in Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. Founded in 1942 as Carleton College, the institution originally operated as a private, non-denominational evening college to serve returning World ...
,
Mount Allison University Mount Allison University (also Mount A or MtA) is a Canadian primarily undergraduate liberal arts university located in Sackville, New Brunswick, founded in 1839. Like other liberal arts colleges in North America, Mount Allison does not parti ...
, Dawson College. Karsh has been inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum.


Publications

*''Faces of Destiny'' (1946) *''Portraits of Greatness'' (1959) *''In Search of Greatness'' (1962) *''Karsh Portfolio'' (1967) *''Faces of Our Time'' (1971) *''Karsh Portraits'' (1976) *''Karsh Canadians'' (1978) *''Karsh: A Fifty-Year Retrospective'' (1983) *''Karsh: A Sixty-Year Retrospective'' (1996) *''Heroes of Light and Shadow'' (2001)


References

;Notes ;Citations


External links


Official Yousuf Karsh Website

Yousuf Karsh Profile at Photogpedia

Yousuf Karsh fonds (R613)
at Library and Archives Canada
Yousuf Karsh Collection
at the National Gallery of Canada, Ottawa, Ontario {{DEFAULTSORT:Karsh, Yousuf Canadian people of Armenian descent Canadian expatriates in the United States Companions of the Order of Canada Artists from Ottawa Artists from Quebec People from Sherbrooke Ethnic Armenian photographers Armenians from the Ottoman Empire Canadian portrait photographers Emigrants from the Ottoman Empire to Canada 1908 births 2002 deaths People from Mardin Members of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts Armenian genocide survivors Applicants for refugee status in Canada Burials at Notre-Dame Cemetery (Ottawa)