Yousuf Karsh (known as the Karsh of Ottawa) was born in Turkey in 1908. During a time of turmoil and despair in Turkey his parents made the decision to send him to live with his uncle in Canada where he could have a better life. At the age of sixteen Karsh arrived in Canada to live with his uncle who ran a studio. Yousuf soon began to work at his uncles studio after school. After working alongside his uncle George Nakashian it was decided that Yousuf needed to fine tune his skills. His uncle sent him to apprentice the Boston photographer John N. Garo where he studied for four years. Upon his return to Canada in 1931 he began working with John Powls at a studio in Ottawa. When Powls retired two years later Karsh took over the studio and continued to work there until 1992. Karsh began taking his famous portraits in Canadian Parliament when he was commissioned by prime minister Mackenzie King. Soon after that Karsh became a regular photographer with the Canadian Government. After taking portraits of many high ranking politicians Karsh began to take portraits of influential people such as royals, statesmen, artists, scientists, and writers. Before taking each portrait Karsh was known to study his subjects with the goal of capturing that persons personality and behavior in a still image. His work is known across the world for gaining insight into his highly powerful and influential subjects. Karsh had many accomplishments outside of photography including several publications and a film. His publications describe his experiences as a photographer and his interactions with his subjects. His work inspired and motivated the up and coming generations of photographers. His work came to represent the public image of major international political and social figures. Karsh twice received the Canada lifetime achievement award as well as being recognized by the national gallery in Canada in 1989. Karsh passed away at the age of 93 in Boston after complications as a result of surgery. He will forever be remembered as a talented photographer who reached across the world with his work.
Three Famous Photos
This photograph of young queen Elizabeth was taken one year after she became royalty. It has taken on a major role in Canadian currency. This photo is featured in the design of the 20 dollar bill that millions of Canadians use on a daily basis. This photo was taken during the first of five sessions Karsh used to take photos of the queen and her royal family, and it is one of the the most popular among Canadian culture.
This portrait is my personal favorite capturing the spirit and personality of Albert Einstein. He is a wise man known for thinking and Yousuf captured this brilliantly. Karsh held his subjects in High regard and the same was true for Albert Einstein.
Arguably the most famous of Yousuf Karsh's portraits this photo has become famous world wide as a representation of the influential man and the story behind the political figure Winston Churchill. It is said that this picture was taken just after Karsh took away Churchill's cigarette leaving him with a scowl on his face that would come to represent the man. During the same session with Churchill Karsh took another famous portrait where Churchill is smiling, but this portrait clearly shows the truth behind his personality which