Russell William Bannock was a Canadian fighter ace during the Second World War. This portrait of Bannock was in the private collection of Mr. Bannock’s family and will accompany his obituary in the Canadian Globe and Mail. Karsh photographed many Canadians who were serving in the military at the time.

Our colleagues at the Globe shared the story of this sitting:

This picture was taken in 1943 by Yousuf Karsh. Before Bannock went overseas in 1943, his mother asked him for a picture of himself in uniform. He said that he was walking down Sparks Street in Ottawa and saw a sign that said “Yousuf Karsh, Photographer.” He walked in expecting the photograph to take 20 minutes. After three hours he walked out. Karsh interviewed him, wanted to know his life history to that point, set different lighting and finally took the photo as attached.