Yousuf Karsh made Churchill roar . . . in Ottawa

The anniversary of the ‘Roaring Lion’ portrait

around town by Bruce Sach

It’s easy for pedestrians on Wellington Street to journey from the Château Laurier past the Parliament Buildings blissfully unaware of the direct connection between the two edifices and the most iconic photograph of the 20th century.

On December 30, 1941 Ottawa photographer Yousuf Karsh captured the wartime spirit of Sir Winston Churchill in his ‘Roaring Lion’ photo – a photo that was to be given credit for inspiring the Allied efforts in WWII in defeating the fascist threat.

How was it that British prime minister ended up in Ottawa two days before the New Year, 1942? Churchill was in Canada, having just visited Washington weeks after the attack on Pearl Harbour. Ever the master orator, Churchill had been in North America to ensure U.S. support for the United Kingdom war effort and he was burning to reply to French General/Collaborator Marshall Pétain who had said that ‘in three weeks England will have her neck wrung like a chicken”.

In a 22-page speech before a joint session of the Senate and the House of Commons, Churchill derided these predictions although only four words, his famous ‘some chicken, some neck’ is how history has summed up his reply. more confident of victory thanks to the continued support from Commonwealth countries, the Soviet Union and the United States. And Churchill, the master of public speaking and public relations (the whole speech was filmed) was no doubt in a jubilant mood, his speech having been constantly interrupted by applause and cheering.

Enjoying a scotch and cigar in the Speaker’s Chambers after his speech, Churchill was unprepared for his

ABOVE: Winston Churchill by Yousef Karsh, courtesy of the Estate of Yousuf Karsh RIGHT: The Karsh statue was unveiled on June 2017in Ottawa. (PHOTO: @Carole Jobin)

to England during WWII and photographed notables, including the Archbishop of Canterbury,

George Bernard Shaw and members of the Royal Family. You may have had a copy of a Karsh

original in your pocket – Karsh took portraits of Queen Elizabeth II that were used for official

purposes like postage stamps and currency.

encounter with young photographer Karsh. But not Karsh.

He’d painstakingly prepared his camera and lighting in an adjacent room. Ottawa Churchill scholar Cohen explains that “Karsh, to his immense credit, felt his mood wasn’t right to portray this lion of the west”. He wanted a Churchill sans cigare.

The ever-polite Karsh offered Churchill an ashtray, and when that didn’t work, plucked the cigar from Churchill’s mouth, saying “Forgive me, sir”.

“By the time I got back to my camera,” Karsh remembered, “he looked so belligerent he could have devoured me”.

Churchill said, “you could even make a roaring lion stand still to be photographed!” (See Annex 1) So how did the almost penniless Armenian refugee end up as an internationally known photographer in Ottawa?

Karsh was truly a child of the 20th century, living in every decade. He was an Armenian refugee from Syria, where his family fled after the Armenian genocide in Turkey.

As a teenager, he moved to Sherbrooke, Québec and lived with his photographer uncle. He learned the photography craft and then went to Boston to apprentice under the Armenian photographer John Garo.

Karsh moved to Ottawa, hoping to photograph its leading figures, both local and international. During World War II, he took pictures of servicemen as a gift, as a keepsake for families, should something happen to their loved one.

Mrs. Estrellita Karsh (Karsh’s widow), remembers years later, when the couple lived in the Chateau Laurier that often “a lady would come up to us and she’d take picture out of her wallet of a young man in a Canadian uniform he’d photographed, and say, ‘this was my husband, my son, my nephew, I cherish this picture’”.

Karsh became involved with the Ottawa Little Theatre, where he used artificial lighting for the first time.

Part of his secret was putting his subjects as ease, often getting to know them the day before a sitting, discovering their personalities in the hope of portraying that on film. The Château Laurier has just renovated (for the second time since 1998) the room that Karsh and his wife Estrellita lived in from 1980 until 1998. Yes, they lived in the hotel for those 18 years and used another room on the sixth floor as a studio. Visitors pay a premium price to stay at this private gallery/hotel suite containing Karsh masterpieces. Mrs. Karsh chose the photos that the couple donated to the hotel, most of which are in the Karsh suite. Think Ernest Hemmingway, Pablo Picasso, Barbara Ann Scott and Karen Kain.

