Companion of the Order of Canada
Yousuf Karsh receiving his Companion of the Order of Canada in 1990.
News & Stories
Clement Attlee Biography Wins Orwell Prize
John Bew’s biography of Prime Minister Clement Attlee, “Citizen Clem”, has been awarded Britain’s most prestigious award for political writing, the Orwell Prize.
Reagan and Gorbachev Tearing Down Walls
Thirty years ago on this day, June 12, 1987, US President Ronald Reagan challenged Soviet Leader Mikhail Gorbachev to “tear down” the Berlin Wall.
MomenTO Canada
“In celebration of Canada 150, MomenTO highlights people, places and events from 1867 to 2017 that are significant to the history of Canada and Toronto.”
Coronation of Queen Elizabeth II
On this day, June 2, in 1953, Princess Elizabeth was formally crowned Queen Elizabeth II. This informal family portrait was made in 1951, and shows the then-Princess with her husband Prince Philip and their young children.
LIFE Magazine: John F. Kennedy Cover, 1961
This LIFE magazine cover from August, 1961, featured a Karsh portrait of the 35th President of the United States. Karsh made this photograph of John F. Kennedy in 1960, when Kennedy was still a senator.
John F. Kennedy’s 100th Birthday
John F. Kennedy was born on May 29, 1917. The 35th President of the United States, 1961-1963, was the youngest man elected to the office. The JFK Library is commemorating his centennial during the month of May.
Wing Officer Willa Walker
Our friends at the Canadian War Museum have this lovely photograph of Wing Officer Willa Walker in their collection, and it is currently on display as part of the traveling exhibition “World War Women /Grandes Guerres. Grandes Femmes.”
Ottawa Citizen: The Capital Builders
“In celebration of Canada’s 150th birthday, the Ottawa Citizen is rolling out one fact each day for 150 days until July 1, highlighting the odd, the fascinating and the important bits of Ottawa history you might not know about.”
The Eisenhower Memorial Commission
The Estate is pleased to partner with the Eisenhower Memorial Commission in their ongoing work to memorialize the 34th US President on the National Mall.
Georgia O’Keeffe: Living Modern
“Georgia O’Keeffe: Living Modern” takes a new look at how the renowned modernist artist proclaimed her progressive, independent lifestyle through a self-crafted public persona.
Herman Leonard
Herman Leonard began his career as an apprentice to famed portrait photographer Yousuf Karsh. “In the Groove: Jazz Portraits by Herman Leonard” features Leonard’s iconic images of jazz legends.
Camera Press at 70: A Lifetime in Pictures
“Camera Press at 70: A Lifetime in Pictures” features seven decades of iconic images from the archives of the UK’s leading independent photographic agency.
Hemingway’s Brain
The Washington Post Style section ran a cover story about Dr. Andrew Farah’s book, Hemingway’s Brain, which suggests Hemingway suffered from chronic traumatic encephalopathy, or CTE.
They Desire a Better Country: The Order of Canada in 50 Stories
“They Desire a Better Country: The Order of Canada in 50 Stories” includes portraits by Karsh, and, since he himself was a recipient of both the Companion of the Order of Canada and Officer of the Order of Canada, Karsh has his own section in the book.
CBC News: New exposure for master portrait photographer Yousuf Karsh
“It’s been 15 years since Yousuf Karsh died. At the time, digital was just starting to overtake film as the most popular photographic medium.”
I. M. Pei’s 100th Birthday
Architect I. M. Pei had his 100th birthday on April 26, 2017.
LIFE Magazine: John F. Kennedy Cover, 1963
From the archives at LIFE Magazine, the memorial edition for John F. Kennedy after his death in 1963 featuring a portrait by Karsh from 1960.
The 100 Most Influential Images of All Time
TIME Magazine’s “100 Most Influential Images of All Time” naturally includes Karsh’s “Roaring Lion” portrait of Winston Churchill.
70th Anniversary of the Day that Jackie Robinson Broke Major League Baseball’s Color Barrier
The Los Angeles Dodgers unveiled the first statue in Stadium history.
John Loengard: Celebrating the Negative
“Celebrating the Negative” is a study of the original film on which famous images have been captured by some of the most important photographers from the 19th and 20th centuries.
Joan Baez inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame
Joan Baez was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame in 2017’s award ceremony.
The Queen Elizabeth Karsh Issue Stamps and Stationery
Over in Postal History Corner, a blog from the Canadian Postal and Philatelist Society, you can read all about the process of producing a stamp in 1952.
LIFE Magazine: Ernest Hemingway Cover, 1961
From the archives at LIFE Magazine. This cover from 1961 features a less well-known color portrait of Ernest Hemingway.
Agnes Macphail
In the April 3rd, 2017, issue of Macleans, Christine Sismondo wrote an article titled: “The history and lessons of those ‘lock her up’ chants. What history – including the career of Agnes Macphail – can tell us about this fraught moment for women in politics.”
David Rockefeller, 1915-2017
David Rockefeller, the banker and philanthropist, has died aged 101.
Benjamin Britten Love Letters On Display
Extracts from letters between Benjamin Britten and Peter Pears have gone on display at the Red House.
Fidel Castro, 1926-2016
Editorials that featured Fidel Castro by Yousuf Karsh in the week after Castro died.
Estrellita Karsh Named as Project 351 Service Hero
Estrellita Karsh was recognized as a Service Hero for the 2017 Class at Project 351’s Annual Launch and Service Day.
Exhibit Citizen Karsh’s Collection
In a letter to the Ottawa Citizen, Lilly Koltun, PhD, Director General (ret’d), Portrait Gallery of Canada, writes: “Exhibit citizen Karsh’s collection”
The Churchill Factor
Very special permission was given for British author and politician Boris Johnson to use a colorized version of the portrait of Winston Churchill for the cover of his book.
Elie Wiesel, 1928-2016
Author, Nobel Peace Prize Winner, and Auschwitz survivor, Elie Wiesel, died in June, 2016.
Why is Churchill “grumpy” on new banknote?
After The Bank of England revealed a new plastic five pound note featuring Winston Churchill, ‘No Such Thing as The News’ discuss why the former prime minister looks so displeased in the photo.
Cover of the Telegraph Magazine
In April, 2016, Britain’s Telegraph Magazine celebrated Queen Elizabeth’s 90th birthday with this cover featuring a Karsh portrait of Her Majesty.
Canada Post “Canadian Photography” Features Grey Owl by Karsh
No collection of Canadian photographs would be complete without the work of Yousuf Karsh.
“Yousuf Karsh: Icons of the Twentieth Century” at the Bellagio Gallery of Fine Art
On loan from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, “Yousuf Karsh: Icons of the Twentieth Century” provides an intimate view into the faces of leading figures in the arts, politics and the Golden Age of Hollywood.
Betty Low, 1916-2016
Dancer and actress Betty Low, seen here in 1936, has died aged 100.
Developer Formulae
The developers were to Karsh’s own formulae because that is what he learned from his early years with George Nakash and John Garo – no Kodak packages.
Cameras and Lighting
Karsh’s camera of choice was large format: 8 by 10 with an interchangeable 4 by 5 back. He preferred tungsten lights because he could see the results playing across the faces of his subjects, and they were less disruptive than the flash of strobes.
The Yousuf Karsh Archive, Lecture by Julie Grahame
Julie Grahame presents several of Karsh’s most well-known works and tells the stories behind the images.