Lot 137
  • 137

Yousuf Karsh

Estimate
20,000 - 30,000 USD
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Description

  • Yousuf Karsh
  • 'rt. -hon. winston churchill'
signed and annotated 'Ottawa' by the photographer in white ink on the image, and with his copyright and printing information stamps, numbered '1' by him in red crayon, and titled and annotated in an unidentified hand in pencil, on the reverse, matted, accompanied by a 'Karsh Portraitist, Ottowa, Canada,' studio label on the reverse, 1941, printed no later than 1944 (Retrospective, p. 38)

Provenance

Gift of the photographer to the Chicago Camera Club, 1940s

Condition

This early print, on double-weight, smooth, semi-glossy paper, is in generally excellent condition. The following are visible in high raking light: scattered original retouching, most noticeably in the upper middle of the image; faint linear surface scratches that do not break the emulsion in the upper right and lower left corners; and two faint crescent-shaped handling creases in the left center of the image toward the print's edge. There are two one-inch linear creases in the upper left corner that break the emulsion. There is minimal edge chipping and remnants of original age-darkened adhesive along the left margin edge. None of these issues affects the overall print quality. On the reverse are 8 one- to 3-inch remnants of original adhesive along the left and right edges, a piece of brown paper tape the width of the print at the upper edge, and faint soiling along the left bottom edge. When exposed to a black light, this print does not fluoresce.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.

Catalogue Note

This photograph was sent by Yousuf Karsh in the early 1940s to the Chicago Camera Club, presumably for exhibition.  In 1991, in an effort to catalogue the Club's collection, Club president Jane M. Sparhawk contacted Karsh about this and other prints.  Older Club members had told Sparhawk that Karsh's photographs had been present in the collection since before 1944.  Karsh's reply confirmed this, and he wrote that he was pleased that his photographs had been 'constant companions since 1944' and that he 'probably donated them after having exhibited them upon invitation.' 

The Chicago Camera Club, founded in 1895, merged with the Fort Dearborn Camera Club in 1951 to form the Fort Dearborn-Chicago Camera Club.  It is known today as The Fort Dearborn-Chicago Photo Forum.  Karsh had found a welcome venue for his work at the Club as early as 1938, when he entered an international photographs salon sponsored by the organization.