Other original Karsh masterpieces are on display for all to see in the reading lounge of the hotel off the main lobby. These include portraits of Albert Einstein, Jean-Paul Riopelle, Georgia O’Keefe, Stephen Leacock and of course, the Sir Winston Churchill one.

Just as his people skills helped Karsh gain the confidence of well-known personalities, his kind way of dealing with people helped him when he was more famous than those he was to photograph.

As Mrs. Estrellita Karsh recalls, “when we lived at the Château, Mr. Karsh would walk on Parliament Hill, and people would inevitably stop him. He would take his felt hat off, and say, ‘Give me the pleasure of your name.’” “Then he’d return home, excited, explaining that he’d ‘met this person, she works at Parliament.’ Someone would always stop him and he was always happy to talk to anybody”.

The Churchill portrait taken 80 years ago, on December 30, 1941, a huge break, by any standard. As Mrs. Estrellita Karsh puts it, that the portrait was a ‘gift of history’.

And if you weren’t aware that the Churchill photo was taken in Ottawa, you’re in good company. When thenBritish prime minister Tony Blair visited Ottawa to address Parliament in 2001, he learned the photo of Churchill had been taken in the very room behind where he was about to speak. He changed his speech to make mention of it! g

Top off your winter look Top off your winter look

WITH THE PERFECT HAT

fashion by Sid Cratzbarg photos by Richard Tardif Photographie

I am not a winter person. I often wish I could escape the season, but, unfortunately, I need to stay put and deal with it. If you can’t beat it, then work on your winter wardrobe and find the perfect cold-weather accessory — the hat. Many different styles are functional, stylish, and hip, but the fedora is the favourite that I love to wear.

Fedora-like hats have been worn since the early 20th century. It was thanks to The Prince Of Wales that the fedora became popular. He was a real man of style, and when he replaced his stiff Homburg hat with a fedora, everyone followed his lead.

It wasn’t long before the fedora replaced other style hats. Then, in the ’50s, men solidified the idea that a hat was a musthave masculine accessory.

The fedora has been worn by so many iconic stars and actors including Humphrey Bogart, Brad Pitt, Justin Timberlake and Bruno Mars. They are definitely a fashion statement and can easily be dressed down for a casual look. A fedora is a definite GHI (Gotta Have It) accessory for winter 2022. Many iconic stars and actors have worn the fedora, including Humphrey Bogart, Brad Pitt, Justin Timberlake, and Bruno Mars. They are definitely a fashion statement and can easily be dressed down for a casual look. A fedora is a definite GHI (Gotta-Have-It) accessory for winter 2022.

I have been wearing classic black and grey fedoras for years, but I am constantly searching for unique, bright, colourful options to add to my collection. I am so happy that they are making fedoras in jewel tones for both men and women.

I have managed to find a few, but in my search, I discovered Chapeaux De Madeleine on Dalhousie Street in our nation’s capital. Madeleine Cormier designs the most unique and incredible hats for men and women. It was a fun, awesome experience working with her to create my vision of a fedora that always gets noticed by people who stop to ask, “Where did you get your hat?”

Finding the perfect hat will complete your wardrobe while helping you make the best of winter g

HAT STYLES FOR WINTER 2022

BEANIES: These popular hats have been shown on every major fashion runway this season. They are worn by men and women come in a variety of colours which give them a cool vibe. Beanies look fabulous with sweaters, jeans, and sportswear.

PANAMA HATS: Panama hats are also trendy this season. The same headrests used for summer are now made from wool. They are a wonderful addition to your fall/winter hat collection.

FLAT CAP: Originally worn by farmers and chimney-sweepers, these caps are now a classic look of distinction. They are made of wool or tweed and have a flat rounded shape with a small hard front-facing peak. I love how they look with a single-breasted overcoat and jeans.

TRAPPER HATS: Made from a variety of materials with ear flaps lined with wool, real fur, even faux fur, trapper hats are a cool hip look. They certainly block the cold air from hitting your ears. Most of them are brimless, but some styles have a small visor to keep your forehead warm. I love that the flaps can be tied at the crown of the head or beneath the chin.

