Yousuf Karsh

CC RCA FRPS
Karsh in 1936
Born(1908-12-23)December 23, 1908
Mardin, Diyarbekir Vilayet, Ottoman Empire (present-day Turkey)
DiedJuly 13, 2002(2002-07-13) (aged 93)
Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.
Burial placeNotre-Dame Cemetery
NationalityOttoman Empire
Canada
CitizenshipCanada
Spouses
  • Solange Gauthier
    ​
    ​
    (m. 1939; died 1961)​
  • Estrellita Nachbar
    ​
    (m. 1962)​
Websitekarsh.org
Signature

Yousuf Karsh, CC RCA FRPS (December 23, 1908 – July 13, 2002) was a Canadian photographer known for his portraits of notable individuals. He has been described as one of the greatest portrait photographers of the 20th century.[1][2]

An Armenian genocide 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[lower-alpha 1] was born to Armenian parents Amsih Karsh (1872–1962), a merchant, and Bahia Nakash (1883–1958), on December 23, 1908, in Mardin, Diyarbekir Vilayet, Ottoman Empire.[11] His father was Catholic, while his mother was Protestant.[12] He had two brothers: Jamil and Malak;[6] the latter was also a photographer.[13] 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."[6]

The city's Armenian population was largely Arabic-speaking.[14] He grew up during the Armenian genocide, during which some of his family were murdered.[15][16] "My recollections of those days comprise a strange mixture of blood and beauty, of persecution and peace," he later wrote.[6] Karsh and his family escaped to a refugee camp in Aleppo, Syria in 1922 in a month-long journey with a Kurdish caravan.[14][17][18] The Economist noted in their obituary of Karsh that he "thought of himself as an Armenian"[19] and, according to Vartan Gregorian, "Although he was proud to be Canadian, Karsh was equally proud to be Armenian."[20]

Karsh was sent to Canada by his family.[2][21] He arrived in Halifax, Nova Scotia on December 31, 1923, by ship from Beirut.[22] He immediately moved to Sherbrooke, Quebec to live with his maternal uncle George Nakashian (Nakash), a portrait photographer.[23][17][24] He attended Sherbrooke High School for a year and his "formal education was over almost before it began."[6] By the time he reached Canada, he "spoke little French, and less English" and "had no money and little schooling."[6] Karsh worked for, and was taught photography by his uncle.[25][7] He gave Karsh a Box Brownie camera.[19] From 1928 to 1931, Karsh apprenticed in Boston, 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.[14][25][26]

Career

Karsh in 1938

Karsh settled in Ottawa, initially working for photographer John Powis;[27] his first commissions were from local Ottawa theatre groups.[28] Karsh opened his first studio in 1932.[7][25] It was located on the second floor of a building at 130 Sparks Street, which was later named the Hardy Arcade.[22] He remained there until 1972, when he moved to the Château Laurier.[25] He was known professionally as "Karsh of Ottawa",[16][24][17][29] which was also his signature.[23] He achieved initial success by capturing the attention of Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King, who helped Karsh arrange photography sessions with visiting dignitaries.[1] 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.[27] 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.[27]

Throughout his life, Karsh photographed "anyone who was anyone."[19] 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."[24] He once also jokingly remarked, "I do it for my own immortality."[23] By the time he retired in 1992, more than 20 of his photos had appeared on the cover of Life magazine.[1] Karsh's photos were known for their use of dramatic lighting, which became the hallmark of his portrait style. He had studied it with both Garo in Boston[25][8] and at the Ottawa Little Theatre, of which he was a member.[24][7] Before a sitting, Karsh researched his subjects and talked to them.[30] He also often used props in his portraits, some of which were emblematic of his sitters' professions.[28]

Karsh's portrait of Winston Churchill, titled The Roaring Lion, 30 December 1941

His 1941 photo of Winston Churchill, the British Prime Minister, brought him international prominence.[31][32] The photograph was taken on December 30, 1941, in the Speaker's chamber of the Speaker of the House of Commons in the Canadian Parliament 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.[18][17] 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.[19]

