On January 10, 1920, the League of Nations was formally established when the Covenant of the League of Nations, ratified by 42 nations in 1919, took effect. When war broke out in 1939, the League closed down and its headquarters in Geneva remained empty throughout the war.

The earliest concrete plan for a new world organization began under the aegis of the U.S. State Department in 1939. The text of the “Declaration by United Nations” was drafted at the White House on December 29, 1941, by President Franklin D. Roosevelt, Prime Minister Winston Churchill, and Roosevelt aide Harry Hopkins. (Wikipedia).

Karsh photographed several Secretaries General and others with roles at the United Nations. See the Sittings.