The enduring photographs of Yousuf Karsh
Recently, we made it into the big city to see a newly installed exhibition called The World of Yousuf Karsh: A Private Essence at the Canadian Immigration Museum at Pier 21 in Halifax. Since it’s up until Oct. 16, I recommend a visit.
Yousuf Karsh was Armenian Christian refugee displaced by Turkish persecution. Born in 1908 in what was kno
wn as the Ottoman Empire, he was sent to Canada to join his uncle, who was a photographer in Quebec. Later he apprenticed for three years in Boston.
Karsh spent his career photographing famous faces. He captured everyone from Albert Einstein to Walt Disney. His studio in the Chateau Laurier Hotel in Ottawa was the perfect spot to stop politicians and celebrities for a photo session.
Karsh became a photojournalist in 1936 when he photographed U.S. and Canadian leaders, Franklin D. Roosevelt and Mackenzie King. After that the government commissioned him regularly.
There’s a great story about Karsh taking Winston Churchill’s 1941 portrait. He was given just three minutes to do the job. He startled the wartime leader by grabbing the cigar out of his mouth and the result is a tough, determined scowl.
That image made Karsh’s career, but interestingly the very next frame is a smiling prime minister.
That determined Churchill face is in the Halifax exhibition and along with most of the images is Karsh’s take on the photo shoot. He definitely became friends with many of his subjects but weighed in on almost all.
His women tend to be beautiful or unique. Grace Kelly was one glamorous face, while Martha Graham, the dance maven, was more legendary in her field.
I loved the image of American poet Robert Frost, seated comfortably, gesticulating with one hand and patting his little terrier called Wag with the other. Frost’s trousers are practically up to his arm pits. It would appear that Karsh went to him for that portrait and his sense of ease is apparent.
There’s a 1977 picture of Robertson Davies in the exhibition. The academic and writer, having indicated that he was not keen on wilderness, told Karsh, “In this I think I’m a real Canadian. My forebearers were genuine pioneers and their idea was to get inside and keep the wilderness outside.”
For some reason Jacques Cousteau’s hooked nose reminded me of French clown Marcel Marceau, but the 1972 image does appropriately show the underwater explorer and conservationist in a wet suit. Karsh said Cousteau “reminded me of a medieval seer. I was fascinated to learn about his underwater research.
“It is the key to human survival,” Cousteau said. "He warned me that man is gravely endangering this vital resource. All land pollutants eventually find their way to the oceans, and we risk poisoning the sea forever, just when we are learning her scenic art and philosophy and learning to live in her embrace.”
Memorable image and prophetic words.
In his 1978 book, Karsh Canadians, there’s a 1933 portrait of former prime minister Sir Robert Borden that strikes me as out of focus.
That surprised me, but I think he still showed the Nova Scotia native’s “old-fashioned courtesy and quiet charm.”
Early on, Karsh connected with the Ottawa Little Theatre and a sense of theatrical lighting is imbued in many of his images. Some of his black and white photos strike me as too dark, but the personality of his subjects still comes through.
Karsh carefully set up lighting to reveal his subjects’ faces. He was seeking the essence of each persona and often his photos helped advance their image. However, his 1964 image of Group of Seven painter Frederick Varley showed each pore and wrinkle in his 83-year-old face while still displaying a sympathetic feeling.
The face of novelist Morley Callaghan, for example, emerges from the black background to show the viewer a kindly, slightly impish look. Callaghan, like many of the men Karsh photographed, has a cigarette in his hand, which speaks about the era.
Father Moses Coady of Antigonish was a person I’d heard unique tales about but had never viewed his image. His 1949 portrait exudes strength and as Karsh said, “This photograph reveals, I hope, his combination of spiritual faith and pragmatic realism.”
Karsh photographed many of the world’s biggest personalities, including royalty, statesmen, artists, and writers. He published six books of famous faces, but since his death in
2002 we haven’t had a chance to review his work. Till now.
“Within every person a secret is hidden, and as a photographer, it is my job to reveal it if I can.
The revelation may come in a fraction of a second in the form of an unconscious gesture, a gleam of the eye. In that fleeting moment, the photographer must act or lose his prize,” Karsh once said.
That’s why the exhibition at Pier 21 is worth catching.