The photo, which according to The Economist is the "most reproduced portrait in the history of photography",[19] has been described as one of the "most iconic portraits ever shot".[17] USC Fisher Museum of Art described it as a "defiant and scowling portrait [which] became an instant icon of Britain's stand against fascism."[33] It appeared on the cover of the May 21, 1945, issue of Life,[34] which bought it for $100.[19] 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.[17] It is considered Churchill's most famous picture and appears on the Bank of England £5 note.[30] 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.[35][36]

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.[26] His 1957 portrait of the American novelist Ernest Hemingway, taken at Hemingway's Cuban home Finca Vigía,[37] is another well-known photo by Karsh.[15] According to Amanda Hopkinson it made Hemingway look like the hero of his 1952 novel The Old Man and the Sea.[24] His other notable portraits include George Bernard Shaw at an old age (1943), Dwight D. Eisenhower as a five-star general and Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force (1946), American artist Georgia O'Keeffe in her New Mexico studio (1956), and Soviet leader Nikita Khrushchev swathed in fur (1963).[7] In 1984, Karsh photographed the Canadian rock band Rush for their album Grace Under Pressure.

Besides portraits of the famous, Karsh photographed assembly line workers in Windsor, Ontario, commissioned by the Ford Motor Company of Canada.[17] He also shot photos for Canadair that were used in an advertising campaign.[28] His landscape photographs of Rome and the Holy Land were included in books in collaboration with Bishop Fulton J. Sheen, an annual poster for the Muscular Dystrophy Association, and other works.[18]

Karsh closed his studio at Château Laurier in June 1992.[25] His penultimate sittings in May 1993 were with President Bill Clinton and First Lady Hillary.[38]

He was a visiting professor at Ohio University and at Emerson College in Boston.[7]

Personal life

Yousuf and Estrellita Karsh with U.S. president Ronald Reagan in 1983, at the White House

Karsh's first marriage was to Solange Gauthier (1902−1961) in 1939.[23][31] He met her at the Ottawa Little Theatre in 1933,[39] where she was a star. Gauthier was born in Tours, France and migrated to Canada as a young girl.[40] They initially moved into her apartment and in 1940, into an Art Deco home called Little Wings on the Rideau River just outside Ottawa.[22] She died in January 1961 of cancer.[40]

His second marriage was to Estrellita Maria Nachbar, a medical writer 21 years his junior, in August 1962.[41] Their wedding was officiated by Fulton J. Sheen, Auxiliary Bishop of the Catholic Archdiocese of New York. From 1972 to 1992 they lived in a third-floor suite at Château Laurier, Ottawa[15][17] and maintained Little Wings and an apartment and studio in Manhattan. They had no children.[23]

Retirement and death

Karsh moved to Boston in 1997.[42] He died on July 13, 2002, at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston after complications following surgery.[7][2] A private funeral was held in Ottawa.[2] He was interred in Notre-Dame Cemetery in Ottawa.[43]

Recognition

A bust of Karsh, a gift from Armenia, unveiled before Château Laurier, Ottawa, in 2017

Karsh has been recognized as Canada's leading portrait photographer.[44] In general, he is recognized as one of the best-known[2] and great[1] 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".[19] The website of the Governor General of Canada describes him as the "pre-eminent portrait photographer of the twentieth century".[16] The Metropolitan Museum of Art described him as "one of the greatest portrait photographers of the twentieth century [who] achieved a distinct style in his theatrical lighting".[45] 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".[25]

