[LargeFormat] Yousuf Karsh Passes On....

[Clive Warren]

Yousuf Karsh took some of the classic portraits of the last century. 
I heard on the radio late last night that he has died peacefully in 
Boston aged 93.

His portrait of Winston Churchill in 1941 had a profound effect on 
many people and epitomised the bulldog determination of the British 
people at that time. The usual scowl was heightened by Karsh removing 
Churchill's cigar from his lips in the two minutes he was given to 
photograph him during a visit to Canada.

The BBC have a news story and a couple of photos at 
http://news.bbc.co.uk/hi/english/entertainment/arts/newsid_2127000/2127298.stm

Many of Karsh's subjects were world leaders. He photographed 12 
American presidents, as well as artists and other public figures, 
including Albert Einstein, Ernest Hemingway, and film stars including 
Audrey Hepburn, Brigitte Bardot and Humphrey Bogart.

"My personal interest in ordinary people is unlimited, but I am 
fascinated by the challenge of portraying true greatness adequately 
with my camera," he wrote in a 1996 essay.