Boston Public Library
Literary Portraits by Yousuf Karsh
Detail from:
John Steinbeck
A collection of 47 portraits of writers and literary figures, by the renowned photographer and master of the portrait, Yousuf Karsh.
Yousuf Karsh’s path to becoming one of the most important photographers of the 20th century began in Boston. During his apprenticeship with the eminent portrait photographer John Garo, Yousuf Karsh benefited from his exposure to the rich cultural and educational resources available in the city. Karsh spent so much time reading at Boston Public Library that he referred to it as “my other home” in Boston. The budding photographer was hungry for knowledge and like so many ambitious people in humble circumstances, he took full advantage of the library as a free resource for education and self-improvement.
His time at Boston Public Library gave Karsh a strong grounding in the humanities and literature, knowledge that would prove indispensable in his approach to photographing the great thinkers and writers of his time. It is a prerequisite for photographers to have the ability to build a rapport with their subjects and to put them at ease, but Karsh was after something deeper. He was not trying to coin a likeness but to reveal the mind and personality behind it. To achieve his goal, Karsh had to have an intimate knowledge of the thoughts and beliefs of his subjects, knowledge best learned through their writings.
These photographs are the gift of Estrellita Karsh in honor of Peter R.V. Brown, former chair of the Associates of the Boston Public Library.
Critical funding to support long-term preservation of and enhanced public access to Boston Public Library collections, including this one, was provided by the Associates of the Boston Public Library.
Yousuf Karsh’s path to becoming one of the most important photographers of the 20th century began in Boston. During his apprenticeship with the eminent portrait photographer John Garo, Yousuf Karsh benefited from his exposure to the rich cultural and educational resources available in the city. Karsh spent so much time reading at Boston Public Library that he referred to it as “my other home” in Boston. The budding photographer was hungry for knowledge and like so many ambitious people in humble circumstances, he took full advantage of the library as a free resource for education and self-improvement.
His time at Boston Public Library gave Karsh a strong grounding in the humanities and literature, knowledge that would prove indispensable in his approach to photographing the great thinkers and writers of his time. It is a prerequisite for photographers to have the ability to build a rapport with their subjects and to put them at ease, but Karsh was after something deeper. He was not trying to coin a likeness but to reveal the mind and personality behind it. To achieve his goal, Karsh had to have an intimate knowledge of the thoughts and beliefs of his subjects, knowledge best learned through their writings.
These photographs are the gift of Estrellita Karsh in honor of Peter R.V. Brown, former chair of the Associates of the Boston Public Library.
Critical funding to support long-term preservation of and enhanced public access to Boston Public Library collections, including this one, was provided by the Associates of the Boston Public Library.