By the time of his death, his work was included in numerous museum collections including the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Museum of Modern Art (both in New York), National Gallery of Canada, National Portrait Gallery in London, National Museum of Modern Art in Tokyo, Art Institute of Chicago, Saint Louis Art Museum, Muscarelle Museum of Art, George Eastman Museum, and elsewhere.[7] In 1987 the National Archives of Canada acquired the complete collection of Karsh items, including the negatives, prints and transparencies produced and retained by Karsh since 1933.[25] The current Library and Archives Canada collection has 355,000 items in its Karsh collection, including all of his 150,000 negatives,[31] kept at a facility in Gatineau, Quebec.[15] Karsh's widow Estrellita gifted more than 100 photographic prints to the National Portrait Gallery in Washington, D.C.[30]

He was a member of the Royal Canadian Academy of Arts and an honorary fellow of the Royal Photographic Society (UK).[7][24]

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. Among attendees were George Furey, the Speaker of the Senate, and Arif Virani, the Parliamentary Secretary to the Minister of Canadian Heritage.[46][47][48]

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.[49]

Awards

Karsh was awarded honorary degrees from Dartmouth College (1961),[52] Ohio University (1968),[53] Tufts University (D.F.A., 1981),[54] Syracuse University (D.F.A., 1986),[55] Ohio State University (Doctor of Humane Letters, 1996),[56] University of Hartford (1980),[51] University of Massachusetts at Amherst (1979),[51] Bishop's University (1969),[51] Emerson College,[51] Queen's University,[51] Carleton University,[51] Mount Allison University,[51] Dawson College.[51]

Karsh has been inducted into the International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum.[57]

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)[58]
  • Heroes of Light and Shadow (2001)
  • Photography in Canada, 1839–1989: An Illustrated History. Toronto: Art Canada Institute, 2023. ISBN 978-1-4871-0309-5. Sarah Bassnett and Sarah Parsons.

