'The World of Yousuf Karsh': New exhibit provides a snapshot of famed photographer's collection

A new exhibit featuring the work of famed photographer Yousef Karsh is now open in Halifax.

Karsh was known for capturing revealing and defining images of the world's most influential figures.

The new exhibit, called "The World of Yousuf Karsh: A Private Essence," is housed at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21 and features over 100 portraits of major figures of the 20th century.

"He was the most significant portrait photographer in the 20th century and the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts has loaned us over 100 of his big prints, personally made by Karsh himself," said Dan Conlin, a museum curator at the Canadian Museum of Immigration at Pier 21.

Those at the Halifax museum say they are thrilled to share such a special collection.

"I wanted from the beginning, frankly, for this exhibition to come to the immigration museum in Halifax because of the unique bond that Halifax has with the life history of Yousuf Karsh himself," said Hilliard T. Goldfarb, the emeritus senior curator at the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts.

Karsh first came to Canada in 1924 where he arrived at Halifax's Pier 21 as an Armenian refugee. He was 15 years old at that time, fleeing the genocide on his own.

"So, it was an amazing story about a refugee and his credible contributions to Canada," said Conlin.

The new exhibit also displays Karsh’s images of the cowboys, farmers, steelworkers and icons of culture and artistic achievement who embody the integrity of the Canadian spirit.

"One of the most extraordinary things about Yousuf Karsh was his ability to capture the idolized essence of his subjects as a portrait photographer, while at the same time, through understanding gesture and a glance of a typical movement of his subjects," said Conlin. "Evoking their individualized personality and thereby bring to the viewer an empathy, and a broader understanding of their own humanity."

Visitors to the exhibit say Karsh's work can be mesmerizing.

"There was one in particular that really stood out to me... the George Bernard Shaw portrait, because when I stood in front of it, it was so life-like, it was like he was looking at me through a window I was passing by. Like you could reach out and it was a real person behind the glass," said Abby Lorenz, who visited the exhibit.

"That's what really struck me about that particular photograph and the skill that it would take to make a photograph so life-like."

The World of Yousuf Karsh: A Private Essence runs until Oct. 16.