Pablo Picasso
Pablo Picasso was born on this day, October 25, in 1881. Picasso was photographed by Karsh at Villa La Galloise, in July of 1954.
News & Stories
Vannevar Bush
Vannevar Bush was photographed by Karsh in 1950, the year legislation to create the National Science Foundation passed through Congress and was signed into law by President Truman.
Angela Lansbury
Angela Lansbury was born on this day, October 16, in 1925, which makes her just 21 years old in this portrait.
Mikhail Gorbachev
On this day, October 15, in 1990, Mikhail Gorbachev was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize “for his leading role in the peace process which today characterizes important parts of the international community.”
Elixir
From the very beginning of his career, Karsh was photographing almost daily. His work included weddings, passport photos, children and pets, dignitaries, as well as the theatre and some advertising. During this period, he was also experimenting with optics and Surrealism.
Francois Mauriac
Francois Mauriac, novelist and winner of the Nobel Prize in Literature in 1952, was born on this day, October 11, in 1885.
Dr. Andrei Sakharov
On this day, October 9, 1975, Dr. Andrei Sakharov was awarded the Nobel Prize for Peace.
Canadian Thanksgiving
On January 31, 1957, the Governor General of Canada Vincent Massey issued a proclamation stating: “A Day of General Thanksgiving to Almighty God for the bountiful harvest with which Canada has been blessed – to be observed on the second Monday in October.”
T. H. Robsjohn-Gibbings
If you aren’t familiar with the great British-born American tastemaker and furniture designer of the mid 1900s who established a style of decorating for the new post-war American home, I can tell you that his name is code for “fabulous, cool and very expensive.”
Art Starts a Dialogue on Climate Change at the MFA
At the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, there is a print depicting two people juggling tiny, dot-like balls. They’re struggling to keep the balls in the air, but they’re smiling all the same.
Graham Greene
Graham Greene was born on this day, October 2, in 1904.
Romeo and Juliet
“The experience of photographing actors on the stage with stage lighting was exhilarating. The unlimited possibilities of artificial light overwhelmed me.”
Hugh Hefner, 1926-2017
Hugh Hefner, editor-in-chief and publisher of Playboy magazine, and founder and chief creative officer of Playboy Enterprises, has died.
Jonas Salk
Relationships with the relatives and estates of Yousuf Karsh’s subjects can turn up interesting stories and personal photos, and lead to new uses of the images.
Sophia Loren
Sophia Loren was born on this day, September 20, in 1934.
Karsh Award Artists Welcome a New Generation
The Karsh Award honors the artistic legacy of Yousuf Karsh and his brother Malak Karsh, while continuing an intergenerational chain of mentorship that fosters camera-based innovation.
Lyndon B. Johnson
After Lyndon B. Johnson was elected president in 1964, the stage was set for the passage of Medicare and Medicaid in 1965.
Dag Hammarskjold
Dag Hammarskjold was the youngest person to ever have held the United Nations Secretary-General post, and is one of only four people to be awarded a posthumous Nobel Prize.
Nikita Khrushchev
Nikita Khrushchev died on this day, September 11, in 1971, aged 77.
John and Jacqueline Kennedy
On this day, September 12, 1953, Senator John Fitzgerald Kennedy of Massachusetts married Jacqueline Lee Bouvier.
“Continuum” Exhibition and Events
“Continuum: Karsh Award Artists Welcome a New Generation” opens on September 14, 2017, with a series of events taking place at Karsh Masson Gallery, Ottawa.
Thurgood Marshall
On this day, August 30, in 1967, Thurgood Marshall became the first African American to be confirmed as a Supreme Court justice.
Jerry Lewis, 1926-2017
Jerry Lewis has died at home in Las Vegas at the age of 91. Yousuf Karsh photographed Lewis in 1974 for Lewis’s Muscular Dystrophy annual Labor Day telethon.
Ford of Canada: Gow Crapper
This image, known as Rear Window, features Ford of Canada factory worker Gow Crapper. Karsh spent two weeks at Ford of Canada’s Windsor plant in 1951, and produced some of his best industrial photographs.
Dr. Helen Taussig
Dr. Helen Taussig is buried in Mount Auburn Cemetery, in Cambridge, Mass. This portrait is now being used to illustrate her biography on the cemetery’s website.
Alfred Hitchcock
Alfred Hitchcock was born on this day, August 13, in 1899.
Richard Nixon Resigns
On this day, August 9, in 1974, Richard Nixon resigned in the face of impending impeachment.
Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams
Yousuf Karsh photographed Princess Grace in 1956, wearing this dress by Dior. The image is included in the new exhibition “Christian Dior: Designer of Dreams.”
Château Laurier – A Splendid Century
Yousuf Karsh lived and worked at the Château Laurier for 19 years and his photographs hang in their Reading Lounge and the Karsh Suite. A new book by author Kevin J. Holland about the hotel’s past titled “Château Laurier – A Splendid Century” is out now.
Apollo 11 Moon Landing
On this day, July 20, in 1969, Apollo 11 landed on the moon.
Lester Pearson: Most Canadian Photograph Ever?
As Canada celebrates 150 years, this photo was mentioned by a fan nominating it for “the most Canadian picture ever.”
Emil Schram and Sons
An inquiry came in from someone who had been searching for years for a copy of this photograph of Emil Schram with his three sons.
A Statue of Yousuf Karsh is Unveiled
“The presence of the statue of Yousuf Karsh in downtown Ottawa will always be one of the most beautiful symbols of Armenian-Canadian friendly relations.”
Chagall: Fantasies for the Stage
“Chagall: Fantasies for the Stage” opens July 31, 2017, at the Los Angeles County Museum of Art. The exhibition highlights the principal role that music and dance played in Marc Chagall’s artistic practice.
Canada Day: Canada 150
July 1st is Canada Day, and this year Canada celebrates 150 years.
J. W. McLaren Caricature of Karsh
This linocut caricature of Karsh was made by one of his sitters, the Canadian artist J. W. McLaren.
Helen Keller
Helen Keller was born on this day, June 27, in 1880. “On first looking into her blind but seeing eyes, I said to myself of this woman who had no sight or hearing since the age of three, ‘Her light comes from within.’”
Heroes of World War II
“Heroes of World War II: Men and Women Who Put Their Lives on the Line” is a new publication from LIFE Books that features important figures from the period.
Bryan Adams
Library and Archives Canada, in collaboration with Canada 150 Federal Secretariat of Canadian Heritage, includes this portrait of Bryan Adams in their series of 365 historical fact capsules.
Companion of the Order of Canada
Yousuf Karsh receiving his Companion of the Order of Canada in 1990.