References

Notes
  1. ↑ Armenian sources sometimes refer to him as Hovsep Karsh,[3][4][5] which is the Armenian equivalent of Yousuf. Both are variants of the name Joseph.
Citations
  1. 1 2 3 4 Berman, Eliza (March 18, 2015). "Yousuf Karsh's Masterful Portraits From Churchill to Hepburn". Time. Archived from the original on January 3, 2017.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 Thurber, Jon (July 14, 2002). "Yousuf Karsh, 93; Photographs Captured Face of 20th Century". Los Angeles Times. Archived from the original on October 5, 2018.
  3. ↑ Chookaszian, Levon (1986). "Քարշ Հովսեպ [Karsh Hovsep]". Soviet Armenian Encyclopedia Volume 12 (in Armenian). p. 430.
  4. ↑ "Քարշ Հովսեփ [Karsh Hovsep]". encyclopedia.am (in Armenian). Armenian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on August 19, 2021.
  5. ↑ Hovhannisyan, Armen (November 18, 2013). Հայազգի լուսանկարիչ Քարշի աշխատանքների ցուցահանդես՝ ԱՄՆ-ի ազգային պատկերասրահում (in Armenian). Voice of America Armenian Service. Archived from the original on July 15, 2017. ...Յուսուֆ (Հովսեփ) Քարշի...
  6. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "A Brief Biography". karsh.org. Estate of Yousuf Karsh. Archived from the original on August 14, 2021.
  7. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 "Yousuf Karsh, Who Photographed Famous And Infamous of 20th Century, Dies at 93". The New York Times. July 14, 2002.
  8. 1 2 "Yousuf Karsh". National Gallery of Canada. Archived from the original on July 15, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Décès de Mme Amsih Karsh [Death of Mrs. Amsih Karsh]". Le Guide (in French). (via Bibliothèque et Archives nationales du Québec). September 30, 1958. Nous avons appris avec regret 'a mort de Mme Amsih Karsh née Bahia Nakash décédée mardi matin le 3 octobre à l'äge de 76 ans ot 7 mois. Elle laisse dans le deuil outre son époux, ses fils, MM. Yousuf Karsh. Malak Karsh, Jamil Karsh, Salim Karsh...
  10. ↑ "Deaths". The Ottawa Citizen. June 28, 1962. p. 49. Amish Karsh, 90. Turkish-born father of internationally-famous photographers Malak and Yousuf Karsh
  11. ↑ [6][7][8][9][10]
  12. ↑ "The private life of YOUSUF KARSH". Maclean's. October 6, 1962. Archived from the original on September 13, 2022.
  13. ↑ "Ottawa photographer Malak Karsh dies". cbc.ca. Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. November 9, 2001. Archived from the original on December 2, 2014.
  14. 1 2 3 Adalian, Rouben Paul (2010). Historical Dictionary of Armenia. Lanham, Maryland: Scarecrow Press. p. 375. ISBN 978-0-8108-7450-3.
  15. 1 2 3 4 Gardner, Simon (April 28, 2017). "New exposure for master portrait photographer Yousuf Karsh". Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Archived from the original on July 16, 2017.
  16. 1 2 3 4 "Yousuf Karsh, C.C." gg.ca. Governor General of Canada. Archived from the original on June 13, 2017.
  17. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 Crawford, Blair (May 14, 2017). "The Capital Builders: How 'Karsh of Ottawa' captured the world's most famous people in photos". Ottawa Citizen.
  18. 1 2 3 "Yousuf Karsh". The Daily Telegraph. July 15, 2002.
  19. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 "Yousuf Karsh". The Economist. July 18, 2002.
  20. ↑ "Karsh Photo Still Enthralls Vartan Gregorian". Asbarez. November 10, 2011. Archived from the original on August 19, 2021.
  21. ↑ Kaufman, Sarah (July 26, 2009). "Review of 'Karsh at 100: Portraits of Artists' at Canadian Embassy". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on July 26, 2019. Karsh, an Armenian emigre who lived most of his life in Ottawa.
  22. 1 2 3 Gessell, Paul (September 1, 2009). "KARSH: The early years". Ottawa Citizen. Archived from the original on November 28, 2013.
  23. 1 2 3 4 5 Clifford, Garry (March 1982). "Yousuf Karsh". People. 17 (8).
  24. 1 2 3 4 5 6 Hopkinson, Amanda (July 15, 2002). "Yousuf Karsh". The Guardian. Archived from the original on December 23, 2020.
  25. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Skidmore, Colleen (March 14, 2010). "Yousuf Karsh". The Canadian Encyclopedia. Archived from the original on July 14, 2017.
  26. 1 2 "Yousuf Karsh: Regarding Heroes". Art Institute of Chicago. 2009. Archived from the original on November 15, 2018.
  27. 1 2 3 Burant, Jim (2022). Ottawa Art & Artists: An Illustrated History. Toronto: Art Canada Institute. ISBN 978-1-4871-0289-0.