BASEBALL CAPS: The baseball cap does not look good on everyone, but they are a staple in many men’s closets. They lend a hipster look to many guys and can be worn throughout the year. For this season, companies have designed them in wool, tweed, and corduroy, which certainly provides more warmth g

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT.

Especially When You Never Give Up!

There was a time when Travis Iverson was the model athlete and young man extraordinaire. Sports meant everything to him, and he had a personal trophy case to prove it. Track meets, placing 10th in the Terry Fox Run against 200+ runners, basketball MVP, competitive baseball pitcher, you name it. But then, at the hope-filled age of 21, a diving accident dramatically changed everything and Travis heard a physician’s words that would forever stay with him. “You are never going to walk again.”

He spent 33 days in the Civic’s ICU fighting for his life, unable to move or speak, kept alive with the help of a ventilator. Travis’ only option to signal the nurses at night was to click his tongue.

“Life as I knew it was over,” Travis says. “The spinal cord injury was the absolute WORST thing to ever happen to me for sure, but also to my family. A spinal cord injury usually requires one to three bronchoscopies maximum over the course of the entire injury. I had 17 in two weeks! It took everything I had to get off the ventilator, but I did it against all odds.” 9 months at the Ottawa Hospital’s Rehab Center prepared Travis for a life he never imagined. “It was a scary time, with many challenges hourly,” he recalls, “including a ‘code white’ emergency tracheotomy, a fall in the shower two weeks in with the neck brace still on, suctioning the lungs more times I can count and for hours on end.”

When the time came, Travis’ mum Karen sold her garden home to purchase a bungalow that could accommodate her son’s unique needs. “So many kind people came to help me by preparing the bungalow,” Travis says. “Michael Power and Heather Lillico, the owners of The Emporium on Main Street, spearheaded a troop of supporters.

Contractors, builders, you name it, all worked so hard to get it ready for me.” Travis knew he was finally home when he smelled Christmas turkey, was surrounded by the warmth of family and saw familiar objects from the old garden home again. The scene made his injuries “disappear for that moment in time.”

Proceeds from the sales of beanies and other Fundraising Collection apparel support the rollout of fashionable, accessible clothing for the wheelchair-user community as well as helping single parent families affected by a spinal cord injury with accessible renovations.

LEFT: Black shirt from Iver Fashion’s collection. RIGHT: Travis and the team design seamless - wicking material apparel for chair bound clients. Their signature black and white formal temperaturecontrol dress shirts are offered in A-frame for a natural look. Their pants foster skin integrity with longer inseams and have discreet urine bag zippers.

Travis was handed enough lemons to make lemonade for the army, but when the going was tough, the tough got going. Travis was preparing for a pal’s birthday party when, what a drag, his old wardrobe was no longer a functional, fashionable option. That’s when inspiration hit and Travis pivoted from athletics to fashion design. “I rolled up to my desk, opened a new Word document, put on some really loud music, and began typing, using a HeadMouse that is attached to my glasses. I move my head to point the laser of the mouse at the electronic keyboard. I typed out each garment with fabric specs and unique adaptation features.”

In a matter of months, Travis, ever the competitor, made a venture pitch and beat 30 other submissions to become the Algonquin Applied Research & Innovation Project (ARIP) winner. Up went a website to promote a business plan and products. A CBC-TV feature prompted phone calls, encouragement, and a letter of recognition from MPP (now MP) Yasir Naqvi. Travis and his new line were on a roll.

“With the buzz still going at full speed, The Celebration of People Awards contacted me and said I was nominated and should go to the Gala. I was humbled when I heard the words, ‘The 2014 Accessibility Award goes to…Travis Iverson.’”

In an age where everything from dish soap to yoga promises healing, Travis Iverson knows all too well that healing comes from sheer determination. “Nothing, and I mean nothing, can prepare you for that reality or for the amount of pain, suffering and pure patience required to get through it all. I am forever grateful for the love of family, close friends, and the big guy above!”

So if you’re ever sitting on your butt feeling sorry for yourself, stand up, think of Travis and remember his motto for life: The Sky’s The Limit. Especially When You Never Give Up! g

Please check out Travis Iverson’s brilliant line of clothing at iverfashion.com