Julie Grahame to speak at B & H Event Space – The Yousuf Karsh Archive: How We Keep It Current

 Master portrait photographer Yousuf Karsh died in 2002, leaving an extraordinary archive of photographs. During his career he held 15,312 sittings, produced over 150,000 negatives, and left an indelible artistic and historic record of the men and women who shaped the twentieth century. Whomever he photographed during his seven decades of commercial photography, be they world leaders or artists, nobel prize winners or soldiers heading to war, dignitaries or local Ottawans, Karsh engaged with his subjects in his own remarkable fashion.The North American representative for the Estate of Yousuf Karsh, Julie Grahame, will present images and stories from the Karsh archive, and talk about how she and the Estate keep his work in the public eye.“No matter how renowned his clients were, Karsh was always fascinated with discovering more about the mystery of human beings through their facial expressions. Without fawning over them or pandering to the vision they had of themselves, he was enthralled. “While I am a hero-worshipper,” Karsh wrote, “I do not expect my heroes not to show signs of the humanity that they share with us all.” Nevertheless, he would have to bring those traits to the surface and, at the same time, try to reveal something unique that distinguished his sitter from anyone else.”
David Travis, Regarding Heroes, Godine, 2009.