Yousuf Karsh

A recent thread started by our friend Wert talk about a stamp picturing Canadian Prime Minister WLM King. We discovered that the photograph from which that stamp was taken was by Yousuf Karsh.
Karsh (1908-2002) was an Armenian born (present day Turkey) Canadian photographer famous the world over for his portraiture.
The original thread got me wondering how many other Karsh portraits are represented on stamps out there?
Here are some earlier ones, starting with Wert's example (my scan)



and several of Her Majesty







There are, of course, several other later Canadian stamps based on his photos. Your mission for a Sunday afternoon (or Monday, if you're over there) is to find the rest.
And what about other countries. Can you find any? A little treasure hunt.

No takers yet?
Here's a very well known photo of Winston Churchill.
Story goes that Karsh grabbed Churchill's cigar away from him and instantly snapped that famous scowl.



web photo

Just noticed that jamesw identified the stamps from the web. Will start to do that, too.

Winston Churchill issued 13. May 1965


Ernest Hemingway issued 17. July 1989


Winston Churchill
Australia issued 13. May 1965
New Zealand issued 24. May 1965[/b]

web photo

Same stamp - different value ...more to come....

Yousuf Karsh (born 1908)

web translation

Yousuf Karsh was born in Mardin / Armenia the son of a wholesale trader. His family fled in 1922 from the pressures of the Turkish Government first to Syria, to emigrate in 1924 to Canada. For several years, he worked as an Assistant in the Photo Studio of his uncle in Sherbrooke/Québec.

After an apprenticeship (1928-1930) in Boston, with his compatriot John H. Garo, one of the most renowned representatives of the picturesque portrait photography, Yousuf Karsh moved to Ottawa in 1932. There, he worked for the Prominentenfotografen John Powis and took over his Studio a year later. Heavily influenced by the theatre photography with their dramatic Beleuchtungseffekten, whom he had met in Ottawa on the "little theatre", he laid the Foundation for an unparalleled career with the jump in the self-employment.

in 1936, he became a "Photographer" of Canadian Governor and portrayed the political sizes of Canada in addition to the social upper class. A photo of Winston Churchill, 1941 in Ottawa included, eventually worldwide attention and the breakthrough gave him.

In the course of his long, extraordinary career he photographed all rank and name on the international scene: politicians, Royals, which scholars, artists and film stars. Yousuf Karsh understood it in a unique way, with the help of light and shadow to beauty, aura, and thus the inner "size" a personality with the camera and to model. By styled the sitters to the timeless icon and thus in the public consciousness made a sense "immortal" him enshrined, his idealistic photos to a strong extent contributed to the collective myth-making.

The entire oeuvre (?) of the photographer who led his Studio until 1992, is located in the national archives of Canada, Ottawa. Yousuf Karsh now lives in Boston/United States.
Karsh (1908-2002)

The first definitive issue for Elizabeth II's reign was based on a portrait by Yusuf Karsh, and was issued on a plain background in five values on 1953-05-01.





The Karsh series was replaced in the following year by a new design based on the portrait by Dorothy Wilding that was also used in the United Kingdom

Now, a question for the experts. Which one are the 1954 stamps,
Karsh or Wilding?

Interestingly, I think, Yousuf's brother Malak, also an accomplished photographer in the Ottawa area, and one of the founders of the Ottawa Tulip Festival passed away barely 8 months before his brother with barely a peep from the media.

I'm not sure I understand your post, fifia. You've already said, correctly, that the 1954 definitives, the replacement issue (1954), were the Wilding portrait.

Thanks, I was not sure....

This should be a good thread James.

Interesting article here on the Postal History Corner site as to why the
Karsh Queens of 1953 were replaced after only one year.
Apparently the Post Office blamed it on a poor engraving job.

http://postalhistorycorner.blogspot...mps-and.html

Lets not forget Canada's tribute to Karsh on the 100th anniversary of the birth in 2008.
Canada Post issued a SS and booklets. The whole issue was well
designed and the printing was excellent by Lowe-martin.




Audrey Hepburn, this time without a cigarette.




Churchill





Karsh Self portrait.





What a difference in what can be done using only shades of black and greys and comparing with the terrible job done on Gregory Peck's stamp issued by the USPS

Canada`s queen definitives 37 to 47 cents are from a Karsh photo.

I assume you are referring to these.



...and you would be correct.

And welcome to SCF alan!

Web images of two more Karsh inspired Canadian stamps.

Humourist Stephen Leacock




Governor General Georges Vanier

I'm surprised no one has yet provided this web site link as to some of Karsh's portraits, several of which were used on some of the stamps previously posted:

http://www.karsh.org/#/the_work/portraits/

2002 stamp for The Queens Golden Jubilee from a 1984 photograph by Yousuf Karsh



web photo

The stamp shows the famous Karsh portrait of Mme Sauvé seated on a chair and features three smaller black and white portraits depicting various aspects of her distinguished career.



web photo