  28. 1 2 3 Bassnet, Sarah; Parsons, Sarah (2023). Photography in Canada, 1839–1989: An Illustrated History. Toronto: Art Canada Institute. ISBN 978-1-4871-0309-5.{{cite book}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  29. ↑ "Armenian who became portraitist of the famous". The Irish Times. July 20, 2002. Archived from the original on February 26, 2021.
  30. 1 2 3 Nayeri, Farah (December 4, 2018). "Yousuf Karsh's Portraits Evoke a Subject's Inner Beauty". The New York Times.
  31. 1 2 3 Moroz, Sarah (October 29, 2013). "From Elizabeth Taylor to Andy Warhol: Capturing the Famous Faces of the 20th Century". Slate. Archived from the original on January 23, 2021.
  32. ↑ "From Colonel Sanders to Grace Kelly: Iconic American Portraits by Yousuf Karsh". Smithsonian. November 19, 2013. Archived from the original on August 4, 2021.
  33. ↑ Travis, David (2010). "Yousuf Karsh: Regarding Heroes". USC Fisher Museum of Art, University of Southern California. Archived from the original on May 23, 2021.
  34. ↑ "Winston Churchill". Life. May 21, 1945.
  35. ↑ Gillis, Megan (August 23, 2022). "Famed Karsh photograph of Winston Churchill replaced with copy, Château Laurier says". Ottawa Citizen. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  36. ↑ Woods, Michael (August 22, 2022). "Iconic Sir Winston Churchill photograph stolen from Chateau Laurier, replaced with copy". CTV News. Archived from the original on August 22, 2022. Retrieved August 23, 2022.
  37. ↑ "Finca La Vigía - Ernest Hemingway's Home in Cuba". hemingwaycuba.com.
  38. ↑ "Sittings". karsh.org. Estate of Yousuf Karsh. Archived from the original on August 25, 2021.
  39. ↑ "Karsh: 50 Years of Photographs by Yousuf Karsh". National Portrait Gallery, London, London. 1984. Archived from the original on March 15, 2016.
  40. 1 2 "Mrs. Karsh, Wife of Photographer, Business Manager of the Portraitist is Dead--Did Research for his Work". The New York Times. January 26, 1961.
  41. ↑ "Yousuf Karsh, Photographer, Marries Estrellita Nachbar". The New York Times. August 29, 1962.
  42. ↑ Matchan, Linda (November 6, 2007). "She's a portrait of passion". Boston Globe. ...the Karshes moved here from Ottawa 10 years ago...
  43. ↑ "Dozens of tombstones damaged in Ottawa cemetery". CTV News. May 2, 2010. The large grounds host a number of Canadian luminaries, including photographer Yousuf Karsh...
  44. ↑ Teodorescu, Ioana (Fall 2009). "Karsh: Image Maker/Créateur d'images". Material Culture Review. University of New Brunswick. 70.
  45. ↑ "Ernest Hemingway, 1957". metmuseum.org. Metropolitan Museum of Art. Archived from the original on October 11, 2014. Retrieved October 11, 2014.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: bot: original URL status unknown (link)
  46. ↑ "Monument Dedicated to World-Famous Canadian-Armenian Photographer Yousuf Karsh Unveiled in Ottawa". mfa.am. Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Armenia. June 9, 2017.
  47. ↑ Sevunts, Levon (June 12, 2017). "Yousuf Karsh bust unveiled in downtown Ottawa". Radio Canada International.
  48. ↑ "Canadian-Armenian photographer Yousuf Karsh's statue inaugurated in Ottawa". Armenpress. June 10, 2017.
  49. ↑ "Karsh Award". ottawa.ca. City of Ottawa. November 17, 2022.
  50. ↑ "Golden Plate Awardees". achievement.org. American Academy of Achievement. Archived from the original on August 19, 2021.
  51. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 Fielder, Jerry. "Awards". karsh.org. Estate of Yousuf Karsh. Archived from the original on August 15, 2021.
  52. ↑ "Honorary Degree Citations". Dartmouth Alumni Magazine. Dartmouth College. July 1961. Archived from the original on August 19, 2021.
  53. ↑ "Past Honorary Alumni Awardees". ohio.edu. Ohio University. Archived from the original on August 20, 2017.
  54. ↑ "Honorary Degrees". tufts.edu. Tufts University. Archived from the original on May 3, 2016.
  55. ↑ "Awards and Honors: Recipient of Honorary Degrees". syr.edu. Syracuse University. Archived from the original on July 30, 2016. Retrieved August 11, 2016.
  56. ↑ "Honorary Degrees". osu.edu. Ohio State University: 12. July 12, 1996. hdl:1811/50234. Archived from the original on August 20, 2017. Alt URL
  57. ↑ "Yousuf Karsh". iphf.org. International Photography Hall of Fame and Museum. Archived from the original on April 19, 2022.
  58. ↑ "Yousuf Karsh | Armenian-Canadian photographer". Encyclopedia Britannica. Retrieved February 7, 2021.
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