Yousuf Karsh Canadian, 1906-2002

Yousuf Karsh was a renowned Armenian-Canadian photographer, best known for his iconic portraits of world leaders, celebrities, and cultural icons. Born in 1908 in Turkish Armenia, Karsh immigrated to Canada with his family at the age of 16 and began his photography career in the 1930s. He gained international recognition in the 1940s with his portrait of Canadian politician William Lyon Mackenzie King, which led to a long-term contract with Life magazine. Throughout his 70-year career, Karsh photographed over 60,000 sitters, including Albert Einstein, Frank Lloyd Wright, Audrey Hepburn, and Winston Churchill, among many others. His work is characterized by its simplicity, elegance, and ability to capture the essence of his subjects. Karsh received numerous awards and accolades for his contributions to photography, including the Royal Photographic Society's Centenary Medal and the Lifetime Achievement Award from the American Society of Media Photographers. He passed away in 2002 at the age of 93.