12/01/2021
While there may be a lot of debate about who is the greatest photographer of all time there's little about who was the grandmaster of portrait photography -- an accolade that goes hands-down to Canada's pride, Yousuf Karsh (1908-2002). Karsh's craftsmanship -- dramatic lighting, imaginative mise-en-scene, a knack for capturing the sitter's essence -- made him the photographer of choice for the makers and shakers in every field of endeavor. Over a career spanning more than six decades he photographed many of the twentieth century's celebrated personalities —- Andy Warhol, Fidel Castro, Winston Churchill, Dwight Eisenhower, John F. Kennedy, Pablo Picasso, Albert Einstein to name a few. Of the 100 most notable people of the century, named by the International Who's Who [2000], Karsh had photographed 51. He was also the only Canadian to make the list.
Karsh was born in Mardin, a city in the eastern Ottoman Empire (now in Turkey). He grew up during the Armenian Genocide where he wrote, "I saw relatives massacred; my sister died of starvation as we were driven from village to village." At the age of 16, his parents sent Yousuf to live with his uncle George Nakash, a photographer in Sherbrooke, Quebec, Canada. Karsh briefly attended school there and assisted in his uncle’s studio. Nakash saw great potential in his nephew and in 1928 arranged for Karsh to apprentice with portrait photographer John Garo in Boston. He returned to Canada four years later, eager to make his mark. Canadian Prime Minister Mackenzie King discovered Karsh and arranged introductions with visiting dignitaries for portrait sittings. Karsh's work attracted the attention of varied celebrities, but his place in history was sealed on 30 December 1941 when he photographed Winston Churchill, after Churchill gave a speech to Canadian House of Commons in Ottawa. The image of Churchill brought Karsh international prominence, and is claimed to be the most reproduced photographic portrait in history.
This entry in the MWW Great Photographers series devoted to Karsh presents over 200 of his portraits, including a few of the not-famous at work. The entries are arranged in chronological order. Biographical information on the persons portrayed is included in the accompanying commentaries for each picture. (Click "See More" to the right of the full-screen image to access these.)
Other entries in the "MWW Great Photographers" series include:
* #1 - Alfred Stieglitz
* #2 - Edward Steichen
* #3 - Dorothea Lange
* #4 - Brassai
* #5 - Paul Strand
* #6 - Ansel Adams
* #7 - Imogen Cunningham
* #8 - Man Ray
* #9 - Edward Weston & Tina Modotti
* #10- Henri Cartier-Bresson
* #12- Robert Capa
* #13- Walker Evans & the FSA Photographers
* #14- Richard Avedon
