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Snapshot of an artist
Long before Polaroid, digital and disposable cameras, there was a young and very talented photographer who took pictures his own way—and became very famous for it. His name was Yousuf Karsh, and he is known the world over as one of the greatest portrait photographers who ever lived. During a career that spanned an impressive 60 years, Karsh photographed the rich, the famous, the powerful, and many others.
Even though a lot of these photographs were taken before you were born, you’ll probably still recognize some of them: Pierre Elliot Trudeau, Ernest Hemmingway, Mother Teresa, Albert Einstein, Muhammad Ali—to name but a few.
To celebrate Yousuf Karsh and his artistic genius, Canada Post issued three stamps on the 100th anniversary of his birth, which was May 21, 2008. The international rate stamp ($1.60) features the photograph that made Karsh famous. It’s a portrait taken of former British Prime Minister Winston Churchill when he visited Ottawa in 1941. The other two stamps feature actress Audrey Hepburn (96¢), and a self-portrait of Karsh at work (52¢). All three stamp images were reproduced from photographs in the collection of Library and Archives Canada, located in Ottawa, the city that Karsh called home for many years. |
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