YOUSUF KARSH SGND PORTRAIT LORD & LADY BESSBOROUGH

YOUSUF KARSH, CC, RCA (ARMENIAN-CANADIAN, 1908–2002)
VINTAGE SILVER GELATIN PRINT ON MATTE CARD STOCK, FEBRUARY 7, 1935
BEARS EXTREMELY SCARCE, HISTORIC ORIGINAL INK PEN AUTOGRAPHS STRUCK DIRECTLY UPON THE RECTO STEP SURFACE: SIGNED BY THE GOVERNOR GENERAL PROFILING “BESSBOROUGH” TO THE LOWER LEFT AND BY THE COUNTESS INDICATION “ROBERTA BESSBOROUGH” TO THE LOWER RIGHT SECTOR COMPONENT. CRITICALLY REVEALS KARSH’S RARE EARLY SIGNATURE EXECUTED BY HAND IN GRAPHITE DIRECTLY UPON THE MASTER GLASS PLATE NEGATIVE, TIMELESSLY EMBEDDED WITHIN THE SILVER GELATIN EMULSION MATRIX APPARATUS
AN EXCEPTIONAL, HISTORICALLY MONUMENTAL VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPHIC PORTRAIT SPECIFICALLY REVERED AS THE CORNERSTONE ARTIFACT THAT LAUNCHED THE INTERNATIONAL CAREER OF PORTRAIT ICON YOUSUF KARSH. THE PHOTOGRAPH DEPICTS HIS EXCELLENCY THE EARL OF BESSBOROUGH (VERE PONSONBY, 9TH EARL OF BESSBOROUGH, GOVERNOR GENERAL OF CANADA) IN FULL MILITARY REGALIA COUPLING EMBLAZONED EPAULETTES, MEDAL MATRICES, AND A CEREMONIAL SWORD, STANDING BESIDE THE COUNTESS OF BESSBOROUGH (ROBERTA PONSONBY) IN AN EXQUISITE FLUID METALLIC-WEAVE EVENING GOWN WITH AN EXPANSIVE DRAPED TRAIN GATHERED AT THE BASE OF A MODERNIST STAIRCASE AT RIDEAU HALL. THE SHEET CAPTURES KARSH’S IMMACULATE EARLY DRAMATIC STAGE-LIGHTING CONSTRUCT, CREATING A VIBRANT THREE-DIMENSIONAL ILLUSION EQUIPPED WITH DEEP CHARCOAL CHANNELS AND LUMINESCENT HIGHLIGHTS MATRIX SECTORS.
THIS SUCCESSFUL IMAGE EMBODIES ONE OF THE MOST CELEBRATED REDEMPTION STORIES IN CANADIAN PHOTOGRAPHY. IN JANUARY 1935, A STRUGGLING 27-YEAR-OLD KARSH WAS GRANTED THE OPPORTUNITY OF A LIFETIME TO PORTRAIT THE VICE-REGAL COUPLE, BUT THE INITIAL SHOOT RECORDED A COMPLETE “FIASCO”—THE IMAGES WERE BLURRED, POORLY COMPOSED, AND CRITICALLY DEFECTIVE DUE TO KARSH’S NERVOUS EXCUREMENT. DETERMINED TO RESCUE HIS DESTINY, THE YOUNG ARTIST PLEADED FOR A SECOND CHANCE VIA LORD DUNCANNON. ON FEBRUARY 7, 1935, THE COUPLE RETURNED TO HIS STUDIO; KARSH RE-ENGINEERED A SMALL THEATRICAL SET MATRIX COUPLING AN ELEGANT THREE-DIMENSIONAL WINDING STAIRCASE WITH A BRILLIANT CHALK-WHITE BACKGROUND TO CAPTURE THIS EXACT TIMELESS RE-SHOOT COMPOSITION. THE SUBLIME RESULT LAUNCHED HIS PROFILE AMONG THE ELITES OF THE COSMOPOLITAN CAPITAL AND CATAPULTED HIM TOWARD THE INTERNATIONAL ARENA YEARS BEFORE HIS FAMED 1941 WINSTON CHURCHILL PORTRAIT SCHEME.
11.625 X 8.75 IN
UNFRAMED
ACCOMPANIED BY THE ATTACHED OTTAWA CITIZEN SCHOLARLY NARRATIVE FEATURE
THE REAR MATRICES ARE MOUNTED WITH AN ENTIRELY UNRELATED VINTAGE PHOTOGRAPHIC PRINT MATRIX, DEPICTING THE FINE-LINED PROFILE PORTRAIT OF A YOUNG CHILD COMPLETED FROM A CHARCOAL OR CHALK DRAWING PROFILE MASTER, INSCRIBED IN LEAD PEN MATRIX: “HUMPHREY VON BARCLAY